The 2024 Progressive Poem begins today!
And, Happy National Poetry Month!
I am both delighted and nervous to be opening this year’s verse. What direction will it take? Is it wide enough, deep enough to welcome each poet’s musing – and still become something beautiful on April 30th? I suppose it’s like a “kitchen sink soup”: We take all that is in the cupboard and frig and let it transform into food for the collective soul.
Thank you to Irene Latham who began the tradition in 2012 and hosted until 2019. (Early archives here.) And to Margaret Simon who took the reins in 2020. (Recent archives are tabs at the top of her page.)
Blogs where the next lines will be found are linked on this post.
The rules: The poem will be passing from blog to blog with each poet-blogger adding a line. The poem is for children. Other than that, anything goes.
Each blogger will copy the previous line exactly as written (unless permission from the previous poet is obtained) and add their line, offering commentary on their process if they wish.
What inspired my first line? Many of us are experiencing overwhelm. From the personal to the planet (ahem! the planet IS personal!), it feels like we are in search of hope. And what else are we as poets, if not bearers of hope?
April 1 Patricia Franz at Reverie
April 2Â Jone MacCulloch
April 3 Janice Scully at Salt City Verse
April 4 Leigh Anne Eck at A Day in the Life
April 5 Irene at Live Your Poem
April 6 Margaret at Reflections on the Teche
April 7Â Marcie Atkins
April 8 Ruth at There is No Such Thing as a God Forsaken Town
April 9Â Karen Eastlund
April 10 Linda Baie at Teacher Dance
April 11Â Buffy Silverman
April 12 Linda Mitchell at A Word Edgewise
April 13 Denise Krebs at Dare to Care
April 14 Carol Varsalona at Beyond Literacy Link
April 15 Rose Cappelli at Imagine the Possibilities
April 16Â Sarah Grace Tuttle
April 17 Heidi Mordhorst at my juicy little universe
April 18 Tabatha at Opposite of Indifference
April 19 Catherine Flynn at Reading to the Core
April 20 Tricia Stohr-Hunt at The Miss Rumphius Effect
April 21 Janet, hosted here at Reflections on the Teche
April 22 Mary Lee Hahn at A(nother) Year of Reading
April 23 Tanita Davis at (fiction, instead of lies)
April 24 Molly Hogan at Nix the Comfort Zone
April 25 Joanne Emery at Word Dancer
April 26 Karin Fisher-Golton at Still in Awe
April 27
April 28 Dave at Leap of Dave
April 29 Robyn Hood Black at Life on the Deckle Edge
April 30 Michelle Kogan at More Art for All
2024 Progressive Poem
cradled in stars, our planet sleeps,
clinging to tender dreams of peace
sister moon watches from afar,
singing  lunar lullabies of hope.
almost dawn. I walk with others,
keeping close, my little brother.
hand in hand, we carry courage
escaping closer to the border.
My feet are lightning;
My heart is thunder.
Our pace draws us closer
to a new land of wonder.
I bristle against rough brush—
poppies ahead brighten the browns.
Look for the next line tomorrow from Ruth at There is No Such Thing as a God Forsaken Town
Patricia Franz is a kidlit writer and published poet. She believes children, dogs, and sourdough have a lot to teach us about life, joy, and wonder. She has raised two boys, four dogs, and holds a master’s degree in Theology with a focus on children’s spirituality. Patricia, her husband, her Bernese Mountain dog, Bonny, and her sourdough starter split their time between the Arizona desert and the Sierra Nevada mountains. 
I have to cuddle this line because it ends with my One Little Word, peace. What a beautiful way to begin. Thanks!
You’ve set the bar high, Patricia, with such a beautiful beginning. Looking forward to seeing where this leads.
Patricia, as a bearer of peace, you have opened the 2024 Progressive Poem with a calming spirit. The imagery you offer in such few words provides a cushion of hope. Perhaps, your opening will bring a call to action or a wonder-filled children’s picture book. Thank you for sprinkling seeds of serenity this morning.
Oh, how beautiful. We are off to a magical start
Bearers of hope, yes, that’s what we are! Thank you for this beautiful start, Patricia.
That is a great start. I wonder how it will look on Feb 28th when I contribute my line. Speaking of starting I started the A to Z challenge today. https://dave-homeschooldad.blogspot.com/2024/04/a-to-z-2024-is-for-adult-children.html
A beautiful start! You met your goal of something that is both specific and leaves space. (Space pun was serendipitous.)
It’s a beautifully thought-filled start, Patricia, inspiring all our imaginations to keep this special story of calm for everyone going! Thank you!
A beautifully, calming start, Patricia. You have me thinking. I love that there are so many possibilities!
What a beautiful beginning, Patricia….a dream, a wish, and a prayer.
Patricia,
So much love in your poem! Cradled in stars……such a tender way to think about living in the light and bringing hope for all of us and our earth/world. Peace. Noble. Essential. Enduring. May we figure it out eventually!
I had such fun being first last year! I hope you had as much fun as I did! You set a fantastic tone for the poem.
Patricia, oh my, such a beautiful beginning full of personification. Great use of cradle in cradled in stars! Love how the reader hears the c in cradle and clinging, and your rhymes in sleep, dreams, and peace. I love the image I have in my mind of your lines. Thank you for sharing what inspired you, also. Janice’s lines and your lines are magical. 🙂
Perfect words to start, Patricia – and here on the cusp on the big eclipse, too! Thank you. xo