KIDLIT Progressive Poem 2021

Welcome to Poetry Friday, this week hosted by Catherine at Reading to the Core. Thank you, Catherine for hosting! Be sure to stop by to see what she has in store for us this week.

It’s hard to believe it’s day 23 already as we celebrate National Poetry Month. Time flies, our Progressive Poem grows and finally it’s my turn to contribute. Ruth at Thereisnosuchthingasaforsakentown, has left me two lines to choose from and then I will offer two options for the next line. This is the poem so far, the last line left to us by Leigh Anne Eck:

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! 

Ruth at Thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown has left me two lines to choose from:

To the boat, to kindness, to friendship’s delight

or

Splashing and laughing, let’s play until night!

I chose the second.

So, here is what we have:

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, 
splashing and laughing, let's play until night!

Thank you, Ruth. for the interesting and lovely choices! With the first line, Kat Apel sent us on journey that could have gone in many directions. I struggled a little this week, on which direction I could take the poem. I thought I’d reflect back to the beginning or alternatively, simply continue the adventure. I offer these two options for the next two lines to Tabatha:

Catching ever more kindness, friendship, and fun,

or

When the Milky Way sparkles, and the moon’s overhead,

I can’t wait to see how this poem will resolve. Here is a list of the contributors to this years Kidlit Progressive Poem 2021:

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
 

Thank you, Catherine for hosting Poetry Friday today. Be sure to stop by to see what she has for us!