Irene Latham originally created the idea of a Kidlit Progressive Poem for National Poetry Month. Poets from the Poetry Friday community participate in adding a new line each day in the month of April. I took over the coordination of this effort in 2020. This year Linda Mitchell started us off with a wonderful first line, “Open an April window” that gave us a view of spring. Our poem is for children, so I imagine a child character walking through our poem. I didn’t have to look farther than my own backyard to find inspiration.
Open an April window let sunlight paint the air stippling every dogwood dappling daffodils with flair
Race to the garden where woodpeckers drum as hummingbirds thrum in the blossoming Sweetgum
Sing as you set up the easels dabble in the paints echo the colors of lilac and phlox commune without constraints
Breathe deeply the gifts of lilacs rejoice in earth’s sweet offerings feel renewed-give thanks at day’s end remember long-ago springs
Bask in a royal spring meadow Romp like a golden-doodle pup!
We are raising a new generation of children who still thirst for knowledge; however, every little thing is at their fingertips through Google search engine. Do you miss the scent of encyclopedias?
Angie Braaten introduced us to Leila Chatti’s poem Google, which is an abecedarian poem from phrases typed into Google. At first I was skeptical. Can you really write a meaningful poem using searched up phrases? I found that once I started, things flowed. And I am satisfied with the result. Like a found poem, it seems like cheating. But a poet’s job is to put the words in the right order.
The Kidlit Progressive Poem is with Kim Johnson at Common Threads.
Original art for the 1969 cover of Wind in the Willows by E. H. Shepard, de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection.
On Saturday, I had the privilege of touring the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi. The de Grummond is one of the largest research centers for children’s literature. Following a workshop centered around children’s book writing, a small group of us gathered around the boxes pulled out by curator, Karlie Herndon. I took a number of pictures of favorite children’s book illustrations. This cover “sketch” by E. H. Shepard was the about 5 by 8 inches, small and delicate.
Today, Katrina Morrison at Ethical ELA invites us to revisit the Etheree form, named for its creator Etheree Taylor Armstrong. The form is ruled by a syllable count from one to ten.
Toad Rat, Mole in color sing from the page a long ago tune inviting young readers to skip stones across stories adventures in the great wild wood. Illustrators capture our heroes, and our imaginations for all time. Margaret Simon, draft
I hope you will be inspired to write your own poem today about this work of art. Leave your poems in the comments and return to encourage other writers.
The Kidlit Progressive Poem is with Amy Ludwig VanDerwater at The Poem Farm.
I am writing daily poems with Ethical ELA’s #verselove. Today’s prompt is with Brittany Saulnier.
Visiting my mother is filled with emotions for me. Bittersweet is a good word because she’s still here with us, but in many ways she is far from us. Her Alzheimer’s is advancing slowly at this point. Each visit she’s thinner and less able. Yet, she knows me and loves me and tries so hard to talk to me. This morning I will visit her before I drive back to Louisiana. Will this be the last time? Who knows?
At the hotel, I looked out at a beautiful sunrise. It reminded me of days sitting on the back porch with Mom and Dad looking at the lake behind their house. How I long for those easy days. There was always a heron that came to perch. All of these thoughts came when I read Brittany’s prompt to write about nature using 3 different colors.
Outside the hotel window in Ridgeland, MS.
Sunrise
I wake to sky color– golden-white-lined gap in purple-blue clouds
where sun rays sparkle through like angel wings.
Bittersweet grey clouds hover high like heaven’s shroud
reflected in heron’s stealth.
I imagine you next to me with the news (all ghastly) and your coffee mug steaming.
We sit in silence, the silence of years between us looking for the heron.
Margaret Simon, draft
The Kidlit Progressive Poem continues its ride through spring with Carol Varsalona at Beyond Literacy Link.
Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write and share.
Today’s #verselove prompt is from Padma Venkatraman who wrote Bridge to Home and most recently Safe Harbor. Her books never fail to take me to a new place where I can find a relatable character and beautiful language. What a honor to have her writing a prompt for us based on her latest book. She invited us to write about a safe place.
I am visiting Ridgeland, MS, a few miles from the place I grew up. While my visits here bring forth many emotions, this morning I wanted to find solace in a walk in nature. Even though my hotel is near an outdoor shopping mall, there is a creek nearby with a walking path. The creek is the very same creek that ran behind my childhood home, Purple Creek. I used the poetry form of tanka (haiku with a chorus) which has a syllable count of 5, 7, 5, 7, 7.
The Kidlit Progressive Poem is with Janet today at Donna’s blog, Mainely Write.
Irene Latham is gathering Poetry Friday today at Live Your Poem
I didn’t want to write about my father today, but I woke up and looked at the clock at 4:44 AM, so there he was. He would tell us that he always woke up at 4:44. He had a thing for double numbers. His birthday was 11/11/33. On this day 4/11/22, he had a stroke and died 11 days later on 4/22/22.
