Hello, and Happy Poetry Month–again! In a happy Perfect (Poetry) Storm, this is actually my third Poetry Friday post for Friday, April 1st! This one is because I am honored to be starting off Irene Latham‘s annual Progressive Poem. Irene, of Live Your Poem, invites poets each year to sign up and take one day, one line, as we cumulatively build a poem out of nothing but our wishes and imagination. That is just like Irene to celebrate Poetry Friday by inviting the poetry community in to celebrate with her.
I thought doing Day 1 would be easy. Then I started to think about it. Then I worried a little. Then I realized, What the heck? I have no idea where anyone will take this, so all I can do is create one little line that evokes something (to me). So I looked around, listened, and came up with:
A squall of hawk wings stirs the sky
Yup, that’s my line. Will it go in a nature direction? Fantasy? History?
No idea. That’s up to those who will wish and imagine the next lines. And they are…
April
Thanks for getting us going, Laura! This could indeed, take us anywhere. (Sort of reminds me of last year’s poem’s theme, now that I think about it) Looking forward to seeing what Joy does tomorrow!
Uh oh. I prably should have read last year’s again, but I didn’t want to be influenced. Hmm…now I’ll have to go back and see. Can’t wait to see what y’all do with it moving forward!
Oooh, I just saw a “squall of hawk wings” yesterday, stirring the air! I had to stop my car and watch them. It looked like they must have just returned from their winter stay somewhere else and were doing a waltz of joy as the group of over 20 (hard to count) hovered and circled above.
This will be exciting to see where it goes. I’ll meet you at the end!
Oh, how wonderful! Too early in the year to see that here in Minnesota. Can’t wait to see how the poem journeys its way to you!
Shivers of anticipation, Laura. I’m in the midst of writing about birds, and then your “squall” hits. Wonderful to see what’s next. Terrific beginning!
Synchronicity! Woohoo!
This is a fabulous first line, Laura! Thanks for getting the ball rolling… or the wings flapping as the case may be. 😉
Excited to see y’all take those wings!
I’m glad we are starting with a line that you can visualize as well as one that is pleasing to say. Thanks.
Thanks for the first line! Can’t wait to see where this goes!
Me, too, Ruth!
This is indeed an evocative first line, Laura. Makes me regret that I missed the sign-up. :\
Aw:>( Next year! (Or host one yourself in May…?)
Your first line makes me want to look up!
Thank you for beginning this year’s journey!
xo
Thanks, Amy–honored to be on the path with all of you!
Ooh nice start, Laura. Love the word squall.
Thank you, Catherine–that was the one word that had to stay as I was playing around, trying to shorten the line:>)
Exciting start!
Thanks, Tabatha!
Laura, I love how there is something big brewing right away! A SQUALL. Love! Thank you for getting us started. I knew you’d do great. xo
Thanks again for your lovely invitation, Irene! I’m sorry if it’s close to last year’s–I must go check!
Great start, Laura – can’t wait to see where this goes. (I love hawks. I do keep my 3 1/2 pound Chihuahua close when outside, but I love hawks! ;0) )
Wonderful first line! Can’t wait to see where the squall of hawk wings leads.
I appreciate the rhythm in this line–I wonder if we’ll be able to sustain it for a while? And I hope we get some big ol’ surprises along the way, some changes of subject!
This is a swift & vivid start.
Here, we see hawk wings all seasons & just yesterday I saw two hawks, on my neighborhood walk
Wish I had thought to think of their winging away as a squall of wings.
Lovely, lovely, lovely!
Oh, I love this first line! Thanks for such a great start, Laura 🙂
Oh no! Hitchcock’s the Birds came to mind immediately! Eeek! LOL I’m sure it will go in a lovely pastoral direction.
Thanks for the kickoff, Laura. Birds are a popular subject these days. I started taking photos of seagulls at the boardwalk. They don’t make as much noise as hawks but then again I never saw one up close in nature. The hawks are really noisy in your poem. I wonder where the next line is lurking. (PS: Are you free to join me as a guest poet on April 11th for #NYEDChat? I started the questions.) The invitation is out-it’s at my blog.)
I’ll try, Carol–with our house on the market, I can’t commit to anything 100% as I never know where I’ll be at any given time. Whew!
Love it…but I know there’s just about no chance we’ll still be writing about hawks on the 27th. I’ll stay tuned…
So true:D We’ll see where it soars to…
What a beautiful, evocative line, Laura, so full of drama and possibility. Brava and thank you for getting us started. 🙂
Thanks, Renee!