I have always loved maps. When I was little, I would haul out our giant World Book Atlas and pore over the maps of each continent and country. It makes me sad to think that physical maps, which are truly works of art, are taking a backseat to the maps most of us carry in our pocket. (To be fair to GPS systems, they are a gift when driving solo to a new place, i.e. Heidi’s house in Maryland for our first ever In Real Life Inkings retreat!) I So I was excited when Molly challenged the Inklings to write:

…a poem about maps or travel or journeys, real or imagined. Maybe you want to write about finding your way or marking your path. Maybe you want to consider where your map begins, where it ends, or the liminal boundary spaces. Perhaps you want to take a different perspective— that of the map maker (cartographer if we’re getting fancy 🙂 ) or that of the map itself.

Of course I stumbled about trying to find a way into this prompt. But then a beautiful artwork of stained glass popped up on my Bluesky feed, and I knew I had an answer.

The countryside unfolds
before me like a map,
revealing patchwork fields
of gold and green,
meandering rivers,
distant indigo mountains.

Life hums and buzzes all about.
Butterflies flutter,
sheep graze,
swifts swoop.

I open my heart
and the world
unfurls before me,
a kaleidoscope of possibilities.

Draft, © Catherine Flynn, 2026

The last stanza has it’s origins in something I wrote in response to an Oracle card pulled from the deck Margaret brought to our retreat. Everyone shared at least one activity, and my notebook is full of possibilities, and my heart is full of love and gratitude for these amazing women I am lucky enough to call my friends. Be sure to visit them today and read about their journey with this prompt.

Heidi @ My Juicy Little Universe
Linda @ Another Word Edgewise
Margaret @ Reflections on the Teche
Mary Lee @ Another Year of Reading
Molly @ Nix the Comfort Zone

Also, don’t forget to visit Ruth at There Is No Such Thing As a God-forsaken Town for the Poetry Friday Roundup.