Emily Dickinson’s birthday was on 12/10 and this was the poem on The Writer’s Almanac. I borrowed all of Emily’s capitalized words (except the ones that begin the lines) and created this draft of a golden shovel:
Linda has this week’s Poetry Friday roundup at A Word Edgewise.
Thanks to all who volunteered to host the Poetry Friday roundup Jan-June 2025. The roundup is filled!
A(nother) Year of Reading 
Your thoughtful ways of making challenges for yourself so often makes me smile with admiration, Mary Lee. Like your writing and your gorgeous needlework, and so much more that I probably don’t know, thanks for the inspiration. Emily’s words are now the words you have taken to write and bring to this century. I love that “house of hope” and the ending – needed! Bravo!
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Amen. What a sweet and wishful conversation between you and Miss Emily. “We can build a house/of hope” gives me strength. thank you for that. I agree that ending is beautiful…it just takes us up, up, up. A gorgeous golden shovel, Mary Lee. I wish I had written this one.
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Beautiful, Mary Lee. Yes, let us build a house of hope.
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“the calm of daisies” Swoon! This is a beautiful offering today. I don’t always access Emily’s poems. I didn’t recognize her birthday, but you have given me both. I leave here with a full heart.
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So lovely! The last line of your poem is my favorite. 🙂
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Well done! I’m saving this to read again.
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Mary Lee, writing our way to paradise is such a lovely thought. I’ve read your poem several times and the words possibility and hope bring peace to mind.
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Mary Lee your poem reminds me of Carol Ann Duffy’s anthology ‘The World’s Wife’ about women often excluded from myth and history. Dickinson may not qualify as excluded exactly, but your poem champions her contribution which CA Duffy does. I love the notion of building a house of hope.
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Such a clever and fun poem! I like your idea of borrowing her capitalized words, and especially like where the words took you from “under a changeable sky” to your closing “is writing our way towards paradise -” Thanks for this duo-dose of possibilities Mary Lee!
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Beautiful thought; writing windows and doors into the chambers of our heart. Those welcome clouds brought us gifts of rain this evening, so they’re doubly welcome!
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What a cool challenge. My favorite phrase is the “calm of daisies.” Love that!
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This is just gorgeous! I love the “calm of daisies” following Eye and that final line is perfect. This is one of those golden shovels which flows so beautifully that the form and content are a seamless construction. So, so good!
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I love this poem by E.D. And so admire the words she chooses, and how they challenge us with unusual definitions. I took some time today to study the poem, so thank you. Your golden shovel using the capitalized words was clever, reviewing and deepening my take of the poem.
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O Truth! If the Only Occupation of our Hands could be as you write, toward Paradise, what a wonderful world this could be. I shiver at this thought of yours in your exquisite Golden Shovel birthday salute to incomparable E.D.
Appreciations & I’ll see you here in January!
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