Welcome to April and National Poetry Month. This is my first year participating in the annual Progressive Poem. Irene Latham started the tradition of writing a community poem during April The poem grows as it passes from blog to blog and each poet adds another line. This year Margaret Simon takes over the organizing duties for the Progressive Poem.
I have enjoyed reading the Progressive Poem as it has grown through past Aprils, but I was a little nervous about joining in. This year Donna Smith upped the fun by providing two first lines for the next poet to choose between. So far it’s been a choose your own adventure poem.
Yesterday Buffy Silverman offered me a choice of these two lines to continue:
My back pocket bulges with notebook and pen (Option A)
I follow the tracks of deer and raccoon (Option B)
I do like that notebook and pen (I’m seldom caught without them in my pocket or bag, but I also can’t resist following the tracks of deer and raccoon. Here is the 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
Here are my two lines:
deep into nature’s peaceful cocoon (Option A)
OR
and echo the call of a wandering loon (Option B)
Which one will Catherine choose?
If you want to follow along to see where the poem ends, here is the schedule for the month:
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
29 Fran Haley at lit bits and pieces
30 Michelle Kogan
Catch-up time for me! Pulling for the call of a wandering loon.
Playing catch-up! Two fine choices, and now I’m off to see which one made the cut… Thanks, Kay!
Enjoy catching up! It’s been fun to watch the poem grow.
Catching up today with the poem–love your choices Kay (especially the echo of the loon) and glad you chose to follow the tracks. That was certainly the one I preferred!
Thanks, Buffy. I love finding tracks in the woods–and often follow them as far as I can.
Thanks for bringing the rhyme up a notch, Kay! (lake, cakes; raccoon and now loon) Loon Lake…isn’t that a real place? If not, it is now!
OOhhh…I agree there should be a Loon Lake–and I think we should all meet there for a poetry retreat once we can travel again!
Oh, I love your choice of the raccoon and the possibilities for Catherine. I’m betting on the loon.
Thanks! I just visited Catherine and saw she chose the loon, too! She offers two more great lines.
I have to apologize for my screw up of your link. But it looks like others were able to find their way here. I love that you are bringing in some rhyme. raccoon or loon?
Cocoon or loon?
OH, I didn’t even notice it was incorrect–maybe I typed it in wrong when I left it? Oh well, either way, it’s been found. Isn’t it interesting that people like different lines? I prefer one, and my daughter likes the other.
Nature is my elixir so I am enjoying the journey so far. Kay, you are bringing back the rhyme and the walk deeper into nature. What will it be? Let’s see. I am anxious to see where it the poem will be when Catherine and Tara set up for my choice lines.
Nature does it for me, too, Carol. I look forward to seeing what you come up with after Catherine and Tara.
Nature is going to be a healer for us all, I think, so choosing the ‘raccoon’ is lovely, Kay, then offering two other choices from the wild for Catherine makes me imagine woods all around. Nice!
Oh yes, Linda. Nature is definitely offering healing for us. I’m glad the poem is headed to the wild. I can’t wait to see how it grows.
Glad we are exploring a bit longer too. You’ve given us two enticing choices, but I love that “wandering loon,” which one will it be…
I do wonder which line it will be–both open up possibilities!
Oh, that’s a really tough choice! Loving this choose your own adventure route we are taking this year! — Christie @ https://wonderingandwondering.wordpress.com/
I am, too! It’s such fun to see what choices people make and offer with each line.
Oh, beautiful. Before we can employ paper and pen, we must tantalise the senses and enjoy/explore! I’m glad you’re taking the tracks of the deer and raccoon. (I know which option I’d choose next!💕)
Thanks, Kat. I hope the notebook and pen come back later, but I know I need to explore first, and nature is providing quite a balm in these turbulent times.
I have to say, I still adore your line about the loon. Love it SO MUCH! (I ended up googling ‘call of the loon’ yesterday, when I was writing my line, to see if their call creates the mood I’ve been imagining… and it does! So eerie/solitary. Such a beautiful contribution to the poem!
Awww….thank you! I am so glad the loon call worked so well for where your line is going with the poem. I love the suspense/mystery you introduced today.