Desultory Drifting
The Golden Shovel poetry form...54 total reviews
Comment from Dolly'sPoems
I love this form and worked your special magic with it here Karenina. Our life is fickle and death is always waiting in the wings to give our soul flight, a sad but true write, much enjoyed, love Dolly x
reply by the author on 23-Aug-2021
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I love this form and worked your special magic with it here Karenina. Our life is fickle and death is always waiting in the wings to give our soul flight, a sad but true write, much enjoyed, love Dolly x
Comment Written 22-Aug-2021
reply by the author on 23-Aug-2021
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Thanks Dolly. A unique form I'd not heard of before...
Of course I chose lines from Emily to build upon.
I appreciate your comments!
Karenina
Comment from Susan Newell
Dear Karenina,
It is so nice to see a post from you. You have been in my prayers since life shoveled a ton of drifting feathers upon you. I have read this several times to try to understand it.
I think your first stanza speaks to both the fact that everything can be perceived in opposite ways, depending on the perspective from which it is perceived (hope in light, gloom in darkness), but the bottom line is that both are transitory. The second stanza is pretty self-explanatory, but critical to the third, in which all the feathers gather to become a bird (combined life experiences), at time of death, perched to soar off into the next world, where it will discover its true mission and the "flight path of [its] soul."
I hope I got this at least mostly right. You wrote a profound Golden Shovel poem.
Blessings for rapid and complete recovery,
Sue
reply by the author on 23-Aug-2021
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Dear Karenina,
It is so nice to see a post from you. You have been in my prayers since life shoveled a ton of drifting feathers upon you. I have read this several times to try to understand it.
I think your first stanza speaks to both the fact that everything can be perceived in opposite ways, depending on the perspective from which it is perceived (hope in light, gloom in darkness), but the bottom line is that both are transitory. The second stanza is pretty self-explanatory, but critical to the third, in which all the feathers gather to become a bird (combined life experiences), at time of death, perched to soar off into the next world, where it will discover its true mission and the "flight path of [its] soul."
I hope I got this at least mostly right. You wrote a profound Golden Shovel poem.
Blessings for rapid and complete recovery,
Sue
Comment Written 22-Aug-2021
reply by the author on 23-Aug-2021
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Hey Sue? You hit it on the nose dear woman! You've discerned my meaning and expressed it better than I! How kind to gift me six stars! A challenging poetry form that sparked my imagination... Thanks also for your well wishes. I am soon to have a second surgery and hope to be able to type again, on my own. Until then Jess, my daughter, is oh so patiently helping me with everything...
Thank you so much!
Karenina
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Karenenina, I will be praying for your full return. God does bring us miracles and you deserve one. May blessings be upon you.
Sue
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:)
Comment from royowen
I love the sentiment of this poem Karen, but I like also the idea behind, like an eagle searching out its prey, eyes many times the power of ours, searching for hope, for some, still a fleeting glimpse. Beautifully written, (you've still got it) are you able to write, or type? Well done, you, blessings Roy
reply by the author on 23-Aug-2021
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I love the sentiment of this poem Karen, but I like also the idea behind, like an eagle searching out its prey, eyes many times the power of ours, searching for hope, for some, still a fleeting glimpse. Beautifully written, (you've still got it) are you able to write, or type? Well done, you, blessings Roy
Comment Written 22-Aug-2021
reply by the author on 23-Aug-2021
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Thanks Roy. Awaiting surgery number two before I can hope to regain function. Jess was oh so patient as I dictated my poem and countless revisions and then typed and posted it for me.
Karenina
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What a fabulous girl she is, but that doesn?t surprise me.
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I am one lucky mom!
K
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You are indeed
Comment from Jay Squires
Sweet Jesus, this is beautiful, Karenina, and carries a profound message from a wise soul. I would like to see a colon after truth, in the first stanza, but I'm not sure if it creates an interruption to the pulse of the line.
The last stanza brings tears, lingering before, to the surface and beyond:
Death is the bird that perches,
There's time,then,when dug in,
to contemplate and strive to find the
flight path for our soul!
Someone who's been near death knows exactly what you mean!
reply by the author on 23-Aug-2021
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Sweet Jesus, this is beautiful, Karenina, and carries a profound message from a wise soul. I would like to see a colon after truth, in the first stanza, but I'm not sure if it creates an interruption to the pulse of the line.
