“Write me a story that ends with sudden clarity.” Mary Lee suggested… As we began our 2023 Progressive Poem. So here we are at the closing of National Poetry Month and the closing of our Progressive Poem, that originated a wee bit back by Irene Latham and then picked up by Margaret Simon, many appreciations to you both!
Our few rules include:
–Composing a poem written for children
–Keeping the day-before-poet’s line intact, and only making changes with their permission
Here’s our poem from start to fini, with my ending line!
Though we need a title…
Suddenly everything fell into place
like raindrops hitting soil and sinking in.
When morning first poked me, I’d wished it away
my mind in the mist, muddled, confused.
Was this a dream or reality, rousing my response?
The sun surged, urging me to join in its rising,
Rising like a crystal ball reflecting on morning dew.
I jumped out of bed, ready to explore the day.
My feet pull me outside and into the garden
Where lilies and bees weave…but wait! What’s that?
A bevy of bunnies jart and dart and play in the clover.
A dog barks and flash, the bunderstorm is over.
I breathe-brave, quiet. Like a seed,
as the day, foretold in my dream, ventured upon me.
Sunbeams guided me to the gate overgrown with wisteria
where I spotted the note tied to the gate.
As I reached the gnarled gate, pollen floated like fairy dust into my face. Aaah Choo!
Enter, if you must. We’ve been waiting for you.
Not giving the curious note a thought, I pushed the gate open and ran through.
Stopped in my tracks, eyes wide in awe—can this really be true?
Huge mushrooms for tables, vines twined into chairs,
A flutter of fairies filled flowery teawares
With glazed nut cakes and apple blossom tea,
I heard soft whispers from behind a tree. Oh my! They had been “waiting for me!”
Still brave, but cautious, I waited for them.
Forested friends filled the glade. “You’ve arrived! Let the reverie begin!”
I laughed as my bare feet danced across the dew-soaked grass,
matching the beat of paws, claws, and wings—around me, above me.
Tea cakes and hugs, twice all around, then silly games and races ’til the sun slid down,
Moon shared a warm wink, and showered moon-seeds over earth’s precious ground.
And here are the 2023 Progressive Poem, participants and their blogs:
April 1 Mary Lee Hahn, Another Year of Reading
April 2 Heidi Mordhorst, My Juicy Little Universe
April 3 Tabatha, The Opposite of Indifference
April 4 Buffy Silverman
April 5 Rose Cappelli, Imagine the Possibilities
April 6 Donna Smith, Mainely Write
April 7 Margaret Simon, Reflections on the Teche
April 8 Leigh Anne, A Day in the Life
April 9 Linda Mitchell, A Word Edgewise
April 10 Denise Krebs, Dare to Care
April 11 Emma Roller, Penguins and Poems
April 12 Dave Roller, Leap Of Dave
April 13 Irene Latham Live You Poem
April 14 Janice Scully, Salt City Verse
April 15 Jone Rush MacCulloch
April 16 Linda Baie, TeacherDance
April 17 Carol Varsalona, Beyond Literacy Link
April 18 Marcie Atkins
April 19 Carol Labuzzetta at The Apples in My Orchard
April 20 Cathy Hutter, Poeturescapes
April 21 Sarah Grace Tuttle, Sarah Grace Tuttle’s Blog,
April 22 Marilyn Garcia
April 23 Catherine, Reading to the Core
April 24 Janet Fagal, hosted by Tabatha, The Opposite of Indifference
April 25 Ruth, There is no Such Thing as a God-Forsaken Town
April 26 Patricia J. Franz, Reverie
April 27 Theresa Gaughan, Theresa’s Teaching Tidbits
April 28 Karin Fisher-Golton, Still in Awe Blog
April 29 Karen Eastlund, Karen’s Got a Blog
April 30 Michelle Kogan Illustration, Painting, and Writing
Michelle Kogan Illustration, Painting, & Writing 
What a glorious moon painting, Michelle! I like the way we returned to the early lines with a shower–but not raindrops. Thanks to all who progressed our poem!
An end with a moon and an illustration! Glorious! Thanks to everyone who showed up on their day and made this a beautiful new poem out in the world.
Michelle, and so the Progressive Poem ends with clarity ’til the sun slid down.
How lovely and imaginative this story poem unraveled from fairies and reveries to the moon sprinkling moon-seeds showered over the earth. The illustration is a creative piece of art that complements your words.
Bravo everyone!
PS: I wonder if the title could be your words, ‘Til the Sun Slid Down?
When the Title is settled upon, would I be able to add the entire poem and names of poets to “Springsations Gallery of Artistic Expressions”?
You might not know that I love poems with the moon. Your ending, and illustration, makes everything that was a question a pure delight, Michelle! I won’t forget that there are “moon-seeds”!
So many words, made me stop and reread them. I read this with a smile. Loved it. Thank you!
Michelle, lovely illustration and ending. Thank you for the “showered moon-seeds.”
And it ends with the moon’s blessing… beautiful! Thank you, Michelle.
Such loveliness here. Thank you for sowing seeds that soak into not only the earth but our lives. Your art picture, wow. Did you do this overnight? What a perfect ending to a fun poem full of some adventure and a bit of intrigue. I vote for including Moon-seeds in the title. Something like Dusted by Moon-seeds, maybe?
Beautiful ending–both a completion and full of possibility. I love imagining that the moon seeds are waiting in the soil for the raindrops and from the beginning and danced-upon dew from near the end.
I love how the whole poem works together. Different lines have their different kinds of verbal treats and still make a lovely whole. Thank you, poets and thank you for including me!
P.S. Can you please take my line (3rd to last) out of italics? I only italicized it in my post to highlight the new line, the way some do with bold and/or color. (And feel free to delete this comment once done–I didn’t see a way to contact you directly.)
Lovely ending with delightful images. I love moon-seeds. I’ve never heard that before!
Huzzah! Well done, everyone! Way to bring the poem home, Michelle!
Lovely ending!
Beautiful painting, Michelle! Sorry I am so late to see the whole poem together. Good job!
Thanks Tabatha!