Poetry Friday round-up is with Robyn at Life on the Deckle Edge
I am participating in a book study called “A Course in Miracles.” It is quite an amazing journey of meditations that lead to self-awareness and ultimately to inner peace. Each day there is a new mantra. One of the mantras for this week was “God is the love in which I forgive myself.” I was drawn to creating a golden shovel poem and used Canva.com to design the graphic.
In my classroom, we have been using the golden shovel form to respond to quotes. Invented by Nikki Grimes, a golden shovel form begins with writing the words of the quote down the right hand margin of the page. Then you write a poem around the words, incorporating the quote into the poem. On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day I wrote one together with Jayden around this quote, “The time is always right to do what is right.”
When someone knows the
right thing but time
goes too fast, and is
never around long enough, always
do what’s right
even when it’s hard to.
No matter what you do
Listen to what
your heart
knows is
right.
The golden shovel form is a way to honor the words of another while making them your own. Next time you read an inspiring quote, try to write a poem around it.
Reflections on the Teche 
This is beautiful, Margaret, both the words and the presentation. I love golden shovel poems. Thanks for sharing two of them today!
Thanks for sharing both of these, Margaret – a very reflective “Reflections” post today! I like Jayden’s idea of listening to your heart.
Lovely poems. “Fall in love with the light in me…” is an interesting concept. The graphic that you created for your poem is perfect. And the poem you wrote with Jayden …I bet he will always remember this quote and writing this poem with you.
Oh my goodness! Two complete WOWs today. I love how the mantra becomes part of your poem. Stunning golden shovel. And, Jayden worked a marvelous poem from a beautiful quote. I want live in the moment of God’s love forgiving myself.
Beautiful, the Canva presentation & your Golden Shovel, brief text says so much that is good. As does the student’s work, too. Thanks, Margaret.
Appreciations, Margaret. This is encouraging me to select my path to writing golden shovels.
“The golden shovel form is a way to honor the words of another while making them your own.” — great way to explain it! I like how you and Jayden talk about time going fast…when you know the right thing to do, sometimes you have to just jump on it!
Margaret, your golden shovel is beautifully executed. You should share that with the Spiritual Journey first Thursday community. Please give Jayden a hug for creating a lovely tribute for MLK’s words.
Thank you for sharing these beautiful, wise poems, Margaret. I love the idea of light creating a path to forgiveness. I’ll be thinking about these words today.
I love golden shovels. Yours are beautiful and wise. (Your canva design looks like the Super Snow Moon!)
Gorgeous mix of your poem and art Margaret, we are in need of some spring like experiences here in the midwest. I also love the golden shovel you and Jayden created–our time flies by at an incredible speed, and these closing lines sang true to me, thanks:
“Listen to what
your heart
knows is
right.”