Multiple Shovels
Day 3 of the January Open Write. Welcome! If you are new to the Open Write, please check out our information page for some background and support in the process — or, just begin by following the inspiration and process offered by today’s writing host.
Our Host
Kim Johnson lives in Williamson, Georgia, where she serves as District Literacy Specialist for Pike County Schools. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her schnoodle trio.
Inspiration
One of our favorite previous forms to write is the Golden Shovel poem. Today, let’s try different versions of the Golden Shovel – a Golden Shovel, Double Shovel, or Multiple Shovel. We can begin with single or double shovels (vertical spine lines at beginning or end, beginning/middle, middle/end, or beginning/end), and later experiment with triple/quadruple/quintuple shovels (vertical lines appearing at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end) once familiar with the Golden Shovel form. (See past Golden Shovel prompts here.)
Process
Begin by selecting lines of poetry (or lines from a famous speech, perhaps, as we celebrate the accomplishments of and reflect on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. today) with the same number of words, and write the lines vertically (I call them spine lines). You can decide whether each spine line fits best as a beginning, middle, or end spine. Next, craft the lines of a new poem around the spine lines you have selected.
Kim’s Poem
Example: Here is a Double Golden Shovel that uses spine lines at the beginning and end – comprised of two seven-word sections found in MLK’s “I Have a Dream” Speech:
When Will One Day Come?
I cry for justice ~
have a fight-filled grief that rolls
a hurtstream of suffering, spilling down;
dream in slo-mo, like
that trickle of rushing waters –
one from whose wellsprings night and
day spew forth righteousness
Your Turn
Now, scroll to the comment section below to write your own poem. (This is a public space, so you may use only your first name or initials depending on your privacy preferences.) Not ready? That’s okay. Read the poems already posted for more inspiration. Ponder your own throughout the day. Return later. And, if the prompt does not work for you, that is fine. All writing is welcome. Just write something. Also, please be sure to respond to at least three writers. Oh, and a note about drafting: Since we are writing in short bursts, we all understand (and even welcome) the typos and partial poems that remind us we are human and that writing is always becoming. If you’d like to invite other teachers to write with us, tell them to subscribe.
These are ROUGH but I wanted to try each style of shovel poems.
The first two poems use Call Us What We Carry poem by Amanda Gorman called “There’s no power like home”
Triple shovel attempt:
WE never had a HOME to call OURS.
WERE tired and SICK, so lend me your EAR.
SICK we are, THAT that we have HUNG
OF our heads in our MASK that has clung ITSELF
HOME to our faces, AROUND, and INTO THE YEAR.
Single Shovel attempt:
There is no WE
only WERE.
I am so SICK
and tired OF
being HOME
but HOME
keeps us from being SICK.
Double shovel attempt using a different poem by Gorman (p.130 of her book)
ABOVE us all-rEACH
ALL we need to get through the DAY
LOVE can heal SLOWLY
LOVE can heal, COULD
VERY much cure, but NOT
MUCH love is felt. We BREATHE
IF we can, but LIFE,
LOVE STILL
COULD go on. Our LIVES
CURE each other.
I really love writing Golden Shovel poems. They are some of my favorites and I first heard of them from Nikki Grimes!
I’m sticking w/ the old-school golden shovel form.
When I See
“I want to step through the door full of curiosity.” Mary Oliver “When Death Comes”
When my vision is restored, and I
open these orbs to sight, I want
to glimpse occluded light, to
gaze upon the page, to step
into word-hoard worlds through
lines blind eyes ne’er see, to enter the
miscued scenes the closed book door
barred, to drink the worded worlds full
of possibility, to greet people of
imagined life and dwell in curiosity.
—Glenda Funk
Hi, Glenda! Glad to read your voice this morning… I missed your words. Your shovel has troweled up a fine poem. I hear the strength in knowing you are tapping your literate mind, knowing the power of curiosity and the wordy world is a special gift. Those sad folks with “blind eyes” lie cursed never to know how to step into imagined worlds “full of possibilities.” Indeed, your poem carries a sense of blessing. We teacher-poets are a wondrous lot. You, my dear friend, are just so in a big way. Hugs, Susie
I hear (and see!) so many great connections to vision in this poem, Glenda; love this especially of “to step/into word-hoard worlds through/lines blind eyes ne’er see.” Knowing a little bit about your eye surgery and thinking of your Mary Oliver source, I find myself in both the “here” and “hereafter” in this poem – which is really fascinating. Great poem!
Martin
By: Emily Yamasaki
It’s like a stock market ticker
I’m scanning the lines as they speed from one end
and out the other – trying
to keep up with the crimes of hate
climbing to numbers I cannot quantify
A mountain of injustice, we climb
“A mountain of injustice we climb.” It’s like MLK dying over and over again. This is the sense your poem gives me.
Nice, Emily! The analogy of lives and the stock market is a strong statement on our clash of values, especially the devaluing of human lives. I like how the form moves from the front to the end back to the front again kind of like watching the rise and fall of mountains and of those numbers and of those lives.
Wow. You are impressive poets! I thought this was really hard, and I’m afraid my poem doesn’t hold together with much sense. That said, I enjoyed reading through MLK quotes and the scrabbly word maneuvering of this challenge!
The clock ticks. Whatever
time it is, I’m thinking of you.
Is this all I can do?
Always casting back to you—
right where you have
to be. I need to
do what I can to keep
what tiny flutter of hope is moving,
is trembling forward.
Right?
The image of the tiny flutter of hope trembling forward is so powerful and moving. Thank you for this beautiful poem!
Allison,
I love the quotes you chose. I think your poem has a sense of the uncanny confusion of life in this world.
Thank you for the prompt, what a challenge.
Robert Frost – The Road Not Taken
I believe this is appropriate for today.
A King’s Road
Two thoughts and the dream yet.
Roads dead end at sorry, he took his with purpose, passion, and well-knowing.
Diverged a country with a proclamation of “I” and inspired the how.
In brother’s heart, could other’s envision
way.
A forgotten not, just handshakes, justice leads.
Yellow rays of ribbon travel, as his dream lives on.
Wood and stone both smoothed to be fair, carved a dream urging people forward, and not back.
Boxer,
As I recited the Frost line to myself, it occurred to me we’re living in a country traveling two different roads.I do hope there’s a divergence toward justice.
“Roads dead end at sorry” is a mighty powerful line as well as that closing sentiment to urge the reader forward and not back. Lots of ‘movement’ throughout this poem.
Those lacking patience,
those who jockey to
exalt in the moment
find themselves alone, far
from the will of what could be,
what should be.
Humbled in my better moments
and remembering the true servants,
I become as those before,
the voice of better angels, who
bent their knees to humble
themselves, caught in the quiet of his
will, and what will
be; spiritual, base,
exalted in a forever light.
Oh, Rex, this is lovely. The better angels, bent knees, caught in the quiet of his will…your poem offers serenity I need tonight. Thank you.
Rex,
I concur w/ Allison. Your inspiration line and the poem’s tone offer sublime peace. It is the servants who will be exalted in “his will.”
What a beautiful expansion upon the original, Rex. I was especially struck by the line “Humbled in my better moments” if something I would wish true for myself.
Thank you for the prompt today, Kim. I didn’t have the energy to wrap my head around it so I just composed a simple little rhyme to my son.
We’ll Meet Someday
By Nancy White
I tilt my head and wonder why
I always find you in the sky
Could be the clouds and sunrise hue
That draw me in so close to you
I feel you more than see you there
Your quiet presence fills the air
Along with birdsong, buzzing bees
You’re gliding on the gentle breeze
Each day I need to go outside
I think of you now like a guide
To cheer me on this unknown way
And in the sky we’ll meet someday
A beautiful poem, Nancy, full of longing. I can see you tilting your head and finding him in the sky.
I agree with Susan…I can absolutely feel the longing in this. “on the breeze, see you there…”
Nancy, this poem to your son is touching, and I know he is there as your guide – that he is everywhere, awaiting the moment that you meet in the sky. How beautiful and painful and joyful all at once!
Nancy, what a powerful and moving poem. I love the beautiful imagery, the birds, breeze and bees. Your opening is the perfect line to draw the reader completely into your poem. I can totally relate and needed to read your poem today. Lovely and loving connection! Hugs!
I love the promise of someday. It seems so far off, but holds hope when we are weary.
This is beautiful, Nancy. Thank you for writing and sharing this tender poem with us!
Thank you for sharing this with us today. The beauty and peace within the lines are settling my heart today. I love the first and last lines. These “bookend” lines are beautiful when read together, too!
Kim,
What a perfect inspiration for today. It’s quite a challenge, but tapping into MLK’s words allows for much wisdom and strong language. You are so good at golden shovels, not matter how many.
I couldn’t get to this until this evening because we had a professional development day (no national holiday here). And my mind is quite full of all of the things we learned, so I feel this is very forced.
I went with an MLK quote as the golden shovel to start each line; then in trying to challenge myself a little, I took a very similar quote by Mother Teresa as a golden shovel at the (mostly) end of the line. I had committed before I realized how hard it was going to be to work similar words placed closely together into some sort of flow.