The last stanza brings tears, lingering before, to the surface and beyond:
Death is the bird that perches,
There's time,then,when dug in,
to contemplate and strive to find the
flight path for our soul!
Someone who's been near death knows exactly what you mean!
Comment Written 22-Aug-2021
reply by the author on 23-Aug-2021
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Hmmm. I had a colon...took it out...put it back. I, too was worried it hiccuped the flow...
(Writers can be so indecisive!)
It didn't make the cut but now you've mentioned it!
I need a private consult!
So pleased you felt it, Jay.
It's scary teetering on the edge of death...
Six stars? Thank you my friend!
Karenina
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But the edge of death is where life is, don't you think? If you teeter on the edge and fall over into the abyss, there is the light of full knowledge; if you slip back into life, it is the light glimpsed and only slightly faded. But that's mindwork. I don't want to test it. Like Woody Allen famously said: "I'm not afraid of death. I just don't want to be there when it happens." Rock on, Woody!
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Rock on indeed! --Karenina
Comment from aryr
This was a great Golden Shovel poem. I am so grateful that you gave recognition to Terrence Hayes the creator of this poem form. It carried a sadness but totally made sense, it was realistic in nature. Very well done and enjoyed.
reply by the author on 23-Aug-2021
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This was a great Golden Shovel poem. I am so grateful that you gave recognition to Terrence Hayes the creator of this poem form. It carried a sadness but totally made sense, it was realistic in nature. Very well done and enjoyed.
Comment Written 22-Aug-2021
reply by the author on 23-Aug-2021
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I always try to credit the creator of a form...and cite any author whose work I have built from. I'd never heard of this form before and quite enjoyed the challenge! Thank you for your comments!
Karenina
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It was indeed a great challenge and you are so very welcome. By the way I really do love your avatar.
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Oh, thank you! Been using that avatar for fifteen years or more!
Karenina
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Well I love it!!!
Comment from indigovega
Hi Karenina, it's so wonderful to see a poem from you. And what a beautifully deep poem.
"Our lives are winsome feathers,
which blow this way and that!"
It's so true of human life. Or perhaps all life on Earth.
But your poem brightened my evening. Your words are as wonderful as you!!!
Thanks for introducing me to the "Golden Shovel" form. I'll keep it in mind when I try my next poem.
reply by the author on 23-Aug-2021
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Hi Karenina, it's so wonderful to see a poem from you. And what a beautifully deep poem.
"Our lives are winsome feathers,
which blow this way and that!"
It's so true of human life. Or perhaps all life on Earth.
But your poem brightened my evening. Your words are as wonderful as you!!!
Thanks for introducing me to the "Golden Shovel" form. I'll keep it in mind when I try my next poem.
Comment Written 22-Aug-2021
reply by the author on 23-Aug-2021
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Amazing, isn't it, when stumbling upon a form I'd not heard of before?! Loving Emily as I do this was the perfect spark to get me writing again.
(More specifically Jess did the typing!)
I would love to see you try this! I'm sure your take would be wonderful.
Thanks for the fine comments and six stars!
Karenina
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I really have to read Emily. I've been meaning to read her for a while but the "problem of plenty" that a reader faces nowadays is not easy to deal with :-)
My "To Read" list has been growing exponentially. It might take a few lifetimes to complete it :-)
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Isn't that wonderful?! I love to read! You should see the stack of books on my bedside table!
Karenina
Comment from lyenochka
Karenina! Are you typing with fingers and pencil now? So amazed and happy to see you post.
Thank you for teaching us this poetic form. We all know how much you love Emily's poetry - especially that one. I wonder if end words of lines 4 and 5 should be switched to keep the order of that first line of her poem?
Lovely contemplative poem which helps us to keep things in perspective about our physical and spiritual lives in the light of hope.
Let's keep our spiritual eyes open to the flight path for our souls!
reply by the author on 23-Aug-2021
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Karenina! Are you typing with fingers and pencil now? So amazed and happy to see you post.
Thank you for teaching us this poetic form. We all know how much you love Emily's poetry - especially that one. I wonder if end words of lines 4 and 5 should be switched to keep the order of that first line of her poem?
Lovely contemplative poem which helps us to keep things in perspective about our physical and spiritual lives in the light of hope.
