Friday, April 23, 2021

The 2021 Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem

If you can laugh together, you can work together.
~Robert Orben


Hi all! The Progressive Poem lands here today!


By the time the Progressive Poem reached me, this is where we stood:

I’m a case of kindness – come and catch me if you can!
Easily contagious – sharing smiles is my plan.
I'll spread my joy both far and wide
As a force of nature, I’ll be undenied.

Words like, "how can I help?" will bloom in the street.
A new girl alone on the playground – let’s meet, let’s meet!
We can jump-skip together in a double-dutch round.
Over, under, jump and wonder, touch the ground.

Friends can be found when you open a door.
Side by side, let’s walk through, there’s a world to explore.
We’ll hike through a forest of towering trees.
Find a stream we can follow while we bask in the breeze.

Pull off our shoes and socks, dip our toes in the icy spring water
When you’re with friends, there’s no have to or oughter.
What could we make with leaves and litter?
Let's find pine needles, turn into vine knitters.

We'll lie on our backs and find shapes in the sky.
We giggle together: See the bird! Now we fly?
Inspired by nature, our imaginations soar.
Follow that humpback! Here, take an oar.

Ahh! Here comes a wave -- let's hold on tight,
splashing and laughing, let's play until night!

*************

Janice offered me these two options:

Catching ever more kindness, friendship, and fun,

or

When the Milky Way sparkles, and the moon’s overhead,

*************

I'm pretty sleepy from getting my second COVID shot today and I had a hard time coming up with lines. I had to eat a bit of fortifying homemade candy (chocolate bark with pecans, peanuts, dried cherries, and bits of Peeps) first. (We were out of marshmallows.) (Peeps work great.)

I chose:

When the Milky Way sparkles, and the moon’s overhead,

*************

So now it's:

I’m a case of kindness – come and catch me if you can!
Easily contagious – sharing smiles is my plan.
I'll spread my joy both far and wide
As a force of nature, I’ll be undenied.

Words like, "how can I help?" will bloom in the street.
A new girl alone on the playground – let’s meet, let’s meet!
We can jump-skip together in a double-dutch round.
Over, under, jump and wonder, touch the ground.

Friends can be found when you open a door.
Side by side, let’s walk through, there’s a world to explore.
We’ll hike through a forest of towering trees.
Find a stream we can follow while we bask in the breeze.

Pull off our shoes and socks, dip our toes in the icy spring water
When you’re with friends, there’s no have to or oughter.
What could we make with leaves and litter?
Let's find pine needles, turn into vine knitters.

We'll lie on our backs and find shapes in the sky.
We giggle together: See the bird! Now we fly?
Inspired by nature, our imaginations soar.
Follow that humpback! Here, take an oar.

Ahh! Here comes a wave -- let's hold on tight,
splashing and laughing, let's play until night!
When the Milky Way sparkles, and the moon’s overhead,

*************

The lines I'm offering Shari Daniels are:

we watch firefly friends signal with wings outspread

or

we make a pretend campfire and tell stories we've read

*************

Good luck, Shari!

17 comments:

michelle kogan said...

Hi Tabatha, wishing you a speedy recovery from your vaccine! I just had my 2nd vaccine last Saturday, and had the same sleepy reaction. I was sooo tired, I had a hare time keeping my eyes open…

Yay to the sparkling Milky Way and moon! And I love to take a ride on those firefly's outspread wings, thanks!

Elisabeth said...

What a wonderful poem! The lines you're offering make me eager for summer.

Bridget Magee said...

This progressive poem is amazing! And your use of peeps...brilliant! :)

KatApel - katswhiskers.wordpress.com said...

My goodness! I blinked... and another week has passed. Hoping you feel better soon, Tabatha. I like your choice of medicine! Clearly it's helped, because your two lines are lovely. (I'm liking the friends watching firefly friends, for a double-dose of kindness. Your campfire line has my tastebuds flaring for warm damper and syrup.😋)

Christie Wyman said...

I so love that your line choice spoke to you through a vaccine-induced nibbling session! Hope today is better. I had lots of nausea with #2, so dozies sounds appealing. Two great lines to choose from!

Linda B said...

Settling in for a lovely evening feels wonderful, Tabatha. I like both your lines of 'togetherness'. I was tired, too, after the 2nd shot but it was over after the next day. Best wishes to you for a fast recovery.

Denise Krebs said...

Tabatha, That tired after the second shot was my symptom too! I can see why writing would be difficult, but the homemade candy sounds like it did the charm. It sounds delicious, as are the lines you wrote.

skanny17 said...

Oh, just seeing this now sorry about your post shot sleepies.Love the line you selected. Moon overhead nestled in the Milky Way is lovely. And your lines are both full of special light! Your snack sounds good. Tea? Wishing you feel your fine self slap! Your buddy!! Janet Clare F.

skanny17 said...

Darn auto correct. Not slap! ASAP. I even fixed it one time!
J.

Tabatha said...

Thank you, Janet! "slap" is funny :-) I am feeling fine now. My son and daughter felt worse yesterday than I did. My son especially was under the weather. Hoping he bounces back this morning. (And as everyone says, it's better than having COVID!)

Karen Edmisten said...

I'm glad you had the proper sustenance to get you through Round 2 of the vaccine! :) Hope you're feeling better. My second shot was almost 2 weeks ago, so I'm almost to the "FULLY VAXED!" stage. Yay!

This progressive poem is so much fun. Thanks for sharing it. I would have chosen the same line you did. :)

Catherine Flynn said...

I was rooting for those "Milky Way sparkles!" Both of your lines are terrific, too. I'm not sure which one I'd choose!

Margaret Simon said...

I wonder how many Kidlit poem days have met up with second Covid shot days because it seems I've read that more than once. Thanks for taking it on. This year feels easier somehow. Each line that is offered could be chosen and not waylay the poem. Wonderful choices. You managed the rhythm and the rhyme quite well.

Carol Varsalona said...

Tabatha, by now you should be feeling well and I hope you do. You chose a wonderful line and created two exciting add-on that bring more action into the poem.

Robyn Hood Black said...

Hope you are feeling all better by now, Tabatha! I had my second shot on Friday, too - felt a bit crummy and foggy for a day or so but was lucky; not bad.
-- The vaccine did not hamper your imagination - fantastic options, both. Off to see what Shari picked! XO

Mary Lee said...

Love it!

Heidi Mordhorst said...

Catching up....I like that Milky Way line you chose and your two interesting next lines squeeze in one more activity before we have to wind down...