Small Things
If your ideas are Not what
I believe, it’s okay as all
cannot have the same set of experiences or
do the same things to help us feel
great about what others can do,
things they can have, things they don’t do.
I have never tried to be great,
can never seem to see how things
do not naturally occur to others but
small gestures mean so much and we should do these
things out of pure desire to help not whether we can benefit
in our lives, our homes, our neighborhoods. Do
a loving thing, however small and feel
great things . . . the
way He did with
Great
Love
“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” — MLK
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
― Mother Teresa
Those two lines mesh beautifully to remind us that all things are great no matter small or large.
Susan, this ending says it all
Do
a loving thing, however small and feel
great things . . . the
way He did with
Great
Love
Those small things done consistently are the way to change the world.
Susan — This is just right. Little things can be huge steps. I particularly loved “not whether we can benefit.” A lesson to us all. I really loved that you found MLK and Mother T in total alignment… but of course! Lovely. Thank you. Susie
Oh, I love how this formatting brings this beautiful, beautiful quote together at the end. I’ll bet it can be made into a heart in another space. What inspiration you started with and kept going all the way to Love. Bravo!
Susan, wow, love your poem’s message and the quotes are electrifying. Such a genuine truth and further illustrates why Dr. King and Mother Teresa were both such amazing leaders. We need more leaders to be like them.
Susan, I love what you have done with these two intersecting quotes. I also appreciate how the two tumble toward each other at the end, blending into one.
Susan, that’s genius how you intertwined the two quotes. Such wisdom and truth in this reminder and highlighting the words of the quotes makes quite the visual impact. Thanks you for reminding us the importance of even the small act of kindness.
Kim, this was a tough one. But, I am grateful for the opportunity to try it.
A Multiple Shovel with Spine Lines using 2 Lines from Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” Speech
Let there be no mistaking the
us-focused cry stirring up the whirlwinds
not yet settled; born out of
seeking justice even to the extent of revolt.
To lasting change that only will
satisfy THIS quest. So until then, we continue
our assault on injustice. Determined to
thirst for equality. Refusing to shake
for table scraps that resemble the
freedom we deserve, but shaking the foundations
by any means necessary. Ever so tired of
drinking from the cup of despair – wanting what is ours
from what has been withheld in this nation.
The America we built on our backs until
cupfuls of discrimination and the ugliness
of abhorrence tried to dim our light that shines so bright.
Bitterness will not befall us in this present day,
and still we will rise despite the residue of
hatred that lingers. We “demand the richness of freedom and the security of justice.”
[But] we will not relent until. the “guarantee of inalienable rights” emerges.
Donnetta you are on fire!! You mastered the double shovel and crafted a magnificent poem!
Ohhhh ?ohhh ?ohhh!
Donetta,
the words at the beginning of your poem today set the tone and let the reader know that this is the promise:
Let there be no mistaking the
us-focused cry stirring up the whirlwinds
not yet settled; born out of
seeking justice even to the extent of revolt.
Those words: not yet settled. They say it all.
Donnetta — I so loved these lines in particular:
Every line is powerful here. I really think your poem is a jolt of strength. Wonderful. “Still we rise.” Indeed. I want there to be “security of justice” finally and forever. Yes! Thank you. Susie
Wow! Amazing weaving together of lines and thoughts. This is such a great conversation with the words of the speech. And, I like how reading this brings me into a closer reading of the original. That “cup of despair,” that “America built on our backs…” “that richness of freedom.” Great work. And, your last line…”guarantee of inalienable rights.” Where it all started and God willing continues!
Donetta, I love the powerful language throughout your poem. “Drinking from the cup of despair” and “cupfuls of discrimination and the ugliness/of abhorrence” The ending is inspiring, gritty, and exactly what needs to happen. Kudos!
I love how you’ve juxtaposed an admonition of what NOT to do with a prophecy of what WILL BE. It all flows together into one powerful declaration. I could feel it like electricity. No, we will not relent!
This was difficult, but it was a fun brain game. Thank you for the prompt, Kim! I am amazed at what others have done with their golden shovel poems, and I wish I could do what you all do! I chose two quotes from two (new-to-me) books I am teaching this year.
Quote 1: “I would hurl words into this darkness and wait for an echo.” -Richard Wright, Black Boy
Quote 2: “I am offering this to myself in memory of all my suffering.” –Dương Thu Hương, Paradise of the Blind
I would happily spend my whole life collecting moments of hope, and I
would shelve them between these precious pages. I am
hurling goodness into this world, I would think, offering
words like precious treasures. Take this
into account when you read my optimistic poetry. Though, to
this day, it is easier to ignore the unwanted parts of myself.
Darkness settles in too comfortably–an uninvited visitor. I pace day in
and day out for a whisper of a joyful memory.
Wait for it, I remind myself, and light shall too come of this,
for it is unrealistic to expect only the good. After all,
an author is asked to capture the whole human experience. My
echo is inauthentic if I ignore the suffering.
Oh, how authentic!! You are so right. The human experience is hope, optimism, and suffering. We have to take the good with the bad. You have masterfully captured this in your poem.
Rachelle, your poem today is beautiful, and the quotes that you have used are so fitting for this day. Your last line resonates so profoundly: My echo is inauthentic if I ignore the suffering. Those words help us to understand that every single part of every singe story is important in the journey we have traveled.
Rachelle,
What a beautiful melding of such different novel quotes! I used to teach Paradise of the Blind and loved it! I love your exploration of the two sides within each of us and how we have to balance them to see reality. I, too, err on the side of hope.
Rachelle, I love the flow that you’ve created here. Your quotes work seamlessly into your text. And your message is spot-on: “My / echo is inauthentic if I ignore the suffering.” True!
I agree! It was hard, but still fun: a brain game. I love your message, so beautifully honed in the final line: My echo is inauthentic if I ignore the suffering. <3
Wow, isn’t that amazing how the lines you chose in your quotes from two such different sources would lead to this poem. Beautiful. Especially that last line that others have mentioned here too. Very powerful.
Rachelle, I really enjoyed this! I like the way you describe yourself, as “collecting moments of hope.” Talking directly to the reader with “take this into account,” is a great technique – I don’t know what to call it exactly, but I like it. Well written, fun and sweet to read.
*“Things Are Different Now”
Things that used to bring me joy
Are now sources of so much pain
Different publishers seem to employ
Now whatever will bring them gain
Things are different now
Educators are standing up
Saying we’ll do what’s right
Even when different factions resist change
Educators are willing to rearrange now
What they assign to read and to write
Students are encouraged to admit that things
May be different at home than they are
At school and that’s okay because being different
Is okay when you honor the other like educators are doing now
Things are different now
Things poets on this OpenWrite site
Are revealing some pains and some of their gains, just
Differently. So, we come ‘round to support them
Now that things are different
*Quoted from “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr. written August 1963
I love how this phrase is played with in different ways as you go through each stanza.
I like that you use the phrase before the final paragraph. The publishers line makes me curious, too.
There’s truth and hope in each stanza, and I especially like “Even when different factions resist change, educators are willing to rearrange now what they assign to read and to write. Very inspiring – thank you!
I love the phrase in all its placements. Because, more than anything else, things are very, very different now.
Anna, I really admire the structure of your poem and how you played with the language in different parts of the stanzas–and bringing it back to the beginning for your final stanza. This OpenWrite community is so powerful as stated in that last stanza. Thank you for sharing today!
Anna, this is yet another important piece that shouts truth! The times we are in have left me pondering and imagining what may come next. Thank you for this poem. I love what you chose to do with the repetition! It works perfectly.
?
Anna, you are so clever and profound!
Anna, I love the moving positions of the quoted line. Oh, how true it is that things are different now. And I love the praise to this supportive group and the NEED for the support that it offers all of us!
Anna, I am so grateful to have had a chance to read your poem tonight. I am getting ready to head back for another week in class, and this poem will be clutched in my heart along the way. Thank you for your wonderful share and your support!
Anna,
Beautiful and thought-provoking piece. I like how you have applied “things are different now” to different groups. Thank you so much for being here and coming around to support all of us in this space with your lyrical poems.
We are 20 some odd years into the new millenium.
Are we any further down the road than when Dr. King spoke these words
Now that we literally have the world at our fingertips
Faced as we are still with rampaging hatred
With narrow-mindedness, yea, absent-mindedness
The kind that doesn’t flinch at witnessing the death of innocents
Fact is, gun sales keep going up, why?
My, how times have not changed.
Friends, I thought they were friends, buy into the lie
That life as they know it is at risk
Tomorrow is too late to get to work. Tomorrow
is
today.
Katrina, it’s funny, well interesting, that we posted poems from opposite perspectives just minutes apart. Mine, you’ll see is “Things are different now” and you wrote
Fact is, gun sales keep going up, why?
My, how times have not changed.
Love it! That though we wrote from different perspectives, we agree on the basics. Not enough have changed to notice much change.
“Friends, I thought they were friends, buy into the lie” – this resonates with me. It can be hard to see people you love are living in that kind of fear. I love the last few lines: tomorrow is today – yes!
