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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