This is the first time I've had a line so close to the beginning of the Progressive Poem, and the responsibility for setting the tone and direction of the poem is awe-inspiring.
Kat Apel got us started the way Donna did last year -- each poet offering two lines from which the next poet can choose, then that poet offering two lines, and so on.
Linda Mitchell chose Kat's line
I’m a case of kindness – come and catch me if you can!
and offered me the choice of these two lines:
Easily contagious sharing smiles is my plan.
or
Don't fret about a fever, loss of smell, or taste
Let's think this through. If I go with the first choice, we've got a nice rhyming couplet out of the gate. Additionally, the seed-of-a-theme of kindness is carried on with the contagious smiles. And there's a plan offered up in that first choice. On the other hand, the second choice links the "case" in Kat's line firmly to COVID. And actually, that's a deal-killer for me. Enough with the COVID already!!
I'm going with
I’m a case of kindness – come and catch me if you can!
Easily contagious – sharing smiles is my plan.
I checked with Linda, and she gave me permission to add the dash in her line.
Now, on to the choices I'll provide for Donna. If she wants to write another rhyming couplet, hopefully I've given her words she can work with. (Who am I kidding? Donna is the QUEEN of creative rhyming!)
Maybe she'd like to pick up the voice of the speaker again? (Feel free to add a dash at the end of the line if you want...if you choose this one, Donna!)
I'll spread my joy both far and wide
Or maybe we need to elaborate on the plan to share smiles (and keep going with the middle-of-the-line dash). What are the things that give us joy?
Puppies, babies – what makes you giggle?
Have fun, Donna! Have fun everyone else! Just like every year, I can't wait to see what we create!
Here's where to find the poem throughout the month:
