Poetry Friday - The Progressive Poem is Here!

Happy Poetry Friday everyone! Today, we're hosted by the excellent Karen Edmisten, here. Head on over for poetry shenanigans. Thanks, Karen!

Y'all, I'm so excited to be hosting the Progressive Poem today! This is one of my favorite Poetry Month celebrations. Each day in April, a different poet adds their line to a poem for children... and then passes the poem forward. There's something about watching the poem grow throughout the month that is so energizing. It reminds me how wild the imagination is... how unpredictable and beautiful and brimming. Add in community and collective musings, and you have a wondrous project. I'm delighted to be a part of it this year.

Thanks to Irene Latham for starting the Progressive Poem tradition back when, and thanks to Margaret Simon for coordinating it now. Thank you also to Cathy Hutter for passing the poem to me with such a generous opening.

Without further ado, I present to you... 2023's Progressive Poem! (My line is in bold down the bottom.) Happy wandering through the words!

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Suddenly everything fell into place like raindrops hitting soil and sinking in. When morning first poked me, I’d wished it away my mind in the mist, muddled, confused. Was this a dream or reality, rousing my response? The sun surged, urging me to join in its rising, Rising like a crystal ball reflecting on morning dew. I jumped out of bed, ready to explore the day. My feet pull me outside and into the garden Where lilies and bees weave…but wait! What’s that? A bevy of bunnies jart and dart and play in the clover. A dog barks and flash, the bunderstorm is over. I breathe-brave, quiet. Like a seed, as the day, foretold in my dream, ventured upon me. Sunbeams guided me to the gate overgrown with wisteria where I spotted the note tied to the gate.

As I reached the gnarled gate, pollen floated like fairy dust into my face.

Aaah Choo!

Enter, if you must. We’ve been waiting for you.

Not giving the curious note a thought, I pushed the gate open and ran through.

Stopped in my tracks, eyes wide in awe- can this really be true?

Huge mushrooms for tables, vines twined into chairs,

Take it away Marilyn Garcia! I look forward to seeing what you create.

Progressive Poem Schedule

April 1 Mary Lee Hahn, Another Year of Reading April 2 Heidi Mordhorst, My Juicy Little Universe April 3 Tabatha, The Opposite of Indifference April 4 Buffy Silverman April 5 Rose Cappelli, Imagine the Possibilities April 6 Donna Smith, Mainely Write April 7 Margaret Simon, Reflections on the Teche April 8 Leigh Anne, A Day in the Life April 9 Linda Mitchell, A Word Edgewise April 10 Denise Krebs, Dare to Care April 11 Emma Roller, Penguins and Poems April 12 Dave Roller, Leap Of Dave April 13 Irene Latham Live Your Poem April 14 Janice Scully, Salt City Verse April 15 Jone Rush MacCulloch April 16 Linda Baie TeacherDance April 17 Carol Varsalona, Beyond Literacy Link April 18 Marcie Atkins April 19 Carol Labuzzetta at The Apples in My Orchard April 20 Cathy Hutter, Poeturescapes April 21 Sarah Grace Tuttle at Sarah Grace Tuttle’s Blog, April 22 Marilyn Garcia April 23 Catherine at Reading to the Core April 24 Janet Fagal, hosted by Tabatha, The Opposite of Indifference April 25 Ruth, There is no Such Thing as a God-Forsaken Town April 26 Patricia J. Franz, Reverie April 27 Theresa Gaughan, Theresa’s Teaching Tidbits April 28 Karin Fisher-Golton, Still in Awe Blog April 29 Karen Eastlund, Karen’s Got a Blog April 30 Michelle Kogan Illustration, Painting, and Writing