And here is today’s new line from poet Janet Clare Fagal, a blogless soul who posts on Facebook as Janet Clare and whose poems can be found in a variety of anthologies (pictured below), and online at nlapw.org. If you are not a Facebook friend, please send Janet a request if you would like to connect!
I am happy to be participating once again in the Poetry Friday Progressive Poem! Thanks to Margaret for hosting me this year.
Such an adventure we have begun. I tried a little formatting to get a feel for the bones of our poem, but please feel free to try your own version as we move along down the path! For my line, I found one from Neil Gaiman, and using my poetic license, I adapted/edited the line to make it work a bit better for the poem. I am eager to pass the poem to my friend Jone Rush MacCulloch!
Don’t we all love the adventure of April in this wonderfully creative Blogosphere of Kidlitosphere poets and writers! I am so glad you started this Progressive Poem, Irene, I look forward to it every April.
Where they were going, there were no maps.
Sorry! I don’t want any adventures, thank you. Not Today.
Take the adventure, heed the call, now ere the irrevocable moment passes!
We have to go back. I forgot something.
But it’s spring, and the world is puddle-wonderful, so we’ll whistle and dance and set off on our way.
Come with me, and you’ll be in a land of pure imagination.
Wherever you go, take your hopes, pack your dreams, and never forget – it is on our journeys that discoveries are made.
And then it was time for singing.
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain, paint with all the colors of the wind, freewheeling through an endless diamond sky?
Suddenly, they stopped and realized they weren’t the only ones singing.
(Now for my addition! An adapted line from Cinnamon by Neil Gaiman.)
Listen, a chattering of monkeys! Let’s smell the dawn and taste the moonlight, we’ll watch it all spread out before us.
Lines 1 -11, poet and where they are from:
- Irene (The Imaginaries)
- Donna (The Hobbit)
- Catherine F. (The Wind in The Willows)
- Mary Lee (Walk Two Moons)
- Buffy Silverman (a bit from e.e. cummings)
- Linda Mitchell (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
- Kim Johnson (from Maybe by Kobi Yamada)
- Rose Cappelli (Sarah, Plain and Tall)
- Carol Varsalona (Disney Songs)
- Linda Baie (The Other Way to Listen.)
- Janet Clare Fagal (line adaptation from Cinnamon by Neil Gaiman)
Reflections on the Teche 
Hi Janet! Your line brings in a whole other world for the adventure. Terrific!
Thanks, Linda! Love that you gave me a hint to move it along a little.
Janet, Your lines for the poem are perfectly chosen! I am both nervous and excited about making my contribution on Friday! I love how the poem is coming together!
Thank you, Carol. I have so enjoyed participating here over the years.
Wow! I hadn’t guessed monkeys! i was thinking birds or frogs, but I’m game for some monkeying around. Well chosen, Janet!
I know, right? I loved the second part of the line so much I figured a chattering of monkeys could lead to all sorts of interesting paths….. can’t wait to see what Jone is going to decide!
Hooray for monkey song–and all those sensory details.
Thanks, Buffy. I figured the chattering monkeys could be moving off into the distance or not, I think open-ended helps but having watched the poems evolve I am eager to see what will happen next, I love Jone’s line.
Ooh, monkeys are unexpected! Nice touch! Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
Well, a little unexpectedness, no? Maybe they were on someone’s tape???? I loved Gaiman’s line. I should really put the whole line up to see how I adapted it. Thanks, Ruth.
[…] family have signed up to provide a line for the 2022 poem. Today, Janet Fagel takes over. Her post can be found on Reflections on the Teche, as generous Margaret Simon often plays hostess to those without their own blogs. Participants are […]
A ‘chimp-ion’ addition, Janet! 🙂
We will see, Bridget!! Thanks.
Thank you, Janet, for the very interesting line that is filled with wonderful sensory images and a change of location. I am wondering how the next lines will follow. Monkeys chattering in a jungle is such a fun thought. The poem is leading onward so now I turn to Jone to see what creative thoughts she will add. I read this post yesterday morning but realized later on that I must not have hit the done button when I was waiting at the eye doctor. Thanks, Margaret for hosting Janet.
Thanks, Carol!! I like where Jone has gone with this….I mean maybe the monkeys are offering some sort of info???But then you need to understand chattering…..
Oh, it’s so much fun to watch the poem evolve! I love your addition, Janet, and the way you’re arranged the lines. I can’t wait to continue this adventure.
A chattering of monkeys! That’s a surprise, Janet!
Well, hopefully a good one, but I really thought it could be incorporated in a variety of ways. I really liked the end of the lines Gaiman wrote…..and I like Jone taking us into the moonlight.
What an unexpected surprise you brought us Janet, I guess “we’ll watch it all spread out before us.”
Maybe the monkey will lead us some place? Follow us? Starting singing to us? Who knows. I decided to be brave and quirky but I did love the moon and forest possibility!
Janet, chattering monkeys is fun! I love “smell the dawn” and taste the moonlight”. Great use of senses! It is sweet of Margaret to give you a turn in the progressive poem on her blog. It’s so much fun seeing the poem grow.
[…] Carol Varsalona at Beyond Literacy Link10 Linda Baie at Teacher Dance11 Janet Fagel at Reflections on the Teche12 Jone at Jone Rush MacCulloch13 Karin Fisher-Golton at Still in Awe14 Denise Krebs at Dare to […]
Monkeys! And all kinds of sensory surprises… thank you, Janet!