Friday, April 29, 2016

2016 Progressive Poem


It all started in the year of 2012. Irene Latham 's idea to celebrate National Poetry Month ( April), with a blog hop from one exciting blog to the next. Across oceans and back we visit each other's blog to see what the next line will be.
This year has been an exciting odyssey  and today I humbly add my line.



First I counted all the syllables in each line to find a pattern besides the obvious rhyme. Then I read and re-read to get the feel of where this has been going. To me the theme seemed to be welcoming Spring. What could be better than a picture of new life in the Spring. I took this picture at the Homosassa State park and even though the line said Yet I fear I am no kite or bird– There were a lot of references to flying, soaring things that birds do. So maybe this little fellow doesn't realize he is a bird yet and can fly and soar, but he definitely looks like he is dancing!










West Wind Dreams of Taking Shape

A squall of hawk wings stirs the sky.
A hummingbird holds and then hies.
“If I could fly, I’d choose to be
Sailing through a forest of poet-trees.”

A cast of crabs engraves the sand
Delighting a child’s outstretched hand.
"If I could breathe under the sea,
I’d dive, I’d dip, I’d dance with glee."

A clump of crocuses craves the sun.
Kites soar while joyful dogs run.
"I sing to spring, to budding green,
to all of life – seen and unseen."

     Wee whispers drift from cloud to ear
     and finally reach one divining seer
     who looks up from her perch and beams —
     "West Wind is dreaming May, it seems."

"Golden wings open and gleam
as I greet the prancing team.
Gliding aside with lyrical speed,
I’d ride Pegasus to Ganymede."

To a pied pocket, the zephyr returns.
      Blowing soft words the seer discerns
     from earthbound voyage to dreamy night,
     "The time is now.  I give you flight!"

"Yet I fear I am no kite or bird–
I lift! The world below me blurred
by tears of joy.  I spiral high,
I hum, I dive, I dip, I hive!"

Behold, Spring is but a dance away



Donna will have the difficult post of putting the last line down at Mainley Write. I can hardly wait to see what she comes up with.



If you missed any of the poem and want to see where it started and follow along; here is the list of contributors and comments of how they came up with their line.














2016 KIDLITOSPHERE PROGRESSIVE POEM
April


2  Joy at Joy Acey

3  Doraine at Dori Reads

4  Diane at Random Noodling

5  Penny at A Penny and Her Jots

6  Carol at Beyond LiteracyLink


8  Janet F. at Live Your Poem

9  Margaret at Reflections on the Teche

10  Pat at Writer on a Horse

11  Buffy at Buffy's Blog

12  Michelle at Today's Little Ditty

13  Linda at TeacherDance

14  Jone at Deo Writer

15  Matt at Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme

16  Violet at Violet Nesdoly

17  Kim at Flukeprints

18  Irene at Live Your Poem

19  Charles at Charles Waters Poetry


21  Jan at Bookseedstudio


23  Ramona at Pleasures from the Page

24  Amy at The Poem Farm

25  Mark at Jackett Writes

26  Renee at No Water River

27  Mary Lee at Poetrepository


29  Sheila at Sheila Renfro

30  Donna at Mainely Write

 



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12 comments:

Patricia J. Weaver said...

Good job Sheila. Ahhh Spring, everything glows with new life and energy

Irene Latham said...

Thank you, Sheila! I like that "dance away." Great job leaving it open to Donna to tidy the whole thing up -- and with a pretty flexible rhyming word! Yay! xo

Donna Smith said...

Oooh! I can hardly wait for tomorrow! I think I have the last line...

Linda B said...

Your line made me re-read the poem from the eyes of that young bird, and it works beautifully, Sheila. It's all the dreams of youth, isn't it? Terrific!

Buffy Silverman said...

Love the "dance away"--can't wait to read how Donna wraps it up.

I hope it's okay that I'm going to add your blog to the Poetry Friday roundup so others see how the progressive poem has progressed!

jan godown annino said...

What lively progress! Dancing with your lovely line, Sheila.

Sheila Renfro said...

Thank you all. It has been a lot of fun. And yes Buffy, thank you for sharing my blog.

Michelle Heidenrich Barnes said...

Hi Sheila, I see your name pop up in the Fl SCBWI group, but what a treat to find it here at the Poetry Friday roundup. You set up the ending beautifully.

Heidi Mordhorst said...

"Behold" is such a rich word, isn't it? It works well here as we reach the end, and I think it's in the unofficial rules of the Progressive Poem to include the word "dance." : ) Thanks, Sheila!

Heidi Mordhorst said...

Behold, I was wrong...looking back, I see that 2012, 2013 and 2014 all include "dance", but not 2015. : )

Carol Varsalona said...

Sheila, the final thoughts are bringing spring into focus with its breaths of possibility. As we dance on to Donna's line...

Penny Parker Klostermann said...

Very nice line to lead to the ending. I'm dancing over to read it now. What a great month!