Cheers for the journey through the Slice of Life Challenge throughout March! Here’s the link if you’d like to read the daily blog posts of writers in this challenge.
I celebrate 3 years of daily blogging today all because the Slice of Life Challenge pushed me along in my thinking that if I could write for a week, I could write for two weeks. If I could write for a month, I could write for two months (I joined #VerseLove on the heels of SOLC). If I could write for two months, I could write every day of my life, as I now do with The Stafford Challenge. And so it began….and continues. Thank you to the Two Writing Teachers for the inspiration to make writing a part of my life every single day and for giving writers voice and space. If I can do this, we can all do this. Writers are born from mindset.
This year’s National Poetry Month (April) poster will feature a line from Lucille Clifton’s poem Blessing the Boats (at St. Mary’s) from her book Quilting: Poems 1987-1990. Today, I’m writing a Golden Shovel poem using the striking line: and may you in your innocence sail through this to that. The striking line appears vertically as ending words on each line.
Striped
if only these walls hadn't crumbled and
we hadn't pretended, we may
have made her proud ~ but you
in
your
striped robe of pious innocence
paint fake facades, sail
in synthetic superlatives through
frilly frippery, oblivious to this
truth: she would not have wanted you to
carry on like that
Common Threads 
Your challenge of writing every single day is on the surface challenging, but deep inside I find it also inspiring. As I being this challenge, I really do wonder if I will make it through one month even though this is my 13th year of SOL.
You are inspiring!
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Thank you, Anita, I’m glad to get to know you better through your writing!
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Kim,
Your poem is gorgeous. I love the striking line, and I’m intrigued about who the speaker in your poem is speaking g to. I echo the thought you shared w/ me: the inspiring is mutual, and I am in awe that you blog every day. Writing inspires writing. Today I’m working on my #VerseLove prompt, and I’ll have you on one shoulder and Barb on the other as my muses. 🥰
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Thank you, Glenda, I look forward to your prompt!!
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Kim, so glad we are both here and I’ll “see” you every day this month and not just on Tuesdays!! Your slice has so many layers. First, your inspiration about writing challenges. This one and others. Then a gorgeous image and one line of poetry chosen and turned into a golden shoevel poem. WOW! Go Kim Go!!
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Kim, what a great striking line. I just went and found the poster and read Clifton’s boat blessing poem. So many rich images, and you have done her line justice with your poem. The images like “if only these walls hadn’t crumbled” and “striped robe of pious innocence” and “frilly frippery” make your poem come alive. I am intrigued by the story, and who “she” is. Congratulations on your daily writing. You are an inspiration that it can be done.
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Kim, this Lucille Clifton poem is one of my all time favorites. I used to have a couple lines beneath my signature on my email:
may you kiss
the wind then turn from it
certain that it will
love your back
I love this poem so much. Your golden shovel is so unexpected and so powerful – scorching, really. I love your use of alliteration and emotion – your words pierce:
your
striped robe of pious innocence
paint fake facades, sail
in synthetic superlatives
The two words that stand alone – in/your – these add this ominous drumbeat to your poetry. I love this so much – and I am glad I am not on the ‘receiving end’…at least, I think I am not…lol.
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Kim, I so wanted to do the Stafford Challenge but felt I didn’t have it in me. Yet I want to concentrate on writing more poetry. You are always such an inspiration – you radiate such energy. This Golden Shovel is glorious; it’s not an easy form, but I love playing with it. Love this observation that “writers are born of mindset” – indeed! If we set our minds to it… we will do it. I rejoice in writing alongside you for these thirty-one days and, really, always!
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I can’t even imagine blogging every single day. You are an inspiration! I wrote a golden shovel today too. I love all of your alliteration–I am a sucker for that! Here’s to “another” month of writing.
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I love your line ‘writers are born of mindset’! Your golden shovel line is so full of depth and mystery in a sea of description. I am intrigued!
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I am also struck by the line “Writers are born from mindset.” The golden shovel poem has so much tucked in; I had to read it more than once. I want to know more…
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