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Surprise indeed!  How did it get to be Sunday, April 5th, and I haven't rounded up the MarCH CHallenge and picked a "StretCHiest MarCHer" yet?  (Not-so-surprising answer: Science Night and shed-raising and end of quarter and professional day at school + 16th birthday and kidney stones and Spring Break at home + March marching into April with all its NPM distractions--that's how.)

Here I join Mary Lee over at her Poetrepository with a PoEmotion (hee hee so clever I still love that CoIncidence).  Her emotion for Friday was surprise:

yes, sur!
I am under
the impression
that I can control
each moment
through careful
planification

but, surprise!
I am seized
each day
I am taken over
by events
of wanton
unexpectedness

oh, prise!
I am ripped
of control
and now I win
the prize
of sudden
superwonderment

HM 2015
all rights reserved

So now, having caught my breath, Happy Easter and let the round-up proceed!

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I'm tossing out an old pitch today, a poem from Pumpkin Butterfly that 's just full of those -CHs I love so muCH.  Without further ado (and with deep longing for more of the hint of warmth that we got in Bethesda today)....



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And what cherry pits are you spittin' I mean pitCHing at us today?  I heard a rumor that we might have some kids' work coming our way today....CHampion!

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In case you're just joining us, I and several intrepid poets (including you!) are writing 20 new poems this month in the Forward...MarCH Poetry CHallenge.  I've selected 20 verbs ending in -CH (the list is here) and today's word is "smooCH".  I guess I was in the mood for birthday kisses....
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This one is a double challenge--it's crossposted over at the Monday Poetry Stretch with  Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect, where the CHarge is to write an ottava rima.

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Welcome to Week Two of the Forward...MarCH CHallenge, in which I and other intrepid souls will compose five more poems using five more punCHy, active words ending in -CH.

Today's word is "preaCH," and here I go:

The Good News

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So, let's take stock of the riCHes shared during the first week of the MarCH CHallenge, an introduction to whiCH you can read here.  These were our words for March 2-6, along with a summary of contributions (not counting my own).

march - 6 poems contributed on two meanings of m/March
stretch - 5 poems contributed on the stretching of various human, animal and plant parts
twitch -   6 poems contributed on the twitching of fingers, weather calls, tummy bugs  and tails
punch -  again 6 poems contributed with punches of sun, wind, storms and of course, brothers
fetch -  5 poems contributed with dogs, dogs, dogs and one old lady

That's a total of 28 poems so far, and with my own 4 originals (I'm not counting my previously published ones) we've hit 32 new poems for children already in March! (And for those interested, dogs are winning withwith 6 poems, cats in second with  2 poems, 1 for the birds, 1 for rabbit, 1 for squirrel--and Don Ho scores one too (scroll to the bottom)!

Our poets include (in alphabetical order by first name, as is the wont of kindergarten teachers): Carol Varsalona, Charles Waters, Diane Mayr, Donna Smith, Joy Acey,  Mary Lee Hahn, Matt Forrest Esenwine,  and Robyn Hood Black.  Mary Lee, Joy, Donna, Diane and Charles wrote every day last week--huzzah!!!

I won't be able to round up your contributions as easily this week--I'm quite sure we will have fewer than THREE snow days--so please read the comments to enjoy others' efforts.

And finally, huge apologies to Charles, whose terrifically immediate piece was left out of Wednesday's post, and to Joy, whose jump rope rhyme was left out of Thursday's.

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www.sinfulcelluloid.com

Good morning on this snowy day in suburban DC!  We're marching along briskly in our first week of the Forward...MarCH Poetry CHallenge (read the introduction to this project here) and our word today is "punCH"--another one with several meanings most delicious to the poet.

I'm posting my one previously published poem for the week, but first I'll share one from Donna of Mainely Write.  You'll see why...

A Punch of Sun

Packing a wallop

Up in the sky 
Noontime it reaches
Cerulean;                                                  
High

--Donna Smith

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It's March 4th and we march forth with today's word, "twitCH."  Which twitch are you writing about today?

A Knotty Problem

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As announced on Friday, I'm embarking tomorrow on a birthday month poetry challenge inspired by fellow Piscean Laura Shovan's February Poetry Projects (if you haven't, check out three years' worth here, here and here).

I got to thinking about the word "MARCH"  and all the other great words that end in -CH.  I realized that I have a particular fondness for words that end in -ch; they show up in my poems again and again.  So I'll be stretCHing myself to post five -CH poems weekly throughout March.  I'm allowed one previously published per week, but most will be brand-new.

Please join me in this CHallenge, poetry friends!  If you can't write with me every day, maybe you'll share your one or two per week, or your five-in-a-row, or your favorite poem by another author including the -CH word of the day....I welcome your participation, however you choose to do it!

I'll post my poem each evening, and you can send me yours by email or by leaving it in the comments for that post.  I'll round up as we go and on Sunday mornings, and at the end of the month there will be a PRIZE for the "StretCHiest MarCHer" who contributes the most poems!

To get us started, here's a poem from my first book, Squeeze: Poems from a Juicy Universe (2005).  I'm hoping this will encourage the crocuses that I know are out there straining against two layers of frozen snow!


Launch

Crocuses are rocketing
            inch by inch
                   out of the crumbled earth

the yellows aim for the sun
the purples push          toward deep space

         and inside
little astronauts in orange suits
    cock their ruffled helmets
                                toward spring

Heidi Mordhorst
all rights reserved

And here is the collection of -CH words, one muscular verb for eaCH weekday of MarCH, that I'll be using to enriCH my little patCH of the Kidlitosphere with as muCH poetry as I can.  It should be a cinCh, but if I find I'm parCHed of poems and miss a day, then ouCH--but I'll reaCH in and try again.   Don't believe me?  Just watCH!

Forward...MarCH CHallenge: Dates and Words

2 march
3 stretch
4 twitch
5 punch
6 fetch

 9 preach
10 sketch
11 smooch
12 pitch
13 arch

16 inch
17 lurch
18 botch
19 lunch
20 hatch

23 clutch
24 crouch
25 snatch
26 perch
27 quench

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