Monday, April 24, 2017

The 2017 Progressive Poem is Here Today!


We're off again on (and in the homestretch of) another progressive poem!  Thank you, Irene Latham, of Live Your Poem, for always setting us off on this friendly month-long word-adventure.

I'm line 24 (the last line so far) here.  Ruth, of There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town, kindly handed off stanza 7 off with power and movement and pirate-ness. 

For today, it felt right to introduce a new character...and following the dragon-pirateness with a parrot felt right too. Since my friend Robyn is next, in line for line 25, I chose to name the parrot after her. (Yes, I asked.)

If you'd like to read about how each line has grown to the next, the daily bloggers have each been sharing a little bit of information about his or her line. You can see the complete list of participants in my left sidebar (during April 2017) or revisit the poem and its history along with past progressive poems at Irene's blog HERE.

Here's the whole poem so far...with my one added line:

I’m fidget, friction, ragged edges–
I sprout stories that frazzle-dazzle,
stories of castles, of fires that crackle
with dragonwords that smoke and sizzle.

But edges sometimes need sandpaper,
like swords need stone and clouds need vapour.
So I shimmy out of my spurs and armour
facing the day as my fickle, freckled self.

I thread the crowd, wear freedom in my smile,
and warm to the coals of conversation.
Enticed to the stage by strands of story,
I skip up the stairs in anticipation.

Flip around, face the crowd, and freeze!
Shiver me. Look who’s here. Must I disappear?
By hook or by crook, I deserve a second look!
I cheer. Please, have no fear. Find the book.

But wait! I’ll share the lines I know by heart.
Mythicalhowls, fierytones slip from my lip
Blue scales flash, claws rip, the prophecy begins
Dragonworld weaves webs that grip. I take a trip…

“Anchors aweigh!” Steadfast at helm on clipper ship,
a topsail schooner, with sails unfurled, speeds away
As, true-hearted dragon pirate, I sashay
with my wise parrot, Robyn, through the spray.

Take it away, my wise and colorful friend Robyn, over at Life on the Deckle Edge....

Please don't miss the links to all kinds of Poetry Month goodness up there in my upper left sidebar during this month.  Happy twenty-third day of National Poetry Month!  Today's color (in a different post) is ASPARAGUS, so perfect for spring!

Please share a comment below if you wish.

14 comments:

  1. That Robyn IS a wise parrot, isn't she? And I love the spray. Thank you, Amy. xo

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  2. So happy to see a friend, companion arrive on this journey, Amy! And a parrot named Robyn is terrific. I like 'through the spray', feels like happiness.

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  3. I love the sashaying through the spray and I can't wait to see where Robyn takes our narrator and her parrot. I thought our new character would be human . . . but not at all surprised that our animal-loving Amy would give our narrator an animal friend.

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  4. I see a story-line emerging. Now I wonder if it might end up in the vein of my imaginings. Wonderful line, Amy and I love Robyn, the parrot, and the generous real-life poet and artist friend, Robyn, too. Bravo and heave-ho !! Off we go or not...who knows?
    Janet Clare F.

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  5. I love Robyn, the parrot, too. So perfect and so much fun!

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  6. A parrot named Robyn is perfect! And I love the line with the spray from the clipper ship! Nice!

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  7. Oh, Amy... (wiping salt spray out of squinting eyes) - of course you know I'd love ANY animal I get to share a name with. Off to the helm to ponder... XO (& thanks, friends, for such lovely comment affirmations on a Monday!)

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  8. Oooh, I wonder what that parrot will have to say! Sashay on through the spray!

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  9. Highest praise: I read this aloud to my students and one of them said, "It sounds like it was written by one poet." Love this community of sailers.

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  10. So Robyn is the Poetry Parrot, is she? Makes me wonder if she'll provide a new line tomorrow...or if she'll provide a line one we've already heard or seen somewhere, since that's what parrots do, right??

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  11. Well, our protagonist is on her journey...what will she find with her parrot by her side?

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  12. I recognize that Robyn parrot & she is also like a nightingale, meadowlark & dove, but a wise parrot too. And I'll bet she is the first bird to jump into the lawn sprinkler or waterfall or front of the ship spray. Fun line!

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  13. I'm passing through late, Amy, to appreciate your colorful project (you are so steady and predictable, yet daily inpired; what am I doing with my life?) and this addition to our ProgPoem. Shiver me. A parrot companion for our swashbuckling kid, named Robyn? Further afield (or asea) with every line!

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  14. We line the actual group, put on independence during my grin, as well as comfortable towards the coals associated with discussion. Tempted to the level through strands associated with tale, by pass in the steps within expectation.

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