Maryam Daftari was inspired by the week ten poetry last year, Erica Baum’s Card Catalog and Dog Ear. She  went out to Moonlight Beach (in San Diego, we live about 7 miles east of it). There is an area where travelers paint words on pebbles and rocks and paint things to commemorate their travels. 

Maryam took pictures of each rock, each pebble with words or pictures painted on it. Then She transcribed the words on these large pebbles and also if it were a painting wrote out what the painting was saying, in words. 111 Rocks, three pages. 

Then she categorized them and wrote all sorts of poems, with different themes: haiku boards, freeverse poems, even tried form poems.

Here are some samples of the photos Maryam Daftari took and transcribed to use for her poems, constrained in the style of Week 10:

The dancing variety of pebbles

In the sin/cos of existence,

Wearing my permanent tan,

Dream big, love big, live free,

Hawaii 2018, my happiest.

Who asks, “Who am I?”

Do you know the way to

Z?

Neighbors, love and peace,

A smiley face with thick black eyelashes.

Panda pandi baby pandoo,

Two birds soar above a heart against a turquoise sky,

Blue jay over golden sunshine,

Sisters holding hands,

Urge: “Be strong.”

Peach dood,

Stay happy, tai chi symbol,

Allow yourself to bloom,

Two flowers blue and yellow,

Orange sun in a dark blue sky.

Red stone,

Blue blank stone,

Purple blank rock,

Love – period.

Smiles for miles,

Jesus the Savior yesterday, today, and forever,

“I like this,”

Schnitzel love,

Just “Be happy.”

“I love you,”

Love, on,

Live, laugh,

Be happy,Life is good.