Home » Poems » David Kavanagh » An Old Shovel

An Old Shovel

I'm just an old shovel, who loved spooning around Scooping up and over again, the same old ground I’ve handled jobs, few others would call profound Always piling high, and patting down a big mound Some folks leaned on me, if no seats to be found Then gave me a shoulder, when homeward bound When on the scrap heap, I never made one sound Got shafted damn good... but, I’m on the rebound

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Janice Canerdy

Date: 8/23/2023 8:49:00 AM

Very effective use of personification, David! Janice

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/23/2023 9:27:00 AM

Heya Janice, thank you so much for positive comment, the best I could do In monorhyme form, cheers David

I Am Anaya

Date: 8/22/2023 5:20:00 PM

If you sing along to the words, and change ol shovel to ol bottle of rum, this may make a fun Sea Shanty! Lol As we dance a jig and swig our grog! B0l

I Am Anaya
Date: 8/23/2023 8:49:00 AM

That's good, "skates" in American Navy.. from coal to steam to nuclear power

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/23/2023 12:53:00 AM

You may be onto something here Anaya, they could sing it down the boiler room whilst shovelling coal, give em layabouