Happy Poetry Month!
For those who don’t know what the Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem is, it is a yearly event conceived and hosted by poet Irene Latham. Each day, the poem travels to a different blog, and the blogger adds his or her line. You never know where the poem will end up, but it’s always a magical experience. At the end of the month, Irene polishes the poem and adds a title and — ta-da! — we have a collective poem written by thirty poets!
A couple of days ago, Amy left our protagonist in the air, and it certainly does seem that she’s ready to soar. But at the same time, I understand Mark’s moment of hesitation. Having jumped out of a plane on my 30th birthday, I recognize that desire for adventure, for flight, for a giant leap into the great unknown, but I also recognize that fluttery moment just before the leap — that split second of delicious fear that shudders the body before it topples headlong out of a plane at 13,000 feet.
Today is my 50th birthday. Although I’m not parachuting today, I am reliving the exhilaration of it … and I’ve decided to pass that feeling on to our protagonist by interpreting Mark’s “yet” as an “although” and pushing her out of the plane.
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
And now I hand the poem over to Mary Lee Hahn. Who knows where she’ll lead our soaring protagonist next…
FOLLOW ALONG!
This is where the poem has been and where it’s going still…
1 Laura at Writing the World for Kids
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
7 Liz at Elizabeth Steinglass
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 and Rhyme
16 Violet at Violet Nesdoly
17 Kim at Flukeprints
18 Irene at Live Your Poem
19 Charles at Poetry Time
20 Ruth at There is No Such Thing as a Godforsaken Town
21 Jan at Bookseedstudio
22 Robyn at Life on the Deckle Edge
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
28 Heidi at My Juicy Little Universe
29 Sheila at Sheila Renfro
30 Donna at Mainely Write
AW, SHUCKS!
You’d like to receive my weekly posts in your inbox, you say? Well, just sign up in the sidebar then!
Happy happy birthday to a very beautiful soul! And you DO lift…you lift all of us with your joy and your words and your gifts. May today be full of love, Renee. Thank you for bringing us upward…in this line, and in everything you write. xoxo, a.
I have to say beautiful words from Amy, can’t be beat!! Love your line and love that you are in the world. Have the best day. You do not look a day over 30!!! Big hugs. Soar, simply soar!
Oh my, we are flying! Happy Birthday! What a great way to celebrate: with us and with poetry!
Love your line, Renee…so glad our main character is taking ‘the leap’, so to speak! And the rhyme comes very naturally.
Happy Birthday!
How perfectly courageous, Renée! While those 50 years of yours may also seem like a blur, your wings are creative, clever, and strong! Flappy birthday, m’dear. xo <3
A delightful line with so many possibilities. Happy 50th! Thanks for the gift you give to all of us with No Water River. Have a delightful day!
Happy is anyone who is flying. Beautiful line, and Happy Birthday, Renee. Hope the skies are blue for you today. Thanks for helping our woman take the leap!
I’m still learning from you. I love your line. Happy Birthday. I wish that all YOUR dreams come true.
Happy Birthday, Dearest Renee, and welcome to life over 50! It’s great, and those beautiful kids of yours will keep you hopping too fast to notice anything like slowing down. Thanks for resting for a bit, though, to share this lovely line sending us all into the exhilarating sky-space. Wheeeeee…..
Happy, happy birthday, Renee (it made me smile to see that you also chose to celebrate your somewhat-less-daunting milestone by hosting the progressive poem!) And like you do with everything, you left fear behind and lifted us all. Hope your day is a soaring one!
Beautiful line, Renee! And super happy 50th to you today x
Perfect! And a perfect birthday to you.
Ciao Renee! Buon compleanos! Your spirit is so strong & yet, so light. Your added line makes me so happy. I cheer flight. I cheer you at this
important time of celebration. Grazie per tutti.
Jan
Buon natale!
Happy birthday, Renee.
What an exciting line. Love the alliteration of below and blurred and the rhyme of blurred to go with bird. Wowzer, GREAT WORK. CELEBRATE you wisdom and beauty. Thanks for a great line.
Love your line! Happy birthday, Renee. Wishing you a wonderful day, year, and decade!
Happy Birthday, Renee! I am loving the poem, and your line is just perfect! Have a wonderful day!
Whee! And happiest of birthdays to you today!
Happy 50th! What a great way to celebrate — with the memory of an actual jump from a plane and a line of poetry that give you a virtual jump! Maybe in my line, I’ll make all the dreams in this poem come true!
Dear Renee – I love this “lift!” I also love that you jumped from a plane on your 30th… so honored to add yet another birthday line from you to our progressive poem… you are light and joy and such a lovely presence in the world. Happy 50!! Thank you! xo
Renee,
Love, love, love, that this is your 50th birthday, and you got to fly! So glad I hesitated; this moment was meant for you!
Happy Birthday!
All the best,
Mark
Poetic perfection! Love your line!!!
And Happy 50th!
xo
Renee, a wonderful birthday it is, poetry and all. Soar to the sky! Your exuberant line has me breathless (since I do not jump out of planes). I love the thoughts behind your line and the way you pushed the poem out into the sky. The narrator is enjoying her flight of fantasy reality.