Friday, April 27, 2018

Progressive Poem for Progressive Poets--and our 9th Blogiversary!

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Howdy, Campers!

Happy National Poetry Month and Poetry Friday!  And Happy-Amazingness that we're celebrating TeachingAuthors9th Blogiversary--wowza!

As I wrote to our Founder, Coach, Computer Genius and Blogging Wizard, Carmela today: "I can't begin to tell you how glad I am that the universe reached all the way 'cross the country nine years ago and knocked on my door...


...it's been life-changing in many ways.  Thank you for starting it, thank you for captaining our ship."

Read Carmela's blogiversary post which includes JoAnn's terrific, short spring poem...then join in our combined Blogiversary/Earth Day celebration by passing along a book that helped you grow in your craft, or that was a favorite read aloud, or that you'd simply like to share with someone else.

April Halprin Wayland on World Book Night 2013,
giving away a book at Lawndale High School

JoAnn's perfect spring poem made me think of this quote (I cannot for the life of me find the rest of the poem--can you?) that makes my heart happy and my head swim:

I stuck my head out the window this morning and spring kissed me bang in the face. ~ Langston Hughes
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Onward!  If you don't know what the Progressive Poem is, hop on over to Irene Latham's post. Okay...so now you understand this poetry game, right? Well. My line's due this Sunday and here's my current state of my mind:

PROGRESSIVE IDEAS ABOUT PROGRESSIVE POEMS
by April Halprin Wayland
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I'm supposed to contribute, I'm pregnant to post.
I'm due to distribute, I'll be Sunday's host.
My foot is a-tapping, my thoughts overlapping:
no, don't think ahead—you'll for sure be misled.

Perhaps the main actor's a scarecrow instead
of the seed which we started with
(now it's a monolith!)

But here is a thought:
take a breath, take a vow...
light a lemony candle

and just 
be here now.

Poem (c)2018 April Halprin Wayland. All rights reserved.

My line is due on Sunday. Wish me luck.

Here's Team Progressive Poem's posting schedule:
April 2018 ~ Progressive Poetry Contributors:
Jane at Raincity Librarian
Michelle at Today's Little Ditty
Jan at bookseedstudio
Irene at Live Your Poem
Linda at TeacherDance
Janet F. at Live Your Poem
11 Brenda at Friendly Fairy Tales
12 Carol at Beyond LiteracyLink
13 Linda at A Word Edgewise
15 Donna at Mainely Write
16 Sarah at Sarah Grace Tuttle
18 Christie at Wondering and Wandering
19 Michelle at Michelle Kogan
20 Linda at Write Time
23 Amy at The Poem Farm
24 Mary Lee at A Year of Reading
25 Kiesha at Whispers from the Ridge
26 Renee at No Water River
27 Buffy at Buffy's Blog
28 Kat at Kat's Whiskers
29 April at Teaching Authors note: this link won't work until Sunday, April 27, 2018
30 Doraine at Dori Reads 
And thank you, dear Irene, for hosting
the last Poetry Friday of National Poetry Month 2018
at Live Your Poem!

PS: Before you go, share in the comments if you have a book you're planning to pass along in honor of our Blogiversary/Earth Day celebration!

posted with overflowing love to my sister TAs and with trepidation about you-know-what by April Halprin Wayland



10 comments:

Ruth said...

Happy Blog Birthday! And I can't wait to read your line - I know it will be great!

Linda B said...

I do wish you luck. The "next to the end" spot is a great place to sit, I'm sure you will give us a line that will perfectly fit! Ha! It is nerve-wracking, but I love that you wrote a poem about it, April. Wonderful to read it and smile!

JoAnn Early Macken said...

Thanks for your kind words, April! I love your "be here now" poem and "spring kissed me bang in the face"!

Michelle Kogan said...

Fun poem to share–it's bursting with anticipation of your line to come, can't wait to read it April! Happy 9th Blogiversary to you and all here and wishes for many more, thanks!

Kay said...

Best of luck on Sunday! It's been so much fun to see the poem grow throughout the month. Happy blogiversary!

Irene Latham said...

Oh April, who is so wise: thank you for your "be here now" poem! Yes, the Progressive Poem is certainly a lesson in that. :) Happy happy Blog Birthday to all you Teaching Authors. Love! xo

April Halprin Wayland said...

Thank you all for stopping by and for your belief that the line will come in time! <3

jan godown annino said...

April! A poem TO a poem party! Only you would create such a fun & insightful gift. I love it.
I think you have touched on all our thoughts as we approach "our" line day.
Thank you to Teaching Authors for nine years of nourishment & for your very own honoring of this assist.

The creativity book I will be passing along is by Elizabeth Gilbert, BIG MACIC, Creative Living Beyond Fear & the lively thing about it is that it is a pass-along to me from wonderful Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators mentor to me & maven to millions more, Joan Broerman.

Heidi Mordhorst said...

Heeee, April--that's so much fun! The monolith line is my favorite. I'm glad Teaching Authors is still going strong, too--I always find something provocative here!

April Halprin Wayland said...

Jan ~ I've heard such good things about that book--hooray for bravely letting it move on the great moving sidewalk of life. :-)

Heidi ~ I went back and forth about that word, monolith...I didn't want to hurt any feelings. Glad you like it--though I'm not surprised you would like it <3