I’m participating in the 2014 Progressive Poem, the brain child of poet and novelist Irene Latham. For every day of April, a different person adds a line. The poem’s been shaped along the way — broken into couplets, named by our last poet, Kate Coombs. The name is what inspired my line.
Enjoy!
Three Blue Eggs
Sitting on a rock, airing out my feelings to the universe
Acting like a peacock, only making matters that much worse;
Should I trumpet like an elephant emoting to the moon
Or just ignore the warnings written in the rune?
Those stars can’t seal my future; it’s not inscribed in stone.
The possibilities are endless! Who could have known?
Gathering courage, spiral like an eagle after prey,
Then gird my wings for whirlwind gales in realms far, far away.
But, hold it! Let’s get practical! What’s needed before I go?
Time to be tactical—I’ll ask my friends what I should stow.
And in one breath, a honeyed word whispered low—dreams—
Whose voice? I turned to see. I was shocked. Irene’s!
“Each voyage starts with tattered maps; your dreams dance on this page.
Determine these dreams—then breathe them! Engage your inner sage.”
The merry hen said, “Take my sapphire eggs to charm your host.”
I tuck them close—still warm—then take my first step toward the coast.
This journey will not make me rich, and yet I long to be
Like luminescent jellyfish, awash in mystery.
I turn and whisper, “Won’t you come?” to all the beasts and birds
And listen while they scamper, their answers winging words:
“Take these steps alone to start; each journey is an art.
You are your own best company. Now it’s time to depart!”
I blow a kiss. I hike for days, blue eggs pressed to my chest.
One evening’s rest, campfire low, shifting shadows brought a guest.
A boy, with hair in wild waves and eyes blue as the sea,
Says, “You’ve traveled far. What did you find—your best discovery?”
“I found a bird, I found a song, I found a word,” I say.
The hidden eggs, I make them known. “I’ve brought these on the way.”
Please consider following the poem to its end.
April 29 – Ruth at There is No Such Thing as a Godforsaken Town
April 30 – Tara at A Teaching Life
Yay for the hidden becoming known! Thank you, sweet Caroline. xo
Thank you for including me!
Lovely!! Can’t wait to see how it ends. 🙂
And perhaps now, those eggs will help finish the journey. My mind is filled with possibilities!
I have ideas, but the poem is no longer in my hands. Curious what comes next.
Oh, a secret shared! This is all so lovely and surprising…I’m tickled by how the poem is going this year!
Love your line, hidden eggs. Internal rhyme, continuing this beautiful pattern. I’m sure everyone feels like I do, a certain ownership yet a warmth in the comfort of collaboration. Yay, us!