Welcome to Day 2 of the 2016 Progressive Poem. Each year Irene Latham of Live Your Poem, invites poets to her own poetry festivities to help develop and build a progressive poem for National Poetry Month. Each of 30 different poets supplies a line on their assigned day to cumulatively create the poem.
Yesterday the talented Laura Purdie Salas at Writing the World for Kids started us off with a rousing first line.
A squall of hawk wings stirs the sky
I’m so excited about this line. A beautifully written first line in perfect iambic measures. I love her use of squall. The alliteration of squall (a word that can also be used as a verb,)the verb stir, and sky echoes in my ear. So my challenge is to keep to her rhythm. Four iambic beats. And can I repeat her elegant dance steps? My mind immediately went to the opposite of that strong powerful hawk to the most delicate and fragile of birds.
a hummingbird holds and then hies
So, there you have it, the first two lines. Looks like the beginning of a list poem to me, and I think we are foregoing punctuation at this point. There are still plenty of days and tons of possibilities. For now, at least we are through the first call and response. And I can toss this creation over to the dedicated Doraine Bennett for Sunday.
A squall of hawk wings stirs the sky
a hummingbird holds and then hies
Here is the list of all the poets who are participating this month.
April
joyacey 
Joy, you and Laura are off to quite a start. There is so much commotion in this poem already. What is the stir about and why are the fragile, little hummingbirds hastily exiting? I am getting worried about the next few days and how I will have to fill in for day 6. I am still working on Winter Wanderings and have you in for offering a quote. Thanks for joining in.
I like hearing your process, Joy, and your response to Laura’s line, leading to your own image of the wonders out of doors, this time the quick-thinking hummingbirds. Yes, they do “hie”, perfect word!
Thank you, Joy! I am thinking of Amy’s EVERY DAY BIRDS… we’re off to a flying start! And yes, “hies” is quite unexpected. xo
Hummingbirds are a favorite to watch. Will we continue with birds? Maybe we’ll come down to earth for some crawling creatures. Who knows where this poem will go. I love the surprise of each day.
WAY cool! I love how thoughtful you were!
Great imagery in these first two lines! Like Linda, I was charmed by your word choice, “hies” – :0)
A lovely follow-up line, Joy! I would have no problem with a list poem of beautiful birds, but who knows where they will carry us!
I’m a great fan of contrast, Joy, so I like your instinct to head for hummingbirds. I do think a birdly theme will carry us through–so much variety and possibility. Looks like Dori is feeling birdlish too!
Feathers find their fettle with your perfect line.
I love imagining the hummingbird. So different from the hawk.
I’m going to hie myself over to Dori’s page. Appreciations Joy!
Wonderful line, Joy. I’m loving the alliteration in both lines. Can’t wait to see where this goes.
A lovely addition, Joy! Let’s see if we stick with the birds…
So beautiful…and I love learning a new word too! Thank you, Joy! And thank you, too, for the button and note! I will write soon! Happy National Poetry Month! xx