Thursday, April 23, 2020

National Poetry Month, Day 23, Progressive Poem, and Happy Birthday to Me!

Today it's my turn to offer two lines to continue the Progressive Poem. Christie will choose one of them.

I picked this day, the 23rd, because it's my blog birthday. Today I've been blogging for 14 years. Let there be socially distant partying, and let there be cake!

So here's the poem so far:

Progressive Poem 2020

Sweet violets shimmy, daffodils sway
along the wiregrass path to the lake
I carry a rucksack of tasty cakes
and a banjo passed down from my gram.

I follow the tracks of deer and raccoon
and echo the call of a wandering loon.
A whispering breeze joins in our song
and night melts into a rose gold dawn

Deep into nature's embrace, I fold.
Promise of spring helps shake the cold
hints of sun lightly dapple the trees
calling out the sleepy bees

Leaf-litter crackles...I pause. Twig snaps.
I gasp! Shudder! Breathe out. Relax...
as a whitetail doe comes into view.
She shifts and spotted fawns debut.

We freeze. My green eyes and her brown
Meet and lock. Time slows down.
I scatter the cakes, backing away
Safely exiting this strange ballet.

I continue the path that winds down to the lake.

Julieanne offered me these lines:

"Missing my breakfast for beauty's sake"

and

"A heart filled with an adventurer's ache."

I picked the first, and then I was stuck. So I did what normally do when I'm stuck while writing, whether a poem or really anything else. I went to my five senses. Looking back over the poem, there are plenty of things to see, like violets and daffodils, tracks, and of course the lovely fawns. There are lots of sounds, like the snapping twigs, the banjo (we haven't heard it yet, but it's always a possibility), the breeze. There's a chill in the air to feel. There are those cakes on the ground to taste (though I guess we're not going to get to, since they're on the ground).

See what's missing? We need a smell! So I added one. I'm sorry, Christie, I'm not letting you pick whether to have a smell or not, but you can pick what kind of smell it is!

Option 1: But what's that smell up there ahead?

Option 2: But wait, what's that delicious smell?

I know what I would make the smell be, but I don't know what Christie and all our upcoming contributors will decide to do with it. That's the thing with the Progressive Poem - you do your thing and then you stand back. Take it away, Christie!


1 Donna Smith at Mainly Write
2 Irene Latham at Live Your Poem
3 Jone MacCulloch, deowriter
4
Liz Steinglass
5
Buffy Silverman
6 Kay McGriff at kaymcgriff
7 Catherine Flynn at Reading to the Core
8 Tara Smith at Going to Walden
9 Carol Varsalona at Beyond Literacy Link
10 Matt Forrest Esenwine at Radio, Rhythm, and Rhyme
11 Janet Fagel, hosted at Reflections on the Teche
12 Linda Mitchell at A Word Edgewise
13 Kat Apel at Kat’s Whiskers
14 Margaret at Reflections on the Teche
15 Leigh Anne Eck at A Day in the Life
16 Linda Baie at Teacher Dance
17 Heidi Mordhorst at My Juicy Little Universe
18 Mary Lee Hahn at A Year of Reading
19 Tabatha at Opposite of Indifference
20 Rose Cappelli at Imagine the Possibilities
21 Janice Scully at Salt City Verse
22 Julieanne Harmatz at To Read, To Write, To Be
23 Ruth at thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
24 Christie Wyman at Wondering and Wandering
25 Amy at The Poem Farm
26 Dani Burtsfield at Doing the Work That Matters
27 Robyn Hood Black at Life on the Deckle Edge
28 Jessica Big at TBD
29 Fran Haley at lit bits and pieces
30 Michelle Kogan at moreart4all

13 comments:

Janet said...

Happy birthday! You've brought much beauty and depth to the blogosphere!

Tabatha said...

I like getting our sniffer going. Good job, Ruth, and congratulations on your blogiversary! I feel like I've been blogging for a million years, but I guess it's only been 13. Maybe 13 is a million in blog years? How does it feel to you?

Anonymous said...

Great job! 14 years of goodness!

Margaret Simon said...

Happy Blog Birthday! 14 years! That's super! And I love that you've turned our attention to a scent. I wonder what Christie will do with it. Thanks for playing along.

Janice Scully said...

Yes, Ruth, congratulations on 14 years! I love the new lines and now I'm going to wonder all day what that scent might be.

Christie Wyman said...

Oh boy, Ruth. I'm ready to go! I wonder what the smell could be. I'm on it! :-) Cheers and congratulations on 14 fabulous years!!!!!

Linda B said...

Happy Birthday to you, Ruth. Those years are a history captured! I love adding a smell & a mystery, too! The adventure continues!

Kay said...

Happy birthday, Ruth! I love the line you chose (it was my favorite). Now I'm wondering what smell it will be!

Heidi Mordhorst said...

Hello, Ruth, and happy 14 glorious years...in all the visits I've made there has never NOT been something arresting to savor. Thanks, and if it were me, I'd be picking up the least dirty cake, toasting you with it, and eating it anyway. What KIND of cake do you think we've left behind for the vegan deer???

Your "missing sense" approach makes a lot of sense. How can a smell lead to our conclusion? Such great possibilities.

Julieanne said...

Happy Bloggerversy! I love how you approached this. Great advice! Now, what will that smell be?

skanny17 said...

Ah, Ruth......I wonder and we wander. I love that you have brought in the sense of smell. I know Christie loves to walk in nature so it will be rather interesting to see where her lines take us! Happy Blog Anniversary. It has been my pleasure to know you for about 8 years or so now. Both online and in person. As stated on my day, I love my poetry friends because well, not everyone gets this thing we so love to do......and I know I can count on so much incredible energy and creativity and beauty and inspiration. It is soul-fueling for sure. Hugs to you. Stay safe.
Janet Clare F.

Carol Varsalona said...

I wonder if the cake in the PP would have been suitable for your blog anniversary, Ruth? What did you smell along the trail (any hint for us)? Your process of using the sense of smell to help the PP come along was a good route to finalize your thoughts. I am wondering what lies ahead.

Ramona said...

Happy Blog Birthday and congrats on fourteen years! I'm pulling for the delicious smell, but I don't always get what I want. Now I'm off to see what Christie chose.