Katrina — Your voice in this poem is outstanding and soooo needed. I ate up every line. Just so strong! My fist is in the air. Times have not changed…”… dammit! I really appreciate the power in your poem. Thank you. Susie
Katrina, your end says it all. I couldn’t agree more! The gun sales point of your poem I find particularly disturbing; especially with so many lives being lost through gun violence. Your line “The kind that doesn’t flinch at witnessing the death of innocents” is particularly chilling! Powerful poem!
I love the challenge of this form and am awed by the wonderful results posted here. I want to take time to try this again, with more of an eye toward creating something lyrical and beautiful (as so many of you have). Here is my very rough draft for now, in honor of the day.
In time it feels only right to despair of
the slow move toward justice. Our
end goal glimmers like a far-off star, and to our enemies
we are naive, just dreamers of impossibilities, but
will their hearts be turned? Will they ever see? the
remember-ing of past injustices, of sacrifices … they wish for silence
not truth, acquiescence not rage. We raise full-throated cries of
the refusal to back down, so they see, they feel, they hear our
words, and finally come to know, we can meet on that bridge as friends.
This is a poem of terrific insight. I was struck by how we may seem naive to our enemies but we will not back down. I certainly hope the day will come that we join together on the bridge as friends.
katighe,
Yes, yes, yes! Your selection for your beginnings and endings made for a profound poem! You did the double Golden Shovel great justice!
Hopeful for that ending!
Your spine lines are so powerful. Your entire poem is powerful.
I love the “glimmering of the end goal” and the visual of a bridge as a meeting place for friends!
Hi Kathy! So happy to see you here! Agree with the uplifting ending, which is not where I was expecting this to go. It felt somewhat venting and seething in the rise, but I love how it did not allow that to overcome the end sentiment.
I love Golden Shovel poems but had never done a double. What a challenge! I’m not totally happy with some of the transitions, but I’m letting it go so I don’t lose a day fussing with it.
From a line from “won’t you celebrate with me” by Lucille Clifton and two non-consecutive lines from “Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar.
come to a place that is one community and
celebrate the love and acceptance they feel
with whole hearts and a vibrating pulse.
“me, I think it’s long overdue,” say it again!
that commitment to unity and peace with
everyday coming to a greater understanding, a
something better than what we imagined. keener work
has still got to be done to soothe the lingering sting
some tried to make the status quo, but not I.
to see the blind disregard for one humanity, and yet know words
kill dreams, destroy lives, and deter progress. “why
me?” the young question. others now can see the truth
and no longer is it acceptable to leave aspirations caged.
has it really come to this? let freedom fly like a bird!
failed prejudices crumble and burn and on the pyre triumph sings!
Cara, what powerful quotes you chose! You definitely made the transitions work, I think! I really struggled with that in my own writing. These lines stood out to me today–words are powerful: “to see the blind disregard for one humanity, and yet know words / kill dreams, destroy lives, and deter progress. “
There is such exuberance in this poem, Cara. I love the sense of positivity while also recognizing the detriments of reality. “Words kill dreams” is an astonishing three words to put together. That just his me hard. And to close on the pyre burning is really quite glorious. I could feel the triumph in wanting that!
This poem seems well written to me, I think you did a great job! But I know what you mean about losing a whole day due to fussing with lines of poetry! I like the lines “something better than we imagined,” and “no longer is it acceptable to leave aspirations caged.”
Hoo boy. This poem really challenged me, and I just stopped trying to be lyrical, and went with good old discomfort. From an MLK quote.
I fear the power of my own harm, and
never want to make it personal, but I
intend to do better, not
to painfully carve a perfected approach, but
adjust my view, see
myself as a part of the system,
to learn how
segregation imprisons all
and brick by brick, dismantle
discrimination.
Emily, your poem is honest. Your first line really drew me in. I love your intention in this poem.
I love the metaphor of dismantling “brick by brick” that which “imprisons all.” This is lovely in its succinctness and power and truth.
Emily — This is a pledge that is worthy and I commend you for shoveling it right up here in your lines! “Segregation imprisons all/and brick by brick…” Good solid commitment words! Even the sound of the ck in brick by brick… yeah…that works and shows a strength. MLK inspires you and it shows. Terrific! Hope you are having a day of peace. Hugs, Susie
Emily, thanks so much for acknowledging what you’d like to do to help dismantle discrimination when you wrote
Fact is, gun sales keep going up, why?
My, how times have not changed.
You’ve taken the most difficult step and we applaud you for it.
I love “I see the power of my own harm,” and “brick by brick dismantle discrimination”. I this is something we all should consider.
This is challenging for me! I used Sandra Cisneros’s “You Bring Out the Mexican In Me” to draft a Golden Shovel..
from fetus to first breath, you nestled inside me
different from your brother, with your spiral
movements and delayed howl
upon being cut out of me. The bile
rising, waiting with bated breath. All
our collective hallelujah like a Sunday
morning revival. Thankful for
NICU nurses, eager to take you home.
To rest, to nurse, to hold you in the bed
of my arms, wrap you in light linen
and think you maybe..
may be..
What a tale you tell in this poem, Britt! I love the image of the Sunday morning revival. It really conveys the joy of the moment. Your ending is poignant.
This is such a beautiful tale of birth and love. I really liked the part of being different from the brother and the hopeful wishes of what will come in the future with the words “maybe.”
Britt, this is paced so wonderfully — I can almost feel the breathlessness of the moment. And the final image, followed by an almost prayerful “may be.”
Britt – I love the “spiral movements and delayed howl” and the last two lines… the hope and feeling of general coziness in the last two lines is golden!
Whew! The tension and the love. May be…
Britt, what a moment of pride – a new baby, and the cheers of hallelujah! It sounds like maybe a little unanticipated timing or hiccup, but hopefully all is well. I love your use of Sandra Cisneros – – she is a favorite!
Whew, your poem goes straight to a mama’s heart. I pray your little baby is well and you are too. I found myself holding my breath here:
There’s so much that goes on in childbirth that all speaks to the profound miracle of life. Grateful for the “collective hallelujah” for we know hallelujah has power!
Thank you, Kim. You are the master of golden shovels. This is always such a challenge, but I enjoy it every time, even when the words don’t fit precisely.
In your poem, I love this line: “a hurtstream of suffering, spilling down;” and that idea of rushing water spewing forth righteousness day and night. Yes, Amen!
I found an MLK quote from this tweet by Ibram X. Kendi today. https://twitter.com/DrIbram/status/1483097788414111748
It is time for a lesson for all us whites.
Is justice and peace better 55 years after he said it?
An unapologetic MLK prophesied. Listen we must.
Aspect 1 is that he was killed for speaking so frankly
of injustice and the complicity of white silence. Let his words be
their healing, our healing. It’s been said,
Sense of racism we all suffer. We all are
of the same truth–no justice, no peace. There’s not
superiority in having different skin color. Putting
that into perspective…is there superiority in
the size shoe you wear? Since 1619 similar
people have tried to justify injustice. A mass
of privilege led to silence and denial. The effort
America has taken to hide in white fears, to
believe whites are more. We need to reeducate.
They need, we need to realize 40 acres and a mule would themselves
have been such an easier and more productive effort. Old ideas out,
so we can educate ourselves out of
little and fearful thinking. We can humbly bow to their
to-finally-have-justice lives of color. We can give up fearing, own,
learn, take action on white supremacy, and bury our ignorance.
Denise, you and others here today are taking the important steps needed to bring about change in this area of social justice
The effort
America has taken to hide in white fears, to
believe whites are more. We need to reeducate.
We all recognize that we ALL have work to do. Like those of my generation who were raised during the age of integration and assimilation teaching, as described in HOW TO BE AN ANTI-RACIST by Ibrahim X. Kendi. We BIPOCS are learning that no matter how educated we become, no matter how straight our hair, or how much our speech and writing imitates that of Whites, we will never be accepted as equal as long as melanin influences opinions, so we have to stop expecting it!
We all are having to be reeducated. Thankfully, this group is working together, providing an ambience to do just that!
Thanks for your role!
Powerful poem, Denise. There are so many lines I wanted to choose to highlight in my comment, but it was hard to pick just one since there are so many important lines. Here’s one of the many that spoke to me: “Old ideas out, / so we can educate ourselves out of / little and fearful thinking”. Thank you for writing today!
Denise, WOW! These lines that you selected today yielded a whole new call to action – one that is much needed! These lines
Old ideas out,
so we can educate ourselves out of
little and fearful thinking.
speak volumes about the importance of education and understanding in the face of fears. And the final three words – bury our ignorance – is well-said! I’m so thankful you shared this with us today.
Denise, this is excellent! What a superb golden shovel poem…your lines flow with great meaning. I keep reading and re-reading
Yes!
Kim, thank you for pushing us with the double shovel. This was very challenging and I realized I probably should’ve picked a different pair, however, I couldn’t turn back. I’ve pulled from two MLK quotes from different events/writings.
