Progressive Poem - Day Seven

It's Day 7 of the 2018 Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem! 

Happy April, Happy Poetry Month, and Happy, Happy Progressive Poem Time

         This is my seventh year of writing with these wonderful poets, writing our own collaborative poem for this annual challenge from poet and novelist Irene Latham. The idea of surprise is often something seen in poetry, but this added layer when one poet, day by day, adds her or his own words, heightens the suspense. I read the new line each morning, and often say to myself, "Oh my, there it goes down that rabbit hole! And, waiting before my own turn, "Oh wow, where in the world should I take us now?" It's a poetry explosion of a poem! And nervously, I'm reminded of those signs that read "good", "better", and "best". Which path will I believe I have followed?

          This year an innovative change has been made, coming from a post you can read HERE from Heidi Mordhorst with Irene Latham and Elizabeth Steinglass. Liz wrote the first line! This post gives more history of the Progressive Poem with this change: We writers are to describe our thoughts about this first line, hide it away, then return to it when it's our turn. Now it's time to share my early thoughts: It’s going to begin with growth in a garden, but meander into all kinds of growth. And how have my thoughts evolved as the poem itself has grown? Here are the lines so far:

1 - Nestled in her cozy bed, a seed stretched.

2 - Oh, what wonderful dreams she had had!

3 - Blooming in midnight moonlight, dancing with

4 - the pulse of a thousand stars, sweet Jasmine

5 - invented a game.
6 - “Moon?” she called across warm, honeyed air. 

          We are moving away from the 'growth' I had imagined, into a magical night of dreamy dancing, then "a game". After Michelle's line four, I began to think of a young girl, ready to grow up, inspired by the spring night, moonlit and full of stars, wondering about her own choices, when she would really feel like a person apart from family. Is she a star-wisher as Michelle wondered? But wait, perhaps she is Liz' tiny seed, and the poets thus far have managed a grand feat of personification and hope? Is the "game" from Jan more nature-driven? Does that seed at rest play with moonlight after a long day of exertion in the sun? Hmm. And with all those thoughts, I need to remember we're writing for children, thus here is where I took sweet Jasmine:

line 7 - “I’m sad you’re alone; come join Owl and me.”

Carry on, Janet Fagal at Live Your Poem

Here is the entire list:

April

1 Liz at Elizabeth Steinglass

2 Jane at Raincity Librarian

3 Laura at Writing the World for Kids

4 Michelle at Today's Little Ditty

5 Jan at bookseedstudio

6 Irene at Live Your Poem

7 Linda at TeacherDance

8 Janet F. at Live Your Poem

9 Ramona at Pleasures from the Page

10 Matt at Radio, Rhythm and Rhyme

11 Brenda at Friendly Fairy Tales

12 Carol at Beyond LiteracyLink

13 Linda at A Word Edgewise

14 Heidi at my juicy little universe

15 Donna at Mainely Write

16 Sarah at Sarah Grace Tuttle

17 Ruth at There is no such thing as a Godforsaken town

18 Christie at Wondering and Wandering

19 Michelle at Michelle Kogan

20 Linda at Write Time

21 Robyn at Life on the Deckle Edge

22 Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference

23 Amy at The Poem Farm

24 Mary Lee at A Year of Reading

25 Kiesha at Whispers from the Ridge

26 Renee at No Water River

27 Buffy at Buffy's Blog

28 Kat at Kat's Whiskers

29 April at Teaching Authors

30 Doraine at Dori Reads