Reflections on the Teche

I have been leading the Kidlit Poets in organizing the Progressive Poem for six years. I was worried about the poem this year because I only had 27 days covered. Tabatha Yeatts stepped up to save the day. Not only did she start us off with a painted map and first line, she volunteered to round out the poem in a complete quatrain on April 28. I had to be OK with only 28 lines. I am more than OK. I am thrilled with the resulting poem. I will post it here and archive it on my blog.

The Land of Poetry

On my first trip to the Land of Poetry,
I saw anthologies of every color, tall as buildings.
A world of words, wonder on wings, waiting just for me!
Birding for words shimmering, flecked in golden gilding.

Binoculars ready, I toured boulevards and side streets,
exploring vibrant verses, verses so honest and tender.
feathery lyrics, bright flitting avian athletes
soaring ‘cross pages in rhythmic splendor.

In the Land of Poetry, I am the conductor,
seeking oodles of poems that tug at my heart,
a musical medley of sound and structure,
An open mic in Frost Forest! Wonder who’ll take part?

There’s a pause in the program; no one takes the stage
the trees quiver, the audience looks up. Raven lands,
singing Earth’s message of the sage.
“Poetry in motion will be forevermore, from forests to sands.”

“Scatter,” she croaked. “Beyond Wilde Pond, to each and every beach.”
Meek Dove mustered courage and sang, “Instill humanity with compassion and peace.
Let Thackeray’s middle name, from this thicket, hearts reach!”
Her gentle coo-ooo-ooos reverberate, soft as fleece.

Words dart, dimple—Do I dare warble what’s in my soul?
I’ve inhaled inspiration…yes, I’ll risk my refrain.
I fly to the mic, chanting “Tadpole, mole and oriole!
Come all living beings from water, land, air; come high and low terrains!

Come, living your poems, hearts open, ablaze,
Sing out your noise, adding to our forest-filling chorus!
Together. Empowered. Our choir conveys,“Why poetry? Words transform and restore us!”

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this year’s poem:

April 1 Tabatha Yeatts at The Opposite of Indifference
April 2 Cathy Stenquist at A Little Bit of This and That
April 3 Patricia Franz at Reverie
April 4 Donna Smith at Mainely Write
April 5 Janice Scully at Salt City Verse
April 6 Denise Krebs at Dare to Care
April 7 Ruth Hersey at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town
April 8 Rose Cappelli at Imagine the Possibilities
April 9 Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche
April 10 Janet Clare Fagel at Reflections on the Teche
April 11 Diane Davis at Starting Again in Poetry
April 12 Linda Baie at Teacher Dance
April 13 Linda Mitchell at Another Word Edgewise
April 14 Jone MacCulloch at Jone Rush MacCulloch
April 15 Joyce Uglow at Storied Ink
April 16 Carol Varsalona at Beyond Literacy Link
April 17 Robyn Hood Black at Life on the Deckle Edge
April 18 Michele Kogan at More Art for All
April 19 Kim Johnson at Common Threads
April 20 Buffy Silverman
April 21 Irene Latham at Live Your Poem
April 22 Karen Edmisten
April 23 Heidi Mordhorst at my juicy little universe
April 24 Mary Lee Hahn at A(nother) Year of Reading
April 25 Tanita Davis at Fiction, instead of Lies
April 26 Sharon Roy at Pedaling Poet
April 27 Tracey Kiff-Judson at Tangles and Tails
April 28 Tabatha Yeatts at The Opposite of Indifference

As we come to the end of National Poetry Month, I want to thank everyone who has taken time to read, contemplate, and add a line to our collaborative poem. Each of you thought deeply and utilized your best rhythm and rhyme and other marvelous poetic devices. The community of poets lifts me up and holds me steady in these days of hopelessness and senseless violence.

Yesterday on Ethical ELA, Jessica Sherburn prompted us to write instructions for writing a poem. What would your instructions be for spending time in The Land of Poetry?

Instructions for Turning a List into a Poem

1. Find your glasses.
2. Block out the sound of the song in your head.
3. On second thought, play the song to the end; there may be a poem hiding there.
4. Write your first line.
5. Cross it out.
6. Begin in the middle.
7. This is the heart of the poem; Make it shine!
8. Believe in grace, permission, and persistence.
9. Write like no one is reading.
10. Write like everyone will read it.
11. Trust the process.
12. Get out of your own way.

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