Golden Shovel Poetry Exercise
We’d love if you could help us create some poetic content using a form called Golden Shovel. A golden shovel is a form where the last word of each line forms a second, pre-existing poem (or section thereof), to which the poet is paying homage.
Below are some instructions if you’d like to take part, along with some excerpts in Gàidhlig and English from storm stories kindly shared by residents of the Outer Hebrides.
Submit your creations in the comments box below!

Work
The clams were washed into deeper waters
We fish deeper
We only earn when we’re at sea
You’re using the land to hide behind
Astonishing how deep the swell goes
It’s like a conveyor belt the Atlantic at this time of year
Going in the dark coming back in the dark
It’s a poor fishing wind
How finely tuned it is
Bidh thu a ’sabaid an t-sìde fad na h-ùine
The rewards are there if your willing to put up with it
Possibly mid March we should be fine
Chaidil i thu gu dhòighal an oidhche sin
Life
Tha mi sgìth an-diugh
Battling the weather
Bha mi air mo dhùsgadh
tha a h-uile duine a ’coimhead às mo dhèidh
Absolutely love powercuts
Chan urrainn dha an doras a dhùnadh
Huge waves they had yesterday
Cuin a tha heat wave a’ tighinn?
History
He came over chest deep in water
Trying not to get hit by flying stones
We had cows sheltering underneath our windows
One storm after another
That’s when they were out with the paddle boards
Fhuair e seachad air
an gèile a bu mhiosa a chunnaic mi riamh
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