Saturday, April 25, 2020

Progressive Poem 2020 is Here

Screen Shot 2020-03-31 at 3.57.16 PM

Welcome, Poetry Friends! It is the eighth year of the Poetry Friday annual Progressive Poem, and I am happy to host today.
This year, Margaret Simon has pulled us all together after seven years of founder Irene Latham at the helm. Here's how the Progressive Poem works: each blogger who wishes takes a line and passes the baton to the next person on the list who writes the next line. It is simple and surprising too.
This year, folks are offering two line choices for the next writer. It's a poem-choose-your-own-adventure!
Here is this year's poem so far...
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.
Missing my breakfast for beauty’s sake.
But wait, what’s that delicious smell?
Something familiar, I know so well.

******

And now, two choices for the next writer:

It's a basket of goodies...and Little Red!      
OR      
It's a campfire. I follow my nose. I see
As for my line-choice, I could have chosen Christie's other line-offering - But what's that smell there up ahead? - but the line I picked just grabbed me. Thank you, Christie. 
Now, I pass the poem baton to Dani Burtsfield at Doing the Work that Matters. I am curious to see which branch of the adventure she will choose.
Note: I did add some punctuation, knowing full well that someone later down the line may choose to take it out. Have fun, next writers...and thank you, everyone, for this good fun!
This is where you can find the poem each day of April 2020:

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 A Journey through the Pages
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 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, 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 Bigi
29 Fran Haley at lit bits and pieces
30 Michelle Kogan
If you would like to learn more about other National Poetry Month projects happening throughout the Kidlitosphere, Jama has rounded up many NPM happenings over at Jama's Alphabet Soup.  Enjoy this last week of Poetry Month!
Please share a comment below if you wish.day 

9 comments:

  1. Yeah, you chose the first line that came to me. :-) Little Red? Oh my goodness. That would be a fun fairy tale twist. But I do love a good campfire. We shall see which Dani chooses! -- Christie @ https://wonderingandwondering.wordpress.com/

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow Amy two different directions, one puts us into a fairy tale, the other more realistic. The smell of campfires is one I like and don't really understand why because I'm not big on outdoor camping. In the fall in New Iberia, they burn the cane fields. It's not great for the environment or some people's allergies, but I love the smell.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I like what you chose from Christie, & something "new" in this mix is great! There are often surprises found in the woods, right? Have a lovely weekend, Amy!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ah, our wandering journey continues. Captivated by what will transpire. I always love the anticipation of this poem. What is around the bend?? A surprise for sure. Oh, Little Red.....that could be very interesting....or a campfire. Having been a camper, I have an affinity for that but....we wait and see. Janet Clare F.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh... two tantalizing possibilities. Which will it be, which will it be? I'll tune in tomorrow to see, see see.... XO

    ReplyDelete
  6. Which choice will it be? I'm glad I don't have to choose. I love the fairy tale introduction of Red, but I'm also quite partial to campfires.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Amy, your choices are quite interesting, especially the one with Little Red. Of course, this line could go off into a fairytale format or bring us back to reality with a present-day character with that name. I'm looking forward to the choice reveal.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Love your line choice, Amy! We had a campfire Saturday evening. It was heavenly to sit outside and listen to the peepers!

    ReplyDelete
  9. So, my advantage of coming late (sorry I'm late)… I get to see the result right away. While I like both your offerings, I'm happy that Dani picked
    "It's a campfire. I follow my nose. I see" Smiling with your line and where it will lead, xo

    ReplyDelete