Let's keep our spiritual eyes open to the flight path for our souls!
Comment Written 22-Aug-2021
reply by the author on 23-Aug-2021
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Confession. I try but don't get far on my own... (A pending second surgery should help regain function)--Jess came to stay the weekend d/t the storm forecast (which trickled down to rain and mild wind)--She was most patient helping me to get this posted! I'll double back and see what I can do with lines four and five...great eye! Thanks for the suggestion and the six stars!--Karenina
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So relieved to know that you are all safe. I didn't know which part of the country you were in so I'm glad you and your family are safe! 💖
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Yes! Lots of rain as it turns out...but no major issues!--Karenina
Comment from Mrs. KT
Welcome back, Karenina!
And what a creative and delicous welcome it is!
This form is definitely new to me; I shall bookmark your offering and before the "coldest nights" appear, "give it a go!"
Splendid... and Miss Emily is smiling; of that I am certain!
Thank you for sharing!
diane
reply by the author on 23-Aug-2021
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Welcome back, Karenina!
And what a creative and delicous welcome it is!
This form is definitely new to me; I shall bookmark your offering and before the "coldest nights" appear, "give it a go!"
Splendid... and Miss Emily is smiling; of that I am certain!
Thank you for sharing!
diane
Comment Written 22-Aug-2021
reply by the author on 23-Aug-2021
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You came to mind as I (of course) chose Miss Emily's work to try this new to me form! It's a tad more challenging than I thought! Still, thanks to my daughter, so great to post again!
Thanks my friend, for your comments and the six stars! I hope to see your take on the formal
Karenina
Comment from Pam (respa)
-Hurray for you, Karenina.
-You brightened my afternoon.
-I love the artwork and presentation.
-I will definitely copy these directions.
-You did a good job with this, and
Emily would be pleased.
-My favorite images are
"A frozen spike of ice" and
"Our lives are winsome feathers."
-A good concluding verse, too.
-The best part is seeing your poem!!!
-Hope you are doing better each day,
my special friend.
reply by the author on 22-Aug-2021
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-Hurray for you, Karenina.
-You brightened my afternoon.
-I love the artwork and presentation.
-I will definitely copy these directions.
-You did a good job with this, and
Emily would be pleased.
-My favorite images are
"A frozen spike of ice" and
"Our lives are winsome feathers."
-A good concluding verse, too.
-The best part is seeing your poem!!!
-Hope you are doing better each day,
my special friend.
Comment Written 22-Aug-2021
reply by the author on 22-Aug-2021
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Since my daughter came to stay for the weekend to help me through the storm that has petered out I was thrilled to have her patiently transcribe/erase/correct/patiently await my muse...and then post this on my behalf! I'm thrilled to have posted anything at all--but a new form (for me) and using Emily's poem? Well--that's balm for a dispirited soul I'll tell you! Know what else is? Your loving and lovely review and shiny six stars! Hugs my very special friend!
Karenina
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First, I am glad your daughter is there, and second, that the storm petered out. I would say you accomplished a trifecta: a new form, Emily's poem, and posting the poem with your daughter's help!!!! You are very welcome and very deserving of the stars and review, special friend.
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I think I need you to come live closer...
You make me smile!
:)
Karenina
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I'm glad, Karenina. In our house, we like to create smiles and laugh.The littlest things can set me off, and I laugh until the tears come down.
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:)
Comment from Gert sherwood
The Golden Shovel poetry form...
Delsultory Drifting
Karenina,your poem and the format Golden shovel is very clever.
Thank you for you poem and showing us how the Golden Shovel format is done
Gert
reply by the author on 22-Aug-2021
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The Golden Shovel poetry form...
Delsultory Drifting
Karenina,your poem and the format Golden shovel is very clever.
Thank you for you poem and showing us how the Golden Shovel format is done
Gert
Comment Written 22-Aug-2021
reply by the author on 22-Aug-2021
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Thanks for the review and six stars! I stumbled upon the form and it seemed to cry out to be attempted after a LONG spell of not writing!
Karenina
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karenina you are welcome.
I myself will not will not give it a try. My poor aging brain will not be able to figure it out.
Gert
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My aging brain had quite a few false starts before (I think) getting it correct.
Ha...
Karenina
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Well my over worked brain has a bad habit of not remembering things.
Gert
