Inspired last month by #PoetryFriday poet Catherine Flynn’s example, I played this week with a “golden shovel” form. A golden shovel poem takes a line from another poem or text and uses each word in that line as the end of a line in a new poem.
I hope you enjoy my contribution this week. I encourage you to visit the #PoetryFriday roundup, hosted this week by Sylvia and Janet at Poetry for Children.
“How could the drops of water know themselves to be a river?
Yet the river flows on.”
(Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Wisdom of the Sands)
Yet the River Flows On
If I but knew how
one magnificent body could
find its way into the
core of my being, as though filling that hollow space with drops
of rain, of snowmelt, of pine and fir ash, of
granite and wind worn by eons of water,
finding its way to a waiting womb, would then I know
that you have called me by name, like children themselves
lifting chins to
greet the voice that beckons? Might I, too, leave questions be,
and return to a
familiar embrace, content to sit by a river?
The treasure is ours. Yet
we wander, squander the
sacred, adrift, distracted, forgetting the river
will carve and calve hearts of stone, forgetting water flows,
returns to where it belongs, time marching on.
©2022, Patricia J. Franz
Patricia Franz writes picture books and poetry. She believes children, dogs, and sourdough have a lot to teach us about life, joy, and wonder. She has raised two boys, four dogs, and holds a master’s degree in Theology with a focus on children’s spirituality. Patricia, her husband, her Bernese Mountain dog, Bonny, and her sourdough starter split their time between the Arizona desert and the Sierra Nevada mountains. 
I ‘dig’ your golden shovel poem, Patricia. You built upon de Saint-Exupery’s quote to make something beautiful:
“forgetting water flows,
returns to where it belongs”
and I had fun doing it. Thanks, Bridget!
‘carve and calve’ – I love these words in this poem. Beautiful!
Thank you, Irene! I’m so enjoying the poetic process and love learning from you!
Wow I love this idea and love your word choice❤️
This is beautiful, Patricia. The words “carve and calve hearts of stone” stopped me in my tracks.
Aww, thank you Rose. I’m so grateful our poetry connects us in this kidlit community.
“The treasure is ours. Yet
we wander, squander the
sacred, adrift, distracted, forgetting the river”
I love these lines, Patricia!
Oh, Anastasia! Thank you! It’s nice to connect again!
Those last two lines….perfection. A beautiful golden shovel. I agree that carve and calve is fresh and strong. And, I love the photo too!
Thank you, Linda. The image reminded me of the Truckee River, near where I live (part-time).
This is absolutely stunning Patricia – your language paints such a beautiful picture, and invites us to “sit by the river” and contemplate this poem. I love the internal rhyme in this line: we wander, squander. Just lovely. Thank you for sharing this today!
Thank you for your kind words, Elisabeth.
Patricia, there’s so much to love here! I really love the use of the sounds and internal rhyme.
Thank you, Marcie. I’m enjoying the stretch with form.
Love that you tried the golden shovel form and what a powerful example too! Brava! And thank you for joining the Poetry Friday reunion too!
Thank you, Sylvia! I hope to try many more forms, thanks to all of you at #PoetryFriday.
Your Golden Shovel is stunning, Patricia! I love the quote you began with. Your rich imagery and powerful final lines are beautiful. Here’s to finding ways not to “squander the sacred.” I’m so glad you were inspired to try this form!
YOU inspired me, Catherine! Thank you!
Patricia, this is just lovely! Using solid, concrete nouns to talk about the ideas of God and faith–keeps it from being too abstract and vague. Makes me feel it…really feel it, in my body.
As you already know, Laura, sometimes what comes through has a life of its own! Thank you for your kind words.
“The treasure is our…” A lovely golden shovel asking all the right questions.