surprise: MarCH CHallenge results

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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The Quantitative Round-Up*

Of course, there were also audience/commenters, who are very important to the process, and some of them occasionally shared a poem, too:  shout-outs to Matt Forrest Esenwine, Robyn Hood Black, Catherine M. Johnson, Margaret Simon and Laura Shovan!

Our steady participants numbered about 8 in total. Now, here they are, in order of the number of poems they contributed to the collection.  There were 20 official days of challenge, and then a few more words that were on an earlier list that I unhelpfully revised, so we'll call it 24 prompts in all.  I hope I have counted correctly (and next time I'll keep track in a much more efficient way!)

Jone Rush MacCulloch of Deo Writer was a regular contributor with 7 poems, and  Kate Coombs (formerly of the wonderful blog Book Aunt) arrived a little late to the party but wrote 18 poems in the end.

Carol Varsalona wrote 19 expansive poems. all of which can be enjoyed in full at her blog, Beyond LiteracyLink.

Charles Waters and Mary Lee Hahn joined in every single day wth great vigor, verve, and variety, writing exactly 20 new poems.  Mary Lee's can be found at her poetry blog, Poetrepository, and it's always fun to read about Charles's NYC life at his blog, Poetry Time.

Joy Acey and Diane Mayr contributed 20 plus a couple of extras for a total of 22, many of them illustrated.  I believe that my juicy little universe is the only place you can read them all!


Finally--and the StretCHiest MarCHer prize must go to her--Donna JT Smith of Mainely Write wrote 20 poems plus an ADDITIONAL self-assigned but generously-shared 10 -CH poems for a total of 30 poems in 23 days!!!  And this while she was also writing 31 Slice of Life posts and competing in The March Madness Poetry Tournament (I think retirement must be fun)!

CONGRATULATIONS, DONNA!

Donna will receive one copy each of my two collections of poetry, and my eternal gratitude for being one of the folks who made this challenge fun for all of us.  This same appreciation goes out to all who participated in any way--it's what makes the Kidlitosphere simultaneously such a comfortable and inspiring place to spend time! 

With many thanks once again,
Your Forward...MarCH! CHallenge Host Heidi

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*The Qualitative Round-up will happen on whichever Thursday I am home recovering from a necessary medical procedure (blecch).  I'll link to it the very next Friday. ; )