Intelligence doesn’t simply move Like a jet propulsion
Plus alone, it is only banked on others’; it must become A
Character who’s empathetic and Monstrous
That pulls and pushes one’s criticality such as an Octopus
Is reaching in all directions; It serves
The need of the greater society as it Projects
Goals of moral growth, and civil duties of its peers
Of like-minded allies, where Nagging voices sit
True and quiet in the back, socially just ideas are Prehensile
Educational protocols, acting as Tentacles to change the world
Stefani, the idea that intelligence is shared and hinges on others and is not stagnant but is both active and interactive is illustrated so beautifully in the metaphor of the tentacles – -so many hands reaching out, never still, always active and dutiful to change. I’m so glad you stuck with the process and didn’t turn back or give up. You wrote a beautiful poem that makes us think.
Stefani,
Like you, I found this prompt challenging, but I think you created a very insightful look into intelligence and education and how they both elevate and limit each other. A very thought provoking poem. 🙂
Stefani – are you kidding me?! This is monstrous gorgeous! At first glance, I was like, Hoo, this is interesting! With those words I thought it was going to be quite a challenge, but this is outstanding. The idea of intelligence as character, developing that persona through the poem. I don’t think I’ve ever read of something that personified intelligence in this way. And then to have the poem speak to both originals in creating a new message, that is the added layer of difficulty in these poems, and how well you have exemplified that here. Nice! Nice!
This was a real challenge, oh my! I have never done a double shovel, and was determined to do so.
I used these two quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., both of which are carved into his statue here in Washington, D.C. –
I was a drum major for justice, peace, and righteousness
Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope
I tremble to use his words and carve a poem OUT.
WAS this a fool’s journey? This task, to think OF
A poem caressed by Dr. King’s own words? Let me channel THE
DRUM he beat so steadily, to pull down the gigantic evil MOUNTAIN,
MAJOR focus on dignity and equality, to be nonviolent witnesses to truth, OF,
FOR, and about love, always love, and not wearied by DESPAIR
JUSTICE will one day roll down like waters, there will be A
PEACE, a true and just peace, forever carved in STONE,
AND we will live each day as ministers for the oppressed, streamers OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS, and fierce believers in the infinite power of HOPE.
Maureen, this idea of “ministers for the oppressed,” is connecting me to a lot of ideas in our educational system, such as, how do we continue to bring the voices of the oppressed forward to erase dominant narratives? Thank you for sharing.
Wonderful! You not only use MLK’s words (caressed by — what personification!), you’ve imbued your poem with images that recall his full speeches. This is like a turbo-charged double shovel!
Maureen, you rocked the double shovel like a champion today! I’m so glad you kept the determination – – look what emerged! Your lines were so cleverly chosen – and this final one
and fierce believers in the infinite power of HOPE
I love so much because it puts the action of belief in the endless power of hope. To realize hope, we must first believe. Fiercely. I love this!
Wow, you make this look easy, Maureen. I love the trepidation with which you approach this task. “tremble to use his words” “fool’s journey” “poem caressed by Dr. King’s own words.” Then you did channel that steady drum and came up with some beautiful phrases. Love, love, love: “ministers for the oppressed” and “fierce believers in the infinite power of hope.”
Love Wins (from the words of Dr. Martin Luther King)
Darkness in our hearts can never stick
Cannot escape from its evil domain with
put-out radiance from our love
Out-reaching love that overpowers everything and ultimately
darkness bleaches out. The
only enemy of darkness is love. Only
light from love can fill the voids and give answer.
Can love’s light fill the world’s capacity to
do justice and give peace to mankind’s
heart? That love can provide healing to all problems.
Whew! This one got my head spinning! A good exercise. Thanks, Kim.
Susan,
Your line, “only enemy of darkness is love,” is so powerful and beautiful. Thank you for sharing with us today.
Susan,
Love Wins is a perfect title choice for today, and this line
Only
light from love can fill the voids and give answer
resonates with me – – love wins but it is also at times the ONLY way to win. Wouldn’t our world be an amazing place if there was of just this kind of love – to provide healing?
I tried a double today, too, Susan, and isn’t it a fun challenge? I like the movement of this poem, how it starts with defining love, and the power of love, and then to including some of the negatives or “voids” without love. Finally moving to love as a solution, questioning and challenging the reader about our future. I think any poem focused on love is really attempting to harness a great feeling, an emotion with endless facets. The messaging here does just that perfectly for the day.
Hello Kim,
I’m excited about Golden Shovels because you know that’s a form I adore. You are the EXPERT! I long to learn from you! I am still not showing much success with doubles or triples but I won’t give up. I wrote 2 poems since I wasn’t able to mesh them into a double shovel.
The words for my first poem come from Kwame Alexander’s foreword in his newest book Light For the World To See: “My hope for us is built on nothing less” and for my second poem he quotes Audre Lorde: “Poetry lays the foundation for a future of change.” Serendipitously, I’m sharing a short NPR interview featuring King’s granddaughter, Yolanda, with my scholars this week. She talks about the blueprint he left for us. Thanks, Sarah, your poem was spot-on! Here’s the link if anyone is interested:
https://www.npr.org/2022/01/16/1073459218/yolanda-renee-king-on-voting-rights-critical-race-theory-and-her-grandfathers-legacy
Hope
My month brightens with poetry
hope dances across pages
for readers to partake and comment with
us poets who gather. Caring
is writing together where community is
built from a prompt
on forms and syllables, rhymes and flow.
Nothing is mandatory and often times
less is best.
Let’s Be the Change
Dr. King’s dreams live in our poetry
inside an ode or where a golden shovel lays
words at the beginning or at the
end. Our pens write the foundation
for freedom, and justice for
the down-trodden. King gave a
blueprint outlining a peaceful future
if only we’d do the work of
being conduits of change.
©Stacey L. Joy, January 17, 2022
Stacey, your words bring joy, true to your name! What is so fascinating to me today in reading all of the poems is all
of the additional variations that are emerging. That’s what I believe so exciting – new forms have emerged throughout the day as writers have broken chains of form
and created wholly brand new ones! You have written what I see as a past/present mirror Golden Shovel with voices of legend and legacy in two of our most inspirational change conduits. It’s genius how you flipped in the middle and used the beginning and ending lines at the shift of time
and voice. I also am elated that Kwame Alexander echoes words from a hymn about righteousness in his foreword!
“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ love and righteousness….”
I can hear the congregational hymn being sung, and the voices straining in hope for righteousness – and it is so often through music that we hear the messages more clearly. I often remind my students that the songs they sing? “Yeah, those words were written as poems set to music.” It always shocks them to discover that they actually like poetry.
Thank you for the nod to our group, too –
Caring
is writing together where community is
built from a prompt
on forms and syllables, rhymes and flow.
Nothing is mandatory and often times
less is best.
Amen and amen and amen!
These two poems are gorgeous! I love how you celebrate this community of poets in the first poem (my favorite lines – where community is/built from a prompt…love that!!) and then beautifully illustrate how poetry can be a tool for activism:
Stacey,
I appreciate how you’ve taken the blueprint metaphor and connected to our pens as a foundation for freedom. In your first poem, your last line, “less is best,” speaks true to so many aspects of our lives. Thank you for sharing.
On a different note, thank you for hosting the last two days. I was unable to pull anything together to post, however, I taught a course on Saturday to 25 graduate students who are working on their initial certification. I had one student read your poem to the class, it was powerful in the added connection of hope for new teachers (although many in this group are second career educators). Thank you for your timely poem…and I cannot get over the braiding water–love it!
I appreciate you! Thank you for sharing! ?
Hi Stacey! You did a wonderful job at blending the lines seamlessly into your poems. Both feel like our anthem, expressing our desire to use the power of language to bring about change!
Ya know, Stacey, the lines that lingered with me over today were “Dr. King’s dreams live in our poetry.” You are so right… just read these…poem after poem cries out for the messages of Dr. K…the messages of a litany of other and of all our poets here…we are the “conduits of change.” I believe that. Love your voice of strength, intelligence, and determination. Love you. Susie
Stacey, as always your work is inspiring. I love how you included this group with sharing and coming together to connect through words. I love the first line of your second poem because it is a beautiful and inspiring thought and wouldn’t it be awesome if our poetry could further help bring about change, a brighter, more peaceful future. Thanks, too, for sharing the interview! Awesome poems and messages here! Thank you!
This is my attempt at the Golden Shovel, taken from one of Dr. King’s speeches, “Our God is Marching On”. I have never used this technique so I took the easy way out. But I realized, 1. I need to research more about Dr. King’s less notable speeches and 2. I need to refer back to the many Open Writes and study these techniques. I want to use these in my classroom!
We Will Fight Until the End!
We are tired of being the scapegoats turned into dead goats.
Ain’t nobody in our corner,
going behind our backs and putting on a front
to wear the many masks to fit in the trend.
Let us be who we are because we aren’t afraid.
Nobody can silence our hearts even though they attempt to snuff our cries.
Turn your attention to the billowing smoke screens hindering
us but not fooling them from what is real.
Around the world we are heroes, but in our own land, we are villains.
Jessica, welcome! I’m
so glad you are here today
writing with us! I’m also glad that you plan to look more at Dr.King’s speeches and former prompts we’ve used in Open Writes. You made me chuckle when you said you’d taken the easy way out – I chuckle because I was just sharing with a group of students going on a ski trip this weekend that they should not see the bunny slope as being any easier than the others….that it’s all about the angle of the skis and the muscle behind them. Same here – there’s no bunny slope in the world of poetry, and you have composed a winning verse today!
