Thanks, Ruth, for hosting this week.
Sorry to show up late to this Poetry Friday gathering, but I want to be a regular this year. So here I am with a poem that I wrote on March 13, 2020. I had no idea when I shared "Moving Forward" for Poetry Friday how important this poem would be to me during 2020 and beyond. It's been on my refrigerator for months and I'm sharing it again today as I find myself still trying "...to muster through the challenges of the day...to make today one of the good times."
It's a golden shovel poem. Golden
shovel poems are inspired by a line of poetry or text, constructed so
that the ending word of each line when read top to bottom composes that
line. This poem utilizes a sentence opposite Irene Latham's "Compassion" poem on page 15 of Dictionary for a Better World.
Moving Forward
When I find myself at loose ends, it
is time to look for my purpose, for it is
by being intentional that I can often
shake off the doldrums and begin the
journey toward hope. The smallest
movements to action can be the moments
of catalyst to move us forward. Drink a glass of
water, go for a walk, read a book, make connections
with others, think happy thoughts, create something that
you can share. These are the actions that will carry
us during times of isolation, that help us
"hear a humming," the call to muster through
the challenges of the day, to find the
way to thrive, to "get on with it" in spite of tough
times, to make today one of the good times.
- Ramona Behnke, March 2020
"hear a humming" - from the poem "Freedom" by Irene Latham on p. 38 of Dictionary for a Better World
"get on with it" - Charles Waters quoting the landmark Monty Python group, p. 17 of Dictionary for a Better World.
And here's what I ate to celebrate the new year. The black-eyed peas were canned and the ham was from the deli, but I made the cornbread from scratch!
Thanks for sharing your golden shovel - it's wonderful! And those black-eyed peas look great, too!
ReplyDeleteRamona, I love a golden shovel and not only is yours powerful, it is perfect for today! Those are definitely "life lines" to hold onto. Don't worry about joining late - I did, too, had my granddaughter yesterday and I played off the page instead. Those peas - love them - make me realize dinner is approaching! Would love a piece of your cornbread. Happy New Year and here's to moving forward, indeed!
ReplyDeleteI love this "get on with it" poem,Ramona. It is an attitude that will see us all through. And love your ending especially, "to make today one of the good times". Yep, that's how we do it! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteRamona, it is so good to hear you offering inspiration in the form of a golden shovel poem. We all need "actions that will carry
ReplyDeleteus during times of isolation"
I pray that your days are filled with sweet memories of your bother and sister. It has been a difficult time for you.
This is a perfect response to the doldrums so many of us felt in 2020, Ramona.
ReplyDelete