Creating with the 2016 Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem Team

It's Day 6 of the 2016 Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem, the National Poetry Month tradition begun and hosted each year since 2012 by Irene Latham.  While hosting progressive dinner parties in the past, this is my first year joining the progressive poem team. At my village's past progressive dinner parties, guests traveled to three different homes for the night's event. Here at the progressive poem, the poem travels from poet to poet via their blog sites so lines can be added. Today, it is my turn to compose a poetic thought that will take the poem one step further on its magical journey. 

I thank my predecessors, Laura Purdie Salas, Joy Acey, Doraine Bennett, Diane Mayr, and Penny Klostermann for their rhythmic words creating a beautiful seasonal day unveiling before my eyes. My mind immediately visualized a spring poem unfolding. Then, Penny surprised me when she changed the flow of the poem by introducing a new character and starting a new stanza. She even centered the poem which I thought was a good visual move. When rereading, I was delighted to see the poem soar through the sky on the way to the forest of poet-trees and travel to one of my favorite destinations, the shore. Knowing the Long Island beaches that I frequent are full of crabs floating in the Atlantic Ocean and landing at the beach in the summer, I researched more about Long Island crabs. I visualized the shore full of playful children shrieking with sounds of glee, searching for sea treasure, and amused by the little crabs afloat in the summer and so, I set my mind to wonder and create. Wondering is one of the advantages to writing. I hope that my wonderings have led to another turn in the poem that flows with the other poets' lines and sparks Liz's thoughts. 

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

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You can see below that I added a bit of digital magic for Penny's and my lines just for fun. 

Now, I pass the poem in progress to Liz at Elizabeth Steinglass and eagerly await her line. 

Enjoy the experience of poetry making happening before your eyes. 

Happy National Poetry Month!

Please follow the progressive poem as it passes from poet to poet. The 2016 Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem Contributors are:

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 Literacy Link
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

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The 2016 Progressive Poem is Complete Now. You can access the poem at Donna at Mainely Write. It was an exciting evolving journey.