The Progressive Poem is here! #NPM #NaPoWriMo #NationalPoetryMonth #ProgressivePoem

Happy Poem in Your Pocket Day! What poem are you carrying around today? I’ve got Amy Ludwig VanDerwater’s “Every Day Birds” burning a hole in my pocket these days. You can see a sweet video of the poem made by students Amy worked with here.

Participants in the Poetry Friday community have launched the 9th annual Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem originally organized by author/poet, Irene Latham. Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche took over last year as the organizer. This years’ poem is a lovely blend of kindness, friendship, and adventure.

I get to take the wheel today with white knuckles, choosing a line from two gifted to me by Catherine Flynn. I’ve also got the tricky job of providing Michelle Kogan with opening line options for the ending of what has become a most delightful of poems. I can not wait to share this with my remote Kindergarten poets!

The last stanza, with rhyming couplets, is currently…

Some stories are true and some myths of our time.
I love all of them, but my favorite ones rhyme!
With windows to see other lives, other places

Catherine gifted me with…

We’ll find and treasure a rainbow of faces.

OR

We’ll listen to voices each culture embraces

As a Kindergarten teacher, there was just something about “a rainbow of faces” that spoke to me, Catherine.

So here’s where things stand.

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!
When the Milky Way sparkles, and the moon’s overhead,
we make a pretend campfire and tell stories we’ve read.

Some stories are true and some myths of our time.
I love all of them, but my favorite ones rhyme!
With windows to see other lives, other places
We’ll find and treasure a rainbow of faces.

OK…There haven’t been too many surprises thus far, but I do love a good surprise! So… (cue the drumroll, please!)

I have decided to gift Michelle not two, but FOUR possible lines. Poem endings are very tricky indeed, so options are a beautiful thing. Friendship-themed and tied up with a big bow for you, Michelle are…

Adventures galore are ahead down the road

OR

A new friend may be waiting just ’round the bend

OR

New friends and adventures are very close by

OR

When you open your heart to a new friend

Time to work your closing magic, Michelle! And, let’s be honest. I can’t be the only one hoping at some point there might be a Michelle Kogan original painting to accompany our lovely poem. Just putting it out into the universe!

2021 Progressive Poem Itinerary:

1 Kat Apel at katswhiskers
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