Let us be who we are because we are t afraid
is a line of power for everyone today!
I love the line you chose, as well – spine line, striking line. It shows forward march!
Thank you so much Kim! And I can agree about the bunny slope analogy, even though I’ve never skied. But yes, exercising my brain is something I need to do more. As well as exercise other parts of my body, no resolution made there. And I will take that line to heart! It’s moving, literally!
Hi Jessica,
You did it! You rocked your first Golden Shovel poem! I think you’ll love it and so will your students. You should read Nikki Grimes’ book called One Last Word. It’s comprised of Golden Shovels from other powerful poets work.
I wanted to cry on this:
Don’t you wonder when it will change? But we will keep on keepin’ on, and we ain’t going to let nobody turn us around!
??????
Yes, thank you Stacey! I feel like I need to give myself a gold star! I think I truly will, I just need to keep practicing! I’ll find that book. That will be one of my next reads. The line you pointed out, I was moved from after reading it from an anthology, Up All Night by Laura Silverman. I was reading it for a YA Lit Book Group. The Story was “Under Our Masks” by Julian Winters. I always wonder. We always wonder and that’s how we never lose hope!
I just finished reading One Last Word. I definitely need to buy this in print! So much power in her words!
Such an excellent quote as your shovel – wow! Very powerful. As is your poem! There is great imagery and bold truth in these two lines:
Thank you Maureen. I had to ignore the lack of punctuation rule because I felt I needed to get my point across.
Thanks again, Kim, for today’s prompt. I need to keep experimenting with this poem. It is a combination of lines from Langston Hughes’ poem “Words Like Freedom” and the ending is a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech.”
There are people striving to spread truth that’s often not so sweet
Are unafraid to reveal injustices and
Words of liberty are spoken to motivate a change so wonderful
Like a glorious tune rising from an empty tomb to
Freedom, where dreams are not deferred, and love is the color of our skin, and we say
All day everyday
“Now is the time to make justice a reality for all God’s Children”
Barb Edler
17 January 2022
Barb, I do that so much, too – I keep experimenting with words just like you are mentioning – I love this one just the way it is right now, and especially that last line ….make justice a reality for all
God’s children.
I think sometimes that we as a nation need to remember those last 3 words in particular. I love
the glorious tune rising from
an empty tomb, too – as death has been conquered and we are hearing the lilting sounds of a more harmonious future ahead. You did great things with this one today! I love the notes of hope and the sweetness.
I love the way you played with words from both Langston Hughes and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I am spellbound by these words –
Barb — You’ve hit a hopeful spot with your poem, and that feels hopeful…”now is the time…” My favorite line is “Free, where dreams are not deferred, and love is the color of our skin…” Wouldn’t it really be an amazing day to hear the music of justice and change? Thank you for a lovely poem. Susie
This is spine-tingling Barb! I applaud your courageousness and experimenting because this combination is amazing! The line “Like a glorious tune rising from an empty tomb to freedom…” Yes ma’am! That empty tomb prophecied to God’s people! Dreams are not deferred. I love so many aspects of this!
Kim—what a throw down! I have to admit, I almost gave up, then did my own version of something vaguely resembling a Golden Shovel—maybe a copper shovel! Your inspiration and your poem were both so strong—“a hurtstream of suffering”—I am i awe of that phrase! So here is my copper shovel…
Whatever…
“Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be.” Martin Luther King Jr.
Whatever we say, when ever we say it, I believe that it
Affects the universe around us.
One small gesture, one kind word may not
Directly affect this moment, but its reach
Affects the future. We
All must know this truth. We wield power
Indirectly. This is truth.
I
Can never truly know my reach, nor can I always
Be what the world needs, but
I ought to strive to give the world what it deserves
To be through my actions and my words.
Until you and I work together to make our world better, our collective failures
Are what will fester, unbidden, unchecked.
You ought to join me. Come with me,
To be a soldier in our beautiful battle.
gjsands53@gmail.com 2/17/22
Gayle, that’s a Diamond
Shovel, my friend! I love what you’ve done here – the way you have designed your own way of using the words to create something so uniquely your own. That last line – to be a soldier in our beautiful battle – is the perfect call to action that Dr. King would have wholeheartedly endorsed as the type of fighting that needs to happen – the peaceful protests, the marches – the beautiful battle for justice for all! Im
so glad you didn’t give up because you have written a true gem today. Not one of those cubic zirconias – this is the real deal
Diamond, Gayle!
Gayle, wow, I love your “copper shovel”! I connected with so many of your lines, especially how we know that what we do has an effect. Our actions matter and working together to make the world better is incredibly powerful, and something we must strive to do. Because, what does happen when failures go unchecked? Your ending rings like a trumpet call to battle. Sensational poem!
Gayle, your copper shovel is golden indeed! (though I quite like the idea of a copper shovel, too). We’ve been talking in class a lot about how one small action can have rippling profound effects and there are broad actions that affect many at once. Your words speak directly to that in such an inspirational way!
Beautiful! Such inspirational messages – “One small gesture, one kind word,” how it grows, this idea of the power of our words, power we hold always…and I love how the second poem looks more closely at you/your actions, and ends with the charge for each of us to make the world better…so great, Gayle!
I feel this/believe this, too:
Gayle — You have line after line of powerful words that carry a sense of warrior. “We wield power.” “Be a soldier.” And still the “small gesture/one kind word” hold that very power. I love that. I’m “with” you. Susie
Gayle, I agree with Kim! Don’t downplay your masterpiece! Once again, I need to educate myself, but the way you have secluded “I”…it’s like a turning point in the poem. From looking from the inside out to knocking down the door with strength, courage, and wisdom! I’m ready to join!
Trees are life
and growth,
wisdom and power,
prosperity even,
but I sometimes forget
that they can also be
invasive and cankerous,
disease-filled and malignant,
their whole vascular system
becoming blocked and choked,
causing whole branches to die,
and, one doesn’t need to be
an arborist (or dendrologist)
to see that some trees –
whose roots are blighted
and systemic – need
to go, and for that we need
a root shovel and need
to start and continue to dig.
____________________________________
Kim, thank you for your prompt and your mentor poem – I love “hurtstream” a great deal and the flow of your water imagery throughout is so well done. In terms of your prompt, I felt ill equipped this morning to take great words and sprinkle them through a poem. So, I was going to riff on shovels – but that felt disingenuous, too – until a bit of web research led me to this sentence about a root shovel: “Their blades are useful for cutting through tough, established roots of old trees, which can then be removed to allow more space for new roots to generate and spread.” And the poem very nearly wrote itself…not really, but…So, not quite a golden shovel … although I do enjoy the “need need need to dig” at the end which is kinda golden shovelesque….:)
Yes, some roots do need to be taken our—I’ll help you dig, Scott!
Scott, you for sure have a golden shovelesque poem that shows us the dangers of some of those seemingly innocent but actually harmful roots in sheep’s clothing. I am seeing the analogies here today of the need for weeding and eradication of growing roots and vines that seek to stifle and choke. This root shovel that you have researched is fascinating to me. We live on a pine tree farm, so with my roots on an island known for its Spanish moss oak draped trees, I’m always admiring the few hardwoods that have managed to sneak up and grow. When we built on the family farm back in 2008, we found an intertwined oak on the back side of the property and called it the love tree because it looked like an embrace. Today, though, it is all but pretty. One tree has choked out the other one in a grotesque sort of way. It’s disturbing, and it makes me think of your poem today in terms of both trees and people and the effects they can have. Yes, yes indeed we do need root shovels. Love this one – it makes us stop and think!
Scott, your poem speaks volumes. I so enjoy how you worked this poem to the final end. We do need to get rid of the poisonous roots!
Mighty true words you have here, Scott. I see those broken trees…those gnarled with malignance, and I agree we need a “root shovel” and a whole lot of digging! Well said! Thank you. Susie
Such a perfect analogy!! These last lines,
“…to see that some trees –
whose roots are blighted
and systemic – need
to go, and for that we need
a root shovel and need
to start and continue to dig.”
It’s time to uproot some of these “trees”
This is my attempt. It includes lines from 2 Langston Hughes poems. “Bring me all your dreams,” from Dream Keeper and “Life is a broken-winged bird,” from Dreams.
Life won’t slow, what I say you need to bring
is me.
A companion of questionable merit, but all
broken-winged sparrows hope. Let me be your
bird-love, winging high in the sky of our dreams.
That is really beautiful …
All broken-winged sparrows hope – what a testament to the spirit that we
need to hear on a day like today. The hope is never lost – the fight to live goes on, strong, hoping to return to the sky of dreams. So many lovely parallels here
to our world today!
Emily, what an amazing and gorgeous poem. Love “Let me be your/bird-love, winging high in the sky of our dreams” Absolutely stunning!
Hi Emily! I loved this poem. You did a wonderful job using two passages in such a tight space! When I read this poem I feel a longing. Beautifully done.
Emily, your writing always amazes me. The urgency in the first line hooked me right in. Thank you for this today!
