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Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Progressive Poem - Day 24



The Tuesday Slice of Life is hosted by Ruth and Stacey at 
         I've been writing a poem each day in April, about all kinds of topics, and enjoying every word I've written and loving every word I've read, too.  There are so many talented writers.  Just as I saw in the March Slice of Life Challenge, there is much to appreciate in the blogging/kidlit world.  
         If you haven’t heard yet, Irene Latham, at Live Your Poem... has created a Progressive Poem group for the month of April.  You can find the group’s names and links on the right.  Thank you Irene for asking me to participate, for the marvelous idea and for making it work so seamlessly.  It’s been a joy to watch for a line each day to see what’s next.  It’s a poetic cliffhanger bonanza!
       I'm the Day 24 poet!  These final few lines seem filled with danger as to which path to take.  Thank you Miranda (yesterday's poet)  for sending me down the kidlit path perhaps, because  I’ve been connecting all that has been written to a young adult audience.  I am imagining all kinds of things, but won't tell.  I'll have to wait to see what the rest of the month brings.  So, after thinking through yesterday with all the possibilities, here is my line that continues our final week. 

    I pass this on to Greg at Gotta Book.  Looking forward to it, Greg!  Here’s the poem with my line added:






If you are reading this   

you must be hungry  

Kick off your silver slippers  

Come sit with us a spell  



A hanky, here, now dry your tears  

And fill your glass with wine  

Now, pour. The parchment has secrets  
Smells of a Moroccan market spill out.  

You have come to the right place, just breathe in.  
Honey, mint, cinnamon, sorrow.  Now, breathe out  
last week's dreams. Take a wish from the jar.  
Inside, deep inside, is the answer…  

Unfold it, and let us riddle it together,   

...Strains of a waltz. How do frozen fingers play?   
How do fennel, ginger, saffron blend in the tagine?  
Like broken strangers bound by time, they sisterdance…
their veils of sorrow encircle, embrace  

Feed your heart with waltzes and spices.   
Feed your soul with wine and dreams.  
Humble dust of coriander scents your feet, coaxing  
seascapes, crystal sighs and moonshine from your melody.  

Beware of dangers along the path of truth  
And beware, my friend, of too much bewaring–   
strong hands cushion you, sweet scents surround you—now leap

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     Also - There are still lots going on for Poetry Month. Find Jama Rattigan's blog post at Jama's Alphabet Soup  to discover so many Poetry sites in the kidlitosphere doing wonderful things!  Cathy, at Merely Day By Day, is joining Mary Lee, at A Year of Reading in a poem a day this month. Other daily poem writers include Amy at The Poem FarmDonna at Mainely Write, and Laura at LauraSalas.  Plus Greg Pincus of Gotta Book has just published his first E-book, The Late Bird.  Now he's celebrating by giving one, or more, away.  See the blog that tells all about it  here


photo credit: Camdiluv ♥ via photo pin cc

28 comments:

  1. I am leaping. What a great line, Linda!

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  2. Great job! I wonder how this is going to turn out?

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  3. Wow Linda. Thanks for all the great links and info on poetry month. I only wish I had discovered your blog at the start of April :) Oh well, next year!
    I love the idea of the poem passing on- the end is sure going to be a cliffhanger!

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  4. Oh, that was a great line, Linda! Now what will Caroline, Sheri and Irene do with that...a great start to the ending scene! No pressure on them! Ha! Got to read this ending! Sweet. And what fun!

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  5. Leap into _____? What a great addition and opening for the next writer. I'm so glad today is your day so I can see how the poem moved after Tara's line. You are so good at gathering resources, thank you!

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  6. Inspiring line, Linda. Love it!
    I laughed when I read Donna's comment above. No pressure at all - haha.

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  7. Ooooh - a leap! Perfect! Great job, Linda. Looking forward to seeing where this line lands.

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  8. I am curious how you would have finished the poem yourself. It is unbelievable that a poem can grow day by day through different poets.

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  9. Dear Linda - wonderful, wonderful, this leap into the unknown... thank you so much for your contribution! I'm excited to see what tomorrow brings!

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  10. Before today, I did not know that there had to be a leap. Now it could not be any other way! Leap with trust! Indeed. a.

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  11. Leaping! Yes. Love where this is going.

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  12. Lovely! There is such comfort in that line....and to leave off with leaping...excellent!!

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  13. Loving the word choices!

    Thanks for sharing...
    Mandy @ The Chockboard

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  14. What a cool way to write poetry collaboratively.
    Love it Linda,
    Bonnie

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  15. Ooh, what a fun idea! I love the way that everyone's ideas are combining to shape and change the path of the poem. And your line is awesome -- "leap" is such a strong word!

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  16. I like the linebreaks you chose, Linda. I felt a real drawing in as I read it today. The words seem to wash me along and pull me into the poem. What a wonderful collaboration. It would be nice to see what a classroom of children who tackled this with a purposeful plan could achieve, though they might be too impatient to wait an entire month.....I am having trouble waiting now. Thank you to all the poets. Janet F.

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  17. What a lovely and comforting image. PERFECT! ;)

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  18. A very comforting line, Linda, and it fits well with the line before it!

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  19. I have been loving this poem each time I check in on its progress and I have been so excited for your day to arrive! As I expected, you did not disappoint. Your addition is fantastic and I love that it ends with "leap," one of my favorite words!

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  20. This is fun to read and fun to try on each line...where might I have gone? Certainly nowhere as clever as you! I love the line before yours too. You did well to let the list of instructions propel the story forward with a leap!

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  21. Perfect! This poem is more exciting everyday. It is amazing that 24 different poets have contributed.

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  22. I have been mulling and mulling. I'll be posting in the morning, California time. And no early hints from me! :-)

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  23. Leap! Love where the poem has gone. This morning it reminded me of write and pass progressive pieces I used to do with high school writing club students-how much more fun with the larger community online!

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  24. Oh Linda, allow me to gush at your line: Absolutely Brilliant! I love LEAP! I wonder how Greg would continue this one, this poem is turning out to be such a thing of beauty.

    I have just given a talk this afternoon on kidlit and using the web as a resource to a group of (mostly American) teachers in an international school here in Singapore, and I made mention of your blog. Hopefully they drop by and say hello. :)

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  25. Thanks for the wonderful comments everyone! I'm sorry I didn't have time to reply to each. I am looking forward to seeing what Greg's clever writing will bring to the poem.

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  26. Slices in March. Poems in April. What will May bring?

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