National Poetry Month '24: If I've Learned Anything (6 of 30)

Thanks for stopping by Merely Day by Day. It's National Poetry Month.

For April I will be taking a deep dive into The Practicing Poet: Writing Beyond the Basics, edited by Diane Lockward. This book is full of 30 craft tips, so it is the perfect way to shape this month's challenge and dig a little deeper into the craft of poetry. Stop by my Substack page, Merely in Progress, each day to follow this month's writing journey. There you will also find reflections, links, and inspiration across the challenge. 

Of course, this month is really about writing poetry so I will have a new poem posted here each day utilizing a craft tip from the book. I'm sure the ride will be bumpy, but there will be a lot learned along the way. 

Craft Tip #6: Using Etymology

Today's craft tip from The Practicing Poet was to dig into word origins. In this section, Natasha Sajé asserts, "The etymology of a word can deepen the meaning of a poem by carrying an image. She reminds taking time to know more about a word might deepen your poem or give you new ideas. For a poetry prompt, Sajé suggests a Golden Shovel poem. Being part of the Poetry Friday community, I have had some experience with this type of poem. It made sense to try a Golden Shovel today.

I'm pretty excited about the upcoming week; Joy Sullivan's new poetry book, Instructions for Traveling West, will be released to the world on April 9th. I have a ticket to see her speak on the 10th and am hopeful I can adjust all the things in my world to attend. I have been following her Instagram account since I found out about her new poetry book which has made me even more excited about the upcoming release. On February 29th she wrote this post:

I loved the lines, "There's only time to turn toward what you love. There's only time to leap." I wrote them in my calendar for the day. They seemed the perfect sentences for a Golden Shovel. 

If I've Learned Anything

it's that there's

no reason to go back, only

to step forward in time,

I have seen the yesterdays, it's time to 

push toward what is possible, turn 

away from shadows, walk toward 

the sun, what 

better time than now for you 

to pursue what you love.

each day there's 

joy waiting for you, if only 

you take the time 

to see it, to believe, to 

leap.

© Cathy L. Mere, 2024 

Golden Shovel from a line written by Joy Sullivan