Emily,
This is a lovely ethereal poem! I love your last line:
[The quote comes from a crazy song (actually pretty funny) by Lyle Lovett called “Give Back My Heart”; however, this poem is not the least bit funny, especially here on Dr. King’s birthday. I stuck with the single golden shovel. Susie]
REDNECKNESS
REDNECKNESS waves flags in skies, a sort of trompe l’oeil disguise for fear of them/other/they,
HAS roots in choking white vines, a strangling glove cutting off vessels that carry the blood of love,
GOT TO BE a political tool till we found it
A species invasive, the kudzu of Americana,
DISEASE infected briar spawned in the ditches on every backroad, a hellbender of barbed wire;
YOU thought it might just stay there and scratch the curb,
CATCH a few, snag a few until
IT flowered and berried and seeded
ON every pathway, along the routes you thought pastoral until
YOUR sacred land of milk and honey turned red with bloody
FINGERS that could not stave the wound, could not curb the infection with its wicked predilection;
AND we turned to the mirror to ask what is
IT “I” can do to turn the tide before it
CRAWLS into the very identity of a once first-world country now bathing naked
RIGHT before your eyes in the murky waters of hate and lies,
UP to its neck in the biting brambles while I wrangle to make sense, untangle.
YOUR tomorrow depends on all of our
SLEEVES rolled up.
by Susie Morice, January 17, 2022©
Your last lines are powerful, a call to action. Interesting choice of song …
Oh. My. Gosh, Susie! I never have made the analogy of kudzu and racism but what a pair – the fast growing, choking vines
and their damage, and then the call to action at the end that our future depends on rolling up our sleeves. Just the untangling is one part – the eradication of kudzu the greater work to be done, as the fight against racism and for
justice. The image of it crawling and slithering like a snake is quite powerful here in your poem. You are such a master of making us think and drawing back curtains to reveal things for us to see in new ways.
WOW! You said it, Susie! What a perfect line to share a central problem. Your words and images are gritty, and I can feel the poison rising “in the murky waters of hates and lies”. I agree it takes all of us with “Sleeves rolled up” to stop the hateful tide and to break through the god-awful brambles. Kudos!
Susie—and, once again, you have said what I feel! It flowered and berried, and seeded. Wow. We have watched it grow, and it is frightening.
Susie! You never cease to astound me and this is a beauty today. That “sacred land of milk and honey turned red with bloody fingers makes me want to weep. You turn the words magnificently today and walk right along side MLK with sleeves rolled up. To quote you – wowza, my friend!
Susie, there are so many powerful lines. But this one, “HAS roots in choking white vines, a strangling glove cutting off vessels that carry the blood of love,” Carry the blood of love… wow! I find myself reading the beginning of each line first to give myself context, and then I read it all the way through, and then read again one last time. I like how you juxtaposed the song and the poem. Now I want to listen to it.
Thanks, Jessica — It’s a goofy country western song… but I’ve long thought that one line was pretty good.
“a strangling glove cutting off vessels that carry the blood of love,”
I love this idea that we have love within us, and that it’s been choked by the systems. The connections between invasives, climate change, land, and discrimination are tangled indeed, even though it might not be the intention. This line connects with me, as students from my very patriotic community wrestle with America’s sins: “CRAWLS into the very identity of a once first-world country now bathing naked
RIGHT before your eyes in the murky waters of hate and lies,”
Hope you are well, my friend!! <3
Susie, this is very powerful! We truly are “up to [our necks] in the biting brambles.” Hate does have a way of “flower[ing]” and “seed[ing] / On every pathway.” I agree 100% that our “tomorrow depends on all of our / Sleeves rolled up” today. Thank you for this!
Susie,
I love the rawness of this poem, the nakedness your words expose through your clever choice of a country song to drive home a point about the demographic most responsible for this country’s reversal of fortunes.
I discovered King’s Drum Major Instinct yesterday, and like so many of his writing led me to learn something new yesterday.
Drum Major Instinct
A life holds many moments, a
heart faces many challenges,
full days drive rich lives
of interactions and experiences.
Grace allows us to move accordingly,
a possibility followed by a thoughtful
soul allows us to choose the best path,
generated by the heart, known
by movement through options in
love.
Jamie, where to begin with all the wonder and sparkles here in this simple yet powerful line and what you have done with it? Oh, what beauty right out of the gate – a life holds many moments. Those interactions and experiences shadowed by grace and love are indeed the shaping forces, the possibilities that make all the difference! Thank you for sharing today!
Jamie, what you’ve done with King’s words is so moving. It doesn’t feel preachy at all, rather it feels like you are gently guiding us to be our best selves. Lovely.
Jamie,
This sounds and feels so natural that I would have never guessed, had I not known, that it was the result of a golden shovel. Not one bit of it feels forced. Grace and love.
Now, I need to go read about the Drum Major Instinct.
Hello all! This is my first attempt at a Golden Shovel poem so I stuck with just using one line. My inspiration came from “What I Would Like To Grow in My Garden” By Katherine Riegel.
Her line, “And I think I am done protecting one sweet thing from another” resonated with me this morning.
Perhaps from a familial minded coyote and
an exploring fox once, but I
don’t think,
I have ever heard the winds howl and I
certainly have never felt the cold bite. I am
more concerned with what the rabbits have done.
I spent the day setting up fences and hedgerows, protecting
them from coyotes, foxes, but turned to find my one
prosperous flower snipped, so recently I can smell the last sweet
hazy scent trail away into the open air. A common thing
of vitality and attraction, moving from
one beauty to another.
Nicely done … I found that the shovel format gives structure but often in an odd way … as if the borrowed words were also hedgerows and maybe our poems, foxes burrowing into the original text …
Kevin
Brittany — It’s so fun to see what you did with the line and the images of your garden…that rascal…reminded me of my own lovable rabbits who snipped in half every liatris in my garden this past spring/summer. I think I, too, “…am done with protecting one sweet thing from another.” 🙂 Sure enjoyed your poem. Susie
Brittany, congratulations on your first golden shovel, and what a blossoming it is! The howl and bite from
coyote to fox and then from
winds to cold is so creative. The little wafting of scent away from the garden in the mouth of the most dangerous garden villain of all – the rabbit – brings a smile kind of like the end of a mystery novel where we shake our heads and say, “aha! I knew it would be the one we’d least suspect.” Those silly wabbits are not so silly when it comes to our gardens. Plant this poem in the row of garden winners!
Brittany, I will continue to come back to read this poem. Your straight-forward narrative clearly reveals the action, and I am in awe of your final words “moving from/one beauty to another.” Gorgeous poem!
Kim, thanks so much for this lovely challenge! It was satisfying to write. I’m a big fan of challenging forms. 🙂
Here is my offering for today. I tried the double shovel — and I used a few lines from Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or the Bullet”: “1964 threatens to be the most explosive year America has ever witnessed…So it’s time in 1964 to wake up…Where is the progress?”
“Mirrors”
1964. Divided, inclusive – it claims to be so,
Threatens freedoms with rageful faces, then it’s
To turn tides with groundswell, to push time,
Be better than we’ve been – because
in this moment – 1964 –
most are tired. Tired of pushing fro and to.
Explosive with the rage of waking.
Year has built upon year, now. And here we are, looking up,
America, in 2022. What has changed? Where
has the fire of 1964 gone, and can we reclaim rage to change? Is
“ever after, happily” real? Have all the
witnesses of 1964 accepted death of progress?
Who’s tired?
Wendy- INDEED! You ask the pivotal questions here. Looking to MX’s line and to the lack of progress is a tearful journey…maybe no journey at all. Your ending line has power in that it makes me question my “tired” state in the face of what just cannot be left alone…tired or not tired, we have work to do. I appreciate your poem this morning. Thank you. Susie
Wendy, your chosen lines are so fitting for today to remind us that progress is not made overnight, and it can be so tiring. I like that you asked a question about the fire – the rage for change –
the passion needed for the progress.
I love this line of hope
To turn tides with groundswell, to push time,
Be better than we’ve been
and hope that as a nation, we never tire of fighting for all that is right. I look into the faces of my grandchildren and their zeal
for life and am reminded that there is in fact greater hope now than perhaps there has ever been for a world without the need for the fight – and I pray that I’m right, but hope that the passion and energy remains to stand up!
“Explosive with the rage of waking” is the kind of line I wish I had written! Wow! This poem moves through a lot of contrary emotion. There’s the rage and anger, but also the exhaustion, followed by the frustration at being exhausted. It is almost like the challenge back to say “Who’s tired?” Reading that final line after seeing what lack of action can do, makes me want to shout back, “Not me! I’m not tired!” And persist. Nicely done!
I woke up early on a frigid January morn
Excited to write with my scholarly friend
Who deviously tossed out a dastardly double-triple-quadruple golden shovel challenge
She threw in a little MLK to further push my buttons
I scribbled, I crossed out, I rearranged, I changed, I swore
And then I thought, “I’d like to write a cherita today!”
*I just learned of the cherita form- a story told in 1, 2, 3 lined stanzas. Kim, I’ll come back to the multiple shovels form again another day. It just wasn’t working for me today!
Mo, I can’t wait to learn more about the cherita! My hat is off to my northern friends who live in the snow belt (and those even two hours away at the top of my own state in the mountains)….we got a little dusting of snow and my mind went straight to you all with encouragement for myself. I said things like, “they can open the door and take their dogs outside, so I can brave these conditions, too” just before I opened the door to the little flurries not sticking and the big cold and made a dash outside and back. I might take a stab at a Golden Shovel from time to time, but a snow shovel?!? Girl, you are a warrior and I am a snow-weather weenie.
Mo – You are one funny, honest babe! I totally get it. Hugs, Susie
Mo, I had to read this twice to realize this was your poem. I love it! What a great new form to learn:)
Hi Mo! I too had read your post twice to fully realize it was your poem but that’s what I love most about it! Makes me want to write my work emails or daily reminders in poetic form ?
Mo, this was very funny! You captured the same vibe I felt when I first read Kim’s prompt this morning. Lol!
Fantastic video instruction, Kim. So many helpful examples! Hoo-boy! I’ll up my game today to a double shovel but will keep that triple and quad in mind. This is a great form for all those one-liners that strike me and end up on scraps of paper!
This is comprised of two lines (not exactly matched, so modified) from Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem “Making a Fist” in which the daughter character asks the question, and the mother character answers. Also, a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. in message.
Using a Fist
How many times
do you stand silent when
you have the power to speak, when you
know you can make it right, you can
if only you raised your voice, and so no,
you cannot stay quiet any longer
are you ready or not doesn’t matter, you must make
going the distance from a
to z a less volatile path for those who need words clenched in a fist
die trying, I say, die trying
Denise,
This image of words clenched in a fist is incredibly powerful alongside the call to action to those with a privilege they have yet to engage for change. I hear it. I heed these words. Thank you.
Your poem’s opening is an invitation to think. A great pause to think. And I love the image of words clenched in a fist. My jaw tightens reading them.
Denise, I love that you have lines written on scraps of paper. I think it’s one of those most common symptoms of a true writer. Your double shovel today uses lines that I love – that fist is necessary, and isn’t it interesting to think it’s something that a tiny baby can do to the “for real” degree? Your line
you cannot stay quiet any longer
sparks the flame –
it gives us all the understanding of that eagle
with the olive branch in one talon and the arrows in the other – rights are rights, and they must be protected with peace or force by those with voices that remain silent no longer. Well done!
Amen, Denise! I love it! “Die trying” …power words! It makes your “Using a Fist” so important a title… there’s energy in this poem. “ready or not”… I love the punch of this poem. I love Naomi Nye and of course, Dr. King.. your poem does justice on a day when we pause to take it in. I wish I had a fist icon here. Maybe I should’ve responded on my phone…would that have worked? Hmm.. Anyway, way to get that strong voice out there today! Yeah! Susie
Denise—this makes me wish I had tried a little harder to do the double shovel! The power in this poem! “Words clenched in a fist”; die trying, I say. Die trying” my goodness, my friend! A call to arms, indeed!
Denise,
“those who need words clenched in a fist” is powerful image. Striking ending too. How many of us, like Dr. King, will “die trying, I say, die trying”
What is the principle of somebodyness?
Is it where we dismantle dreams deferred?
Your dignity, our dignity entangled within a
life’s architecture, fortified in one another’s being? A
blueprint of hands holding up the world with Beauty, Love, & Justice.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “What is Your Life’s Blueprint”
I spent a few hours this morning reading and thinking with Dr. King’s words and voice. Any poem I craft today resists my understanding of where we go from here, so I landed on a blueprint and hope we can continue to draft better plans for our country.
Thank you for this space of contemplation today, Kim. I look forward to being in this space today. If we can find a way, I trust poetry will be a part of it.
I’ll begin by commenting on your thought – where we go from here. I think that’s part of what makes writing off King’s words a challenge. Maybe we should remember how great the challenges he faced were and how he moved forward through thought and humility. I like how you imbed, Langston Hughes’ words dreams deferred and the juxtaposition of architecture and blueprint.
Sarah, Dr. King would be so honored that you spent time in deep reflection, meditating on his messages. The use of questions perpetuates his spirit of the quest for understanding, and then the imagery of hands holding a globe as a blueprint with beauty, love, and justice. Because there is not the beauty of love where there is not justice.
So many great insights here on this day about all that he stood for – and all that he would not stand for.
Sarah — I agree with the blueprint as a space for thinking forward. I love the resolve to read and think which gathers a past and then taking that to a blueprint which paddles us over the rivers to tomorrow…poetry will keep our keel, keep us buoyant and adaptive. We are on mighty waters when we think and read and write together. I love your piece today. Thank you. Susie
“is it where we dismantle dreams deferred?” If only, Sarah. it seems as if our dream are crumbling these days, doesn’t it. A blueprint of hands… yes.
Sarah, the power of your poem is awe-inspiring. I love the “blueprint of hands holding up the world with Beauty, Love, & Justice.” I also appreciate your comments that perhaps poetry can lead to a deeper understanding of all the things we cherish like beauty, love and justice. King’s title “What is Your Life’s Blueprint” is a terrific writing prompt of its own, and thanks for sharing the link!
Sarah, this idea of building from a blueprint of hands and everything they hold up is simultaneously simple and complex. I want to contemplate that, as well as life’s architecture, today and what that means for all of us. And I especially like the idea of somebodyness.
Sarah, again, another incredible poem. I already messaged you about the blueprint, but will publicly thank you for sharing the link.
You captured the essence of Dr. King while also challenging us with your questions. I absolutely adore the alliteration too:
King must be proud! I sure am!
Sarah,
So simple yet so powerful. Your culminating line is perfect . . .
I wrote the poem with three different sources and ignored the formatting after it started to sing. The Muse always wins. Thanks for the venue and the prompt. I recommend that if you haven’t listened to King’s speech, “A Time to Break Silence” that today is a good day to do so.
MLK Day 2022
The King catches fire, drawing flame,
his voice a tumbling riffle, water over stone,
a bell’s tongue pealing outdoors
what abides indoors,
the Fisher King crying,“What I do is me:
for that I spoke and for that I was killed.
The KingFisher justiced because he was a just man.
The KingFisher kept grace because he was a grace-filled man.
He must speak
He must speak
He must speak,
the kingfisher and the fisher king
must speak to save the soul of our land,
the America that will be!
Amen.
–a Triple Golden Shovel, unearthed from G.Manley Hopkins “As Kingfishers Catch Fire”, Martin Luther King Jr’s “A Time to Break Silence” and Langston Hughes’ “Let America Be America Again”
https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkatimetobreaksilence.htm
via Open Write: https://www.ethicalela.com/multiple-shovels/
You have woven this with beautiful, evocative, poetic thread!
Kevin
Terry, this most definitely sings! I appreciate how you’ve played with the words King and Fisher. Those opening lines draw us in (like flames). And “the KingFisher justiced because he was a just man” speaks the most fire.
Terry, you hit a grand slam
homerun with this one! One of my favorite poems is Let America Be America Again, and one of my most incredible experiences with that poem happened 3 years ago as I coached a student reciting this poem
at a regional competition. We were going on a field trip to Selma and Birmingham, and on a whim, I asked her to recite her poem on the steps leading up to the courthouse in Birmingham. It was incredible – people stopped and stood, mouths agape, as this young African American female with a powerful voice began to recite that poem on those steps. I still get tears thinking about it. So your final lines evoke in me the spirit of all passion in your words and all those whose voices echo throughout your poem, even transcending the afterlife as they resurrect themselves a call to action for each of us. Formats are only ever suggestions – you took the chains that were binding you and broke free, and look at you soaring with this piece! This is what it’s all about, my friend!
Incredible. Absolutely….that poem seems to have a mind of its own and it should. The repetition of “He must speak” is really impactful. Thanks for the link to this source.
Terry,
This space always embraces the muse over any rules. Cheers for this glorious poem. I feel deeply this call to save the soul of our land.
Wow. Wow! This was gorgeous. It really moved me. <3
Terry — This is quite moving. It bears reading aloud many times…it gathers momentum and I find myself blurting that ending “amen.” I’m so glad you are “speak”[ing] today. Thank you. Susie
Kim – you’re a mighty wordsmith, wielding these golden shovels. “Hurtsteam” (I love that) flows through our veins, as does “fight-filled grief” in the heart’s cry for justice. You capture both the suffering and the hope in so few words…and I hear the prayer in it. Can I just say say – what a throwing of the poetic gauntlet! I love the Golden Shovel and have done a double once or twice… today I challenge myself with a triple (!!)…suffice it to say my shovel has a couple of dents I couldn’t hammer out. So be it. I took three lines from Dr. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”:
-Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly (opening words to line 7)
-There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love (somewhere in the middle, until last 4 lines)
-Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere (ending words to line 8)
(Thank you, Kim – and Dr. King).
Triple Golden Shovel: Letter from Birmingham Jail
Whatever there is to be gained through injustice
affects the balance of the mind. It can happen anywhere
one chooses to be the perpetuator of suffering, which is
directly causing humanity – no, everything alive – to suffer. A ripple
affects the whole pond; deep undulations, a billowing threat:
all life drowns as oceans of disappointment swell to
indirectly sweep away ground where seeds of justice
might have been planted—here, there, everywhere.
