Shovelosophy [judd]
“Shovel,” I say as we
Make our way
Throwing aside
White refuse
That will melt
If shoveled
Or not
“Shovel, among tools
You’re plain, simple
Ancient in origin
Never changing
Just handle and blade
My sweat the
Power
“Shovel, unaltered
You’re a changer
All that you touch
Earth, manure, snow
Your purpose set
By changing
Seasons
“Shovel, in Spring
We dig the dirt
For bulbs and seeds
In Fall we dig up
The food, fuel to
Shovel white
Water
“Shovel, all is
Folly, said a king
Who never shoved
A shovel to build
His father’s temple
I agree in
Winter”
An ode to a shovel. Who'd have thought it? But I like it, especially the seasonal references and these lines:
ReplyDelete"“Shovel, all is
Folly, said a king
Who never shoved
A shovel to build
His father’s temple..."
After the winter we've had, I love this one!!! Especially these lines;
ReplyDelete“Shovel, unaltered
You’re a changer
All that you touch
Earth, manure, snow
Your purpose set
By changing
Seasons
"Your purpose set by changing seasons" ....excellent Judd!!!
Excellent poem. I love the various ways in which you use the shovel to represent, I guess you could say, constancy? That things change, and yet, do they change? Every winter we shovel snow, but it will melt regardless of whether or not we shovel it.
ReplyDeleteThe whole thing is very paradoxical. The shovel is "unaltered," yet a "changer," yet its "purpose set / By changing / Seasons".