Today it's my turn to host the Progressive Poem. This is a fun tradition that's in its ninth year, and I've participated each year! This year, like last, each poet is writing two lines, so that the next person can choose between them.
April 1 Kat Apel at Kat Whiskers
2 Linda Mitchell at A Word Edgewise
3 Mary Lee at A Year of Reading
4 Donna Smith at Mainly Write
5 Irene Latham at Live your Poem
6 Jan Godown Annino at BookseedStudio
7 Rose Cappelli at Imagine the Possibilities
8 Denise Krebs at Dare to Care
9 Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche
10 Molly Hogan at Nix the Comfort Zone
11 Buffy Silverman
12 Janet Fagel at Reflections on the Teche
13 Jone Rush MacCulloch
14 Susan Bruck at Soul Blossom Living
15 Wendy Taleo at Tales in eLearning
16 Heidi Mordhorst at my juicy little universe
17 Tricia Stohr Hunt at The Miss Rumphius Effect
18 Linda Baie at Teacher Dance
19 Carol Varsalona at Beyond Literacy Link
20 Robyn Hood Black at Life on the Deckle Edge
21 Leigh Anne Eck at A Day in the Life
22 Ruth Hersey at There is No Such Thing as a God-forsaken Town
23 Janice Scully at Salt City Verse
24 Tabatha Yeatts at The Opposite of Indifference
25 Shari Daniels at Islands of my Soul
26 Tim Gels at Yet There is Method at https://timgels.com
27 Rebecca Newman
28 Catherine Flynn at Reading to the Core
29 Christie Wyman at Wondering and Wondering
30 Michelle Kogan at More Art 4 All
Leigh Ann Eck gave me two lines to choose from:
We paddle and paddle to the island we see.
or
Ahh! Here comes a wave--let's hold on tight!
I chose the second line.
Every year, my kids give me helpful suggestions. One year, my daughter said my line should be "Suddenly, ninjas!" And this year my son offered: "But that was before the darkness came." I decided not to follow their advice (though I was tempted).
I wrote my two lines, one a little more abstract and one that went in a more concrete direction. Leigh Ann had mentioned wanting to get back to kindness, where the poem began, and I shared that desire, so I tried to do that in my first line. Here they are:
To the boat, to kindness, to friendship's delight
or
Splashing and laughing, let's play until night!
If Janice chooses the first one, she can leave off the exclamation mark from Leigh Ann's line.
So here's the poem so far, without my line (waiting for Janice to add the one she picks):
I’m a case of kindness – come and catch me if you can!
Easily contagious – sharing smiles is my plan.
I'll spread my joy both far and wide
As a force of nature, I’ll be undenied.
Words like, "how can I help?" will bloom in the street.
A new girl alone on the playground – let’s meet, let’s meet!
We can jump-skip together in a double-dutch round.
Over, under, jump and wonder, touch the ground.
Friends can be found when you open a door.
Side by side, let’s walk through, there’s a world to explore.
We’ll hike through a forest of towering trees.
Find a stream we can follow while we bask in the breeze.
Pull off our shoes and socks, dip our toes in the icy spring water
When you’re with friends, there’s no have to or oughter.
What could we make with leaves and litter?
Let's find pine needles, turn into vine knitters.
We'll lie on our backs and find shapes in the sky.
We giggle together: See the bird! Now we fly?
Inspired by nature, our imaginations soar.
Follow that humpback! Here, take an oar.
Ahh! Here comes a wave -- let's hold on tight!
It's your turn, Janice!
9 comments:
Ruth,
I like the line that turns this ship back toward kindness. :) Nice work on both lines. I'm sure Janice will enjoy taking it to the next step.
You did what I tried to do with kindness! Maybe it just took two lines to get it! ;)
Either line wraps its arms around kindness, Ruth. Well done! -- Christie
Ruth, I am excited how the poem is progressing with imagination and action. Your two lines are setting us in the right direction and I am eager to see how Janice sees the poem moving forward.
Continuing the sheer fun together and with kindness is wonderful, Ruth. Either line brings smiles. Only eight days left!
Ah, you had the challenge to make it rhyme. Love both lines. That's the thing that is so fun about this poem, riding the waves of lines and choices. Where will we go? (Margaret Simon)
I really like both of your lines. I like that one of them takes the poem back to kindness, but whichever line gets used, it will further the adventure of this fun poem!
Agree with all--the shape of the poem requires a rhyme and a return and you have managed both in your choices.
Wonderful, Ruth, both choices - and tell your kiddos to keep offering suggestions, too - Now I have images of Ninjas dancing in my head! ;0) Happy Blog Birthday this week as well... 15 years is something to be very proud of. :0)
Post a Comment