The solution is
not one of fueling more hatred.
It is one of cultivating deep
love.
Fran, the imagery of water is appearing again and again today and you use it beautifully – in deep undulations and ripples. Seeds being swept away emphasizes how much opposition there is to justice. And I love the idea of cultivating deep love.
Fran, I loved your metaphor here! Such a beautiful sense of building to such an optimistic conclusion.
Fran, thank you for your kind words. ‘My so glad you enjoy the Golden Shovel form. Yours today conveys the same message that King conveyed in your final lines.
The beauty in these blended lines that capture everything he stood for is so clearly heard in your words – and that ripple in the pond in the middle of your words washes this up onto the shore:
The solution is
not one of fueling more hatred.
It is one of cultivating deep
love.
It’s like all those begats at the beginning of the Old Testament….in the end, love begats love. And that is what we need more of begotten today and every day! Your awesome word ripples always stay with me, rippling away as I come back to them time and again. And listen. And think. And consider.
Wow, a triple! That’s pretty amazing. I don’t see the dents. I see a close conversation with the striking line….and that the solution is not one of fueling more hatred but cultivating deep love. That’s so on point with the day and the quotation. Beautifully rendered.
I love the ripple image which acts as a transition from injustice to the opportunity for justice. And of course it in ends in love. The ultimate goal. NIce progression of words.
Doing a triple seems nearly Olympic .. love these lines:
“The solution is
not one of fueling more hatred.
It is one of cultivating deep
love.”
Fran, your ending is what I truly believe needs to happen…”cultivating love”. I am inspired with the ingenious way you pulled these words together to share such a rich message!
Breathtaking, Fran! I’m in awe of how the context sounds like all of what Dr. King would say. You nailed this triple shovel!
My favorite lines:
I love it!
Fran,
You nailed it! I especially love these lines:
Kim, you rock the Golden Shovel. I am struck by how justice carries so much sorrow with it – crying, fight-filled grief, hurtstream (love this word). The imagery of water throughout your poem works to renew, and I’m reminded of baptisms and all that carries with it. My golden shovel line comes from John Keene’s “Hammering.”
Like you, I am me and we
Mercury Messengers
in words, of words, from words
his is her is we inside our
bones, the letters already written.
Jennifer, this is an absolutely intriguing poem, taking me right to DNA and, for all we know of it, the mysteries that remain in its “letters already written”…and this: “In words, of words, from words” – I feel I could write pages exploring that one seemingly-simple line! So few words and yet they invite a world of contemplation surrounding our existence … as does your perceptive comment on justice, sorrow, water, baptism, renewal.
Jennifer, what a beautiful spine line you chose, and I love how you placed your spine line at the beginning to start each new line. The blending and feeling of all humanity is felt in the line “his is her is we inside our bones” and nothing could be truer – we ARE all one, and it makes
me think of the importance of Romans 12:5 in the messages of Dr. King- that we are all part of one body- with your mention of baptisms and water as a form of renewal. What I love most is the ending – it has a prophetic feel, which brings us to really think of the meaning and what our role is in the prophecy – and on a day like today, as we reflect on Dr. King, that role is incredibly important! Powerful words!
Wow…so much intermingling of identities here. Beautiful, tight poem. I love the idea of Mercury Messengers.
Jennifer — What a wordsmith you are! First, I LOVE the line you selected. And playing with the “messenger” is spot-on. I do feel that “we” is “inside our/bones. You know how to write provocative word-food. Mmmm. Hugs, Susie
Jennifer—so few words; so much strength. I have read this three times now, and am amazed. “The letters already written”. Yes.
Kim, wow, what an interesting prompt and with a video, too! I look forward to writing and reading everyone’s response today:)
ooooh, these are always challenging fun. I like how your poem is a conversation with Dr. King’s famous words. One really has to think about the word of someone else to respond in the right tone and linke of thinking.
I went looking for a quote from Bell Hooks. She passed away recently and I don’t know much about her. I want to learn more.
Life Puts Before Them
If a student says, call me theywe need to honor them. We willgive real love to young people when we can be our best at acknowledging their self-identity. Let’s en-ablechildren to define themselves. We can try to sound out the letters of a name not in our records, dealself-love, out with empathy and room to grow, withthey as a pronoun will be able to deal with whatever
ooops! Formatting went awry…the bold words are at the beginning/end of each line are the words of the quote: If we give our children sound self-love, they will be able to deal with whatever life puts before them.
Linda, I see your line breaks, and it is true that sometimes the Golden Shovels have some tricky formatting from device to device. I love that you chose Bell Hooks today as your quote, and your use of pronouns is so cleverly done, right down to the use of whatever as the last word. We all need empathy and room to grow, and you remind us of the importance that we as teachers have in honoring that need! Groundbreaking shovel writing, my friend!
I actually like the way this mistake of formatting unfolds, with the words spilling into each other, giving it a breathless read.
Kevin
Linda, I appreciate the acknowledgement of students and their identities, especially on a day where there’s work to rise up and overcome. Your title is a powerful invite to see, to acknowledge.
Linda, your chosen quote reminds me of another I read recently: “Treat yourself with kindness. Loving and valuing ourselves sets the benchmark for how others treat and love us.” Your poem and the quotes all speak to respecting and honoring one another as we grapple with this thing called life. And… I thought of you this morning as I quote-hunted and found this line near the end of Dr. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”: “In some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.”
Yay for stars! Thank you for the quote. I love that you found it.
Linda, your poem perfectly shares such an important message. Giving our students the power to deal with whatever comes their way is truly a gift!
Oh how I love your poem and your passion for nurturing young identities! The world is filled with more than a fair share of nastiness and with teachers like you, our students can find safe soft spaces to be themselves! I have a boy who is passionate about fighting for LGBTQ+ rights and I’m happy to say he showed up Friday with his nails polished. I loved it. I hope he stays strong in his identity because surely he will encounter many who want to deny him the freedom to be himself.
You rocked the form and who cares about formatting, right? We can all adjust and quite frankly it matches what you are fighting for. Screw formats. ?
Whew. That was tricky doing the double shovel. In fact, I had messed up on the formatting on my first go around and had to twist the shovel back into shape. Some phrasing came out awkward and I tried to use the Poet’s Prerogative to twist it into verse. Perfect prompt for this day, however.
Kevin
We, who find ourselves here, we
who have arrived and do not merely
engage but mean to bring
in a kaleidoscope of voices, a shout to
nonviolent, a cause, the
direct call that requires us to surface
action, to make visible our fears, the
are – this is – we will – no longer be hidden,
not now, not ever again, for in tension
the shift always sleeps the sleep of dreamer, in that
creators and voice of change is
of this moment; while we are already
tension, now let us all become alive
— constructed from two lines from Martin Luther King Jr’s Letter From a Birmingham Jail (1963)
https://letterfromjail.com/
Kevin, my fellow early bird writer, I love that image of you twisting a shovel back into shape. Yes, it is true that sometimes the multiple shovel poems do not always format on different devices as written. I have actually noted on my blog that sometimes holding a phone in landscape mode will do the formatting trick on a mobile device, especially when poems have longer lines.
I love these lines especially in your poem today:
we will – no longer be hidden,
not now, not ever again, for in tension
the shift always sleeps the sleep of dreamer, in that
creators and voice of change is
of this moment;
In Multiple Shovels, so many times I find it’s the wordplay that helps me stretch and fit ideas into different parts of speech, and I just pray for meaning to emerge somehow. In your poem today, there is deep meaning – something I can only strive for as I write this type of poetry. You absolutely rocked the jail with meaning and with uprising of hope and change for the future!
Yes, and poetry gives more freedom around syntactical (word?) play. Thanks for the prompt and for pulling out a few lines.
Kevin
Kevin, your poem’s energy is electric! I love the emotional tension and contrast between sleeping and becoming alive. Action surfacing admist all the voices is a perfect descriptor. What an amazing poem to begin today! Thank you!
Thanks. I think coffee helped ..
🙂
Kevin
Kevin, I really appreciate these lines: “voice of change is of this moment, while we are already tension, now let us all become alive.” It captures the energy of then and now.
Kevin, I’m captivated by the line “to make visible our fears,” that tension always shifts the sleep of the dreamer, and that final crowning phrase, “now let us all become alive.” Mighty and glorious, despite the challenge of formatting, to which we can all attest (is that not a metaphor for life itself??). I just so happened to draw my lines from the same source today.
Glad to know our sources connected …
Phrases that catch my attention: “kaleidoscope of voices,” “for in tension the shift always sleeps the sleep of the dreamer.” (wow–incredible). And that command that finished the poem…is powerful. Well done. I like how you let the words win over the form.
Let us-
“Yes
let us
all
live”
a call and response
“Live?”
“Yes, live!
You know it, brother
Kevin — I’m always struck by how carefully you craft meaning and choose such precise words. This is a terrific poem. Being definitive about not just engaging, but acting with purpose and with voices from all dimensions. I love “make visible our fears” and “no longer be hidden.” Your examination of the role of creating the right tension for effective movement toward awakening is wonderful. This is some heavy stuff here this morning! Terrific. Thank you. Susie
Thank you, Susie. Kind words — appreciated.
Kevin