When I opened #Verselove, I saw a prompt that Kim Johnson shared in our poetry session on Wednesday at the Fay B Kaigler Children’s Book Festival. Unfortunately, Kim had a family emergency, so she had to leave on Thursday. She is supposed to be sitting with me as I write this morning. The loneliness has gotten the best of me, so I had to write about my father. As Kim and I said to our session participants, poetry can be healing. It’s a place of vulnerability. Kim’s prompt can be found on Ethical ELA.
Remember
I remember the phone call in the middle of class. I answered it. I remember thinking something bad had happened.
I remember I packed a bag for 3 nights max (I stayed 2 weeks).
I remember the gruff hospitalist rattling the bed with her pronouncement of no hope. You stared after her with anger and fear.
I remember the long days as you fought, grabbing tubes, glaring helplessly, speech stolen by the stroke.
I remember tears and singing, prayers whispering, silently longing to bring you back to us.
I remember someone said the deepest grief comes from the deepest love. I wasn’t ready to remember.
This morning I am writing in a little house in Hattiesburg, MS with my friend and fellow Ethical ELA writer, Kim Johnson. We are here for the Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival. Yesterday we presented together about the power of poetry to heal. We shared writing prompts from 90 Ways of Community and led a group of teacher-librarians to discover themselves as writers. The room was vibrating with their energy. We just don’t often take the time to write just for ourselves. It was a wonderful way to begin the 3 day festival.
Today’s prompt for #Verselove comes from Joanne Emery who shared a model poem from Joy Harjo, “Red Bird Love.” I used a striking line from Joy’s poem to write about my friend Mary’s butterfly garden.
Mary’s Invitation
In her garden, there’s salvia, swamp milkweed, that purple one I forgot the name of: you watch a swallowtail circle tall parsley flowers, back around to orange pincushion pistils on a coneflower for a taste of home.
I borrowed this photo from Instagram. I’ve been to Acadiana Park Nature Station, but it was years ago on a field trip with students. I was drawn in by the path and thought about that tree, fallen across the path. How could this be a metaphor?
Metaphor can be elusive. Metaphor can be magical. Allan Wolf uses the phrase, “Metaphors be with you!” Think about metaphor today. Can you make it work in a small poem?
A Path Can Be
A path can be a crooked line scribbled on a page.
A path can be a stopping place to let the world pass by.
A path can be a rocky road where every step is tricky.
A path can be a long, long road that leads you to your home.
I am drafting a poem each day in April. There is no perfection here. Only my brave self posting even though I know these poems need work. There is a freedom in drafting that cannot be found in revision. Some writers love the revision process. I question myself too much. When I draft, I just write. Critiquing is harder for me. Today’s poem was written in my notes app as I took a walk, got ready for school, arrived in my classroom. Before the day gets away, I wanted to draft it again for a blog post. Work in progress.
Darius Phelps offered a prompt today based on a poem called Good Son by Kyle Liang. Both Kyle and Darius used food references metaphorically to reveal a deep truth. I love when metaphor works in this way. How metaphor can lead us to a deeper meaning.
Macaroni & Cheese
Our first fight was over macaroni & cheese which ingredients should be added at what temperature to achieve the creamiest bowl.
Kraft is the only brand we’d buy, but you argued that I poured the little flakes of fake cheese too fast, didn’t stir enough to fully achieve the milk to cheese ratio.
You don’t have to be good, according to Mary Oliver, you just have to love what you love. So we loved each other well.
After long marriage, I wait for you to offer the spoon to taste your gumbo. You tell me my spaghetti is always good– Our edges smoothed like macaroni & cheese.
Today’s Ethical ELA prompt was from Erica Johnson, to write a spring villanelle. Rhyme is always a challenge for me. I knew I wanted to write about the passion vine because it’s popping up like magic in my butterfly garden and even out in the yard. Every day it gets a little taller. What I learned in research was the connection to Christ.
“The plants were given the name Passionflower or Passion Vine because the floral parts were once said to represent aspects of the Christian crucifixion story, sometimes referred to as the Passion. The 10 petal-like parts represents the disciples of Jesus, excluding Peter and Judas; the 5 stamens the wounds Jesus received; the knob-like stigmas the nails; the fringe the crown of thorns.” wildflower.org
Purple Passion Vine
Open the door to sweet passion vine, climbing, perky maypop alluring fritillaries by design.
Your lavender petals a sure sign while mysterious tendrils won’t stop. Open the door to sweet passion vine.
Five stamens like wounds align frilly fringe like a thorny crown top alluring fritillaries by design.
Remind us that all life is divine, beyond the garden you hop. Open the door to sweet passion vine climbing, perky maypop.
Margaret Simon lives on the Bayou Teche in New Iberia, Louisiana. She teaches gifted elementary students, writes poetry and children's books. Welcome to a space of peace, poetry, and personal reflection. Walk in kindness.
Reflections on the Teche 