Greetings on this Tuesday! This is my first time participating in the Progressive Poem, which was founded in 2012 by Irene Latham at Live Your Poem. I think it’s an awesome project and has been so much fun to follow. This year it is hosted by Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche. Thanks to both of you.
This poem has a dramatic feel. It’s a story that begins with the “I” of the poem setting out very early, just before dawn on a spring day with provisions and a banjo. The setting is gorgeous and evolves with every line. There is constant movement forward. As we get deeper into the wooded and grassy journey, the sun awakens everything along the path, the trees, the bees.
Then something happens at the beginning of the fourth stanza and that action/scene continues. I spent hours thinking about how to move forward and I hope Julieanne likes one of my options.
Thank you, Rose Capelli for giving me two interesting lines to choose from:
Safely exiting this strange ballet
or,
My heart aware, content to share.
Progressive Poem 2020 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 figure that my line has to move the poem forward, past the doe and fawn. So here are the two lines I offer to Julieanne: I continue the path that winds down to the lake. or I shake from my rucksack sweet sticky crumbs,
2020 Progressive Poem
1 Donna Smith at Mainely Write
2 Irene Latham at Live Your Poem
3 Jone MacCulloch at deowriter
4 Liz Steinglass
5 Buffy Silverman
6 Kay McGriff
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 at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town
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 at TBD
29 Fran Haley at lit bits and pieces
30 Michelle Kogan
Good morning, Janice! You did pick my preferred line from Rose, and now I’m curious to see what must be accomplished in the last 9 lines. As Mary Lee said, we made a turn in the last stanza–now what will “the I of the poem” take away from this encounter, and which of your lines leads us there? (I’m still dying to know what KIND of cakes we are talking about, too…)
It was really fun thinking about it, but unsettled as I posted my lines. You just have take the plunge, post and see what happens!
Yes, I like each one, stepping off to the lake, or readying to go after that backpack shaking! Here goes the rest!
Both of your lines could be a beautiful fit, Janice. I’m wondering which Julieanne will choose. I think I have a preference? But I won’t be disappointed either way. (Now you can breathe easy and enjoy reading along as the poem wends away to a finish.)
Hi Janice, I hope you didn’t struggle too much for your first time. It should be easy, but you were put in the position of ending a stanza with your choice and starting a new one. Both choices keep us moving forward. Thanks for playing.
Great choice — ballet. So wonderful to have you join us this year. I was so nervous my first time participating. You’ve offered up great line choices for tomorrow!
I too, am glad that you chose the line ending with ballet. I look forward to which line of yours starts the next stanza. I have a favorite but will have to wait. Are you breathing a sigh of relief since your turn is over now?
In a way, but it was great fun to have this to ponder and I look forward to the choices to come.
Both of your lines move us along through the poem. It’s been such fun watching the poem grow. I can’t wait to see how it ends.
Hi Janice,
I like your choice of the ballet line and your two offerings are going to let the poem move forward nicely. I do have one I am leaning to but we will wait and see. There can be some pressure to offer something you like and that you hope the next poet will be able to work with. I am so glad you are participating. Our walker continues, where are they going and what will happen. We will see soon enough!!! I always look forward to this group creation.
Yes, you have to keep your preference under your hat!
Thanks for joining in, Janice! An old pro at the PP, one would think. :0) Thanks for moving us along from our magical encounter.
As I’m a day late… I see, “the path that winds down to the lake,” which I was hoping for was chosen–I like the movement it offered!
I think you’ve chosen well, Janice, and it is exciting to see how it has progressed since your contribution. Such a cool project! 🙂
Thank you Bridget. I actually had prepared a new post for Poetry Friday, but forgot to actually publish it. Your comment reminded me. 🙂