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Playing: What's My Line?

  • Writer: Cathy Stenquist
    Cathy Stenquist
  • Apr 13, 2025
  • 3 min read

Progressive Poem 2025


Always looking for a new poetic opportunity, I stumbled upon the 2025 KidLit Progressive Poem.


Created in 2012, by poet, Irene Latham, creating a progressive poem was a way to celebrate National Poetry Month (April) as a community of writers. Each year, Poetry Friday Friends and other poetry lovers are invited to join the fun as a poem travels daily from blog to blog, with each host adding a line, beginning April 1. Now, poet, Margaret Simon  organizes it each year.


Thank you ladies, for this lovely way of bringing together poets from all over to collaborate! I am excited and a bit nervous.... but here goes!



What I see so far:


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 lilacs and phlox

commune without constraints.


Time to "Think Spring"! 
Time to "Think Spring"! 

I must say this was an interesting challenge. You would think one line would be such an easy thing to write.


Here is a bit of how I came up with my line.

  • Visualizing really helps me. So first, I read through the poem several times, imagining myself in my backyard.

  • Then I took a look at the format of the poem. Stanzas 1 and 3 are ABCB with lines 2 and 4 rhyming.

  • Stanza 2 takes a different approach- ABBB, with three lines rhyming.

  • My fellow poets seem to be setting up an alternating pattern, so I decided to follow suit.

  • I noticed all three stanzas begin with a call to action. Open... Race...Sing...


 

This is my clue! 

But what would my call to action be?

 

Let’s see…I am a painter.

Inspired by the dappled spring light out my window, I have raced to my garden, set up my paints to a chorus of birds. I sing as my brush dips into the colors of the garden with wild abandon.

 

What would I want to do next….. Hmmmm?


Lift my eyes to the birches? No

Take in the beauty before me? Too vague


I think it's time be mindful, to slow down and breathe….

 

Breathe deeply the hyacinth fragrance? Not lyrical enough.

Then I remembered my beloved lilacs...

and how they make ME want to sing.

That's it!

Their fragrance is a gift that takes me away from everything and stills my heart.

Just the inspiration I needed.

This has been so much fun! Here is the poem so far, with my line added in bold.



Can't wait to see how this poem progresses.


Time to pass it onto Janet Fagel at Mainely Write to add a line. I hope this was fun for you, and that your curiosity will lead you to follow along each day!



Click on the links below to travel along with our April poem!






 
 
 

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