Wednesday, April 10, 2019

THE PROGRESSIVE POEM IS HERE... with Janet F.!

Click here for today's edition of ARTSPEAK: Happy!, in which I write after a piece by Edgar Degas, about my once-upon-a-ballerina days.

And now, it is my pleasure to once again welcome Janet F. to Live Your Poem. Take it away, Janet!

     Here I am at Irene’s blog again happy to be part of Progressive Poem 2019. I so enjoy the Poetry Friday community, even if I am not always around as much as I would like. I have read and watched in eager anticipation for my line’s turn. This involves lots of wondering, planning, considering and trying out various lines. And of course some trepidation. Sound at all familiar? Will I move the poem forward enough? Give it that zing? Stick to some unknown journey’s winding path? Send us in a new direction? Add to the poetic form in development?

    Now, I do join those who may not be the most nimble when it comes to song lyrics. (Remember I am an advocate of learning poems by heart; song lyrics not so much, sadly!) Though the nostalgia of going back to songs from our own “day” (ie youth?) bring back many memories. And The Beatles rocked my teenage world for sure! (If my parents would have allowed it I would have tried to go to the Ed Sullivan show and the Shea Stadium concert!) Thankfully the internet search for lyrics can help if something does not readily pop in one’s mind.
Of course there is Matt’s caveat that one need not follow suit, so that, too, added a dimension to my poetic hand and thinking. To lyric or not to lyric, to hunt in a poem or book, that is the challenge. I also love using lots of prose pieces for creating “found poems” so this does appeal, too. As I considered I thought more about form and pattern and set out to see what might work with my addition and this stanza arrangement.
Rebecca has sent us off on an epic journey and we need to get going! After much contemplation and with “a little help from my friends” I add my line and send our poem off to Dani at Doing the Work that Matters!


Endless summer; I can see for miles…
Fun, fun, fun – and the whole world smiles.
No time for school- just time to play,
we swim the laughin’ sea each and every day.

You had only to rise, lean from your window,
the curtain opens on a portrait of today.
Kodachrome greens, dazzling blue,
it’s the chance of a lifetime,
make it last forever–ready? Set? Let’s Go!

Come, we’ll take a walk, the sun is shining down




Found Lines:
L1 The Who, ‘I Can See for Miles’ / The Beach Boys, ‘Endless Summer’
L2 The Beach Boys, ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’ / Dean Martin, ‘When You’re Smiling’
L3 The Jamies, ‘Summertime, Summertime’
L4 The Doors ‘Summer’s Almost Gone’/ Led Zeppelin ‘Good Times, Bad Times’
L5 Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine “You had only to rise, lean from your window,”
L6 Joni Mitchell, “Chelsea Morning”
L7 Paul Simon, “Kodachrome,” “Dazzling Blue”
L8 Dan Fogelberg, “Run for the Roses”
L9 Spice Girls, “Wannabe”/ Will Smith, “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It”
L10 The Beatles, “Good Day Sunshine”

P.S. For those who don’t know me, I am on FB as Janet Clare. Here’s what is new: I have poems in several anthologies including
Best of Today’s Little Ditty 2014-2015 from Michelle Heidenrich Barnes, Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell’s Great Morning! Poems for School Leaders to Read Aloud and the upcoming I AM SOMEONE ELSE, Poems About Pretending, Lee Bennett Hopkins’ latest anthology. I consider
coming in July!
myself a Poetry Advocate and am always sharing and celebrating poetry with children and others in my community and elsewhere. Poetry is an educational dream come true. Something that I figured out rather late in my career as an elementary teacher ie year 35 which kept me teaching for an additional 7 years! And so glad I did. You can find a video on Youtube if interested in seeing Poetry on Parade in action.



Thank you, Janet! Such a pleasure to have you as part of our Progressive Poem... we're off to a great start, and I look forward to what comes next! xo

28 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Hi Ruth,
      My reply to you appears to be at the end. You can tell, it mentions Haiti. Janet

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  2. Replies
    1. Hi Kim,
      Thanks. Yes, we are off someplace! Time will tell with this creative group.
      Janet

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  3. Glad you decided to go for it, Janet - a great line to keep us moving!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Matt. Looking forward to finding out what all of this walking and sun and sea and summer leads us to. My kind of place, though, to be sure.
      Janet

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  4. Happy to be outside, Janet! Terrific line!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Linda. All that sunshine. Makes me want to get on a plane and head to a balmy spot. Maine, not so much since they have snow!!!
      Janet

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  5. Perfect for an endless summer. Hoping there is much to be encountered on this sunny walk! :)

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    Replies
    1. Hi Kat,
      Me, too. Having been a beach walker and beachcomber for many years as a child and later, I love the idea of a walk there, but who knows were we will go. I love seeing our poem unfold.
      Janet

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  6. Janet, I love the invitation to come out for a walk in the sunshine. Let's go...

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Margaret. It will be fun to see what adventures await us here at the PP ! We need sunshine in my area so I am a tad jealous of those who live in sunnier, warmer climes!! And, as you well know, a poem can take us anywhere!

      Janet

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  7. Janet, I enjoyed your backstory that led us into the great outdoors, the place to be in the summer. What is in store for our character? Looking forward to more action.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, Carol, me too. That unveiling and figuring out where we are, who we are, where we are going, are we a we or just a he or her? All great things to discover for our main character.
      Glad you liked the background. So much to consider. Janet F.

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  8. Glad to see the poem walking into the world (and now I am humming Good Day Sunshine!)

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    Replies
    1. And your video is wonderful--thanks for sharing its smiling goodness!

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    2. Than you so much, Buffy and trust me Good Day Sunshine is now residing in my head. It could be worse. Where I live it's grey regularly so we treasure sunshine!

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  9. Indeed and maybe on the beach. Do you go to the beach much in Haiti? I know you have to be careful with the sun and your fair skin. I love the beach, but cover up to be extra careful. Time will tell.

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  10. Thanks for getting the action started, Janet! And for the stanzas!

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  11. A walk into the Kodachrome greens, the dazzling blue! Are they wet or are they wafting? We couldn't have gone on without the Beatles!

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  12. Well done, Janet, well done! We have to have that sunshine, don't we? (I'm lucky to live where there's lots.) Now "Good Day Sunshine" is bouncing around in my head, too, but we could certainly do worse. ;0)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Robyn. I have always loved beach walks, all hous of the day.
      Janet F.

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  13. Walking in sunshine is a special delight. Thanks for propelling us forward.

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  14. Poems about Pretending looks like a great elementary classroom read. Thanks for sharing this selection. I will keep an eye out for it this summer.

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  15. Glad you like it. I have my author copies and shared in school to a few classes gr.3,4,5 with overwhelming positive reactions (but they are a tad biased because they know and generally like me). I am going to sign up for your blog so if you mention it, I can see it. Janet Clare F.

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  16. And we're off! Thanks for sending us out into the sunny world!

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  17. Hello Janet F./Janet Clare!

    There is a sunburst of sunshine pouring through your post & line.

    Another sunburst - this of congrats about the published poems & especially the big forthcoming pretend party for I AM SOMEONE ELSE edited by our very own Lee Bennett Hopkins. We are all so eager to see that book

    More appreciations.
    Happy 2019 April National Poetry Month & Happy 2019 Progressive Poem


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