I have been munching on leftover chocolate birthday cake hoping the cocoa buzz would inspire my contribution to The Progressive Poem, which has become a National Poetry Month tradition, after just two years! Yay for poets and poetry, I say! A single line kicks off on April 1. Each day, a new poet/blogger adds her/his line creating a 30 day pièce de résistance! This year poets have whisked us across several dance floors, then dangled us under the big top, and when I wondered if we’d recover from all this rhetoric risk-taking, Laura Shovan scooped us up for another tango. After yesterday’s recovery, I was itching to propel us into the last week!
Thank you so much to Irene Latham and the other progressive poets, and here is the 2013 Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem as of April 23rd:
When you listen to your footsteps
the words become music and
the rhythm that you’re rapping gets your fingers tapping, too.
Your pen starts dancing across the page
a private pirouette, a solitary samba until
smiling, you’re beguiling as your love comes shining through.
Pause a moment in your dreaming, hear the whispers
of the words, one dancer to another, saying
Listen, that’s our cue! Mind your meter. Find your rhyme.
Ignore the trepidation while you jitterbug and jive.
Arm in arm, toe to toe, words begin to wiggle and flow
as your heart starts singing let your mind keep swinging
from life’s trapeze, like a clown on the breeze.
Swinging upside down, throw and catch new sounds–
Take a risk, try a trick; break a sweat: safety net?
Don’t check! You’re soaring and exploring,
dangle high, blood rush; spiral down, crowd hush–
limb-by-line-by-limb envision, pyramidic penned precision.
And if you should topple, if you should flop
if your meter takes a beating; your rhyme runs out of steam—
know this tumbling and fumbling is all part of the act,
so get up with a flourish. Your pencil’s still intact. Snap those synapses! Feel the pulsing through your pen
Here is the full line up:
Day 1: Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
Day 2: Joy Acey
Day 3: Matt Forrest
Day 4: Jone McCulloch
Day 5: Doraine Bennett
Day 6: Gayle Krouse
Day 7: Janet Fagal
Day 8: Julie Larios
Day 9: Carrie Finison
Day 10: Linda Baie
Day 11: Margaret Simon
Day 12: Linda Kulp
Day 13: Catherine Johnson
Day 14: Heidi Mordhorst
Day 15: Mary Lee Hayn
Day 16: Liz Steinglass
Day 17: Renee LaTulippe
Day 18: Penny Klostermann
Day 19: Irene Latham
Day 20: Buffy Silverman
Day 21: Tabatha Yeatts
Day 22: Laura Shovan
Day 23: Joanna Marple
Day 24: Katja Czaja
Day 25: Diane Mayr
Day 26: Robyn Hood Black
Day 27: Ruth Hersey
Day 28: Laura Purdie Salas
Day 29: Denise Mortensen
Day 30: April Halprin Wayland
In my 20's, with only my guitar and a rucksack, I wandered the continents, immersing myself in the lives of some wonderful people, projects and stories, which changed the way I view my responsibility to others and this earth. Right now I'm a European transplant in the US who writes books for children and young adults. Stories can help us not only navigate our world but can connect us to others, and allow us to inspire and help each other. I believe that equity and empathy should be at the core of our all actions, words, and stories.
I am also a school librarian and I get a kick out of book-matchmaking! And I use the pronouns she/her.
Snap those synapses, indeed! I think you’ve accomplished just what you intended… we’ll see what our closers have to say! Thank you, Joanna. xo
Great way to get back on your feet – by snapping those synapses! Love the internal rhyme.
This is such a fun idea. I used to do something similar with my students but it was a progressive story, not a poem. It was always challenging to keep them focused on story (many wanted to outdo the last by saying something more outrageous).
I love then new zebra header, btw!
It’s like you’ve pushed us up and out, full of energy to ‘go’ again. Terrific snap, synapse, pulse and pen!
Ah, now there’s a word you don’t see in poems every day! Excellent snappy line, alliteration, and rhythm, Joanne. Just what we needed to get this acrobatic writer/poem (what exactly IS it anyway?!) back on her/its feet with an infusion of energy. Methinks you’ve set up the final poets quite well. 🙂
Excellent entry Joanna. It is snappy.
Nice, Joanna! I like snap/synapse. I can’t wait to see where this goes next.
I love how the synapses introduce science into the poem. Great job, Joanna!
Science words should find their way into poetry more often — it’s so apt here. Thanks for the snappy setup. 🙂
Ouch! Someone zapped my synapse!
Just kidding – loved your line!
I like your line, Joanna. It’s that great feeling when the words come flowing out and you actually think your pen and words are beating powerfully. (Something I hope for which doesn’t happen too often.) Sort of out of your control. Then, you come back and re-read and you try again. It is so interesting to see a poem develop this way. The energy that has gone into each line is something and makes you realize how carefully poets choose every word. Watching and waiting.
Synapsasized & energized to head to the finish line! Very nice, Joanna!
Yay!
We’re back up and at ’em!
Here we go!
But where?
Snapped those synapses sounds painful lol. Snappy words to lead us to the finish, nice job Joanna!
Thank you for all your encouraging comments, dear poets!
This keeps getting better!
Erik, if you have time, check out today’s entry, it is superb!
Snap those synapses! – great line, Joanna! I love the progressive poem – it’s so amazing to watch it unfold!
Now, on a serious topic, how is it possible that you have birthday cake left over form March?!!! 🙂
Ha, only you would remember my birthday was in March, Susanna! This was actually Emma Dryden’s birthday cake. I celebrated with her at the weekend and they insisted on giving me some cake to take home! Yum!