I’m celebrating National Poetry Month by writing and reading poetry, every day.
For writing inspiration, I decided to write from a list I made last month of 30 things that make me happy. One each day of the month.
Today, day six: time to read the Sunday newspaper.
The following contains a golden shovel poem in the last stanza from a headline in the April 4 issue of the New York Times. Scenes from a city holding its breath waiting for justice
Sitting with the paper.
Fresh and untouched.
Sections folded inside
one another.
Waiting to be spread out.
Held open
positioned alongside
coffee and a bagel.
Last Sunday, most Sundays, articles overwhelm me.
Others that make me laugh
or send me on journeys to books, shows, art, food.
All of the horror and beauty that make up people.
Rich, wise, devastating words.
In my quiet space scenes
unfold as I turn pages that take me from
Myanmar turn, fold, to Minneapolis a
heartbeat away. Back to the front, to a city
where ball players exert power, holding
out for Atlanta, holding on to the rights of its
people. Turn, fold, quarter the newsprint take a breath
and scan for the good, waiting
with the belief and hope for
the better side of our kind to secure justice.
To Read To Write To Be 
Look at you… writing every day for 2 months. I enjoyed the images in your poem. This line was great: scan for the good, waiting
with the belief and hope for
the better side of our kind to secure justice
The ending of your golden shovel is filled with optimism in light of the strike line, Julieanne. Thanks for sharing your poetry this month.
What a great idea to write a poem a day on that list of thirty things that make you happy! And your golden shovel poem is awesome! Love the added action of turn, fold which pulled me back to times when I read the Sunday news. Why did I drop that habit? You’ve left me yearning.
Beautiful. You captured the journey of reading the Sunday paper with such thought and reflection.
I don’t take the print paper anymore so scan & read online, but your journey of reading the important but looking for the good is what I do, too. Wonderful “overview”, Julieanne!
We get the NYT on Sunday and the local paper daily. I worked for the Los Angeles Times for nearly 10 years, so actual newsprint is close to my heart.
I love what you did with the words you found.
I think I will write a Haiku for each day of April moving forward. Thank you for your inspiration.
I love haikus. They challenge yet don’t overwhelm!
Love the golden shovel format and using headlines from the newspaper. Love the hopeful spirit of your poem – scanning for the good – I look for it, too, every day,
What can I say? You take my breath away with the images and thoughts your words say.
The way you take us along as you flip through the paper and the news of the day is powerful. I’m with you — I’m always looking for the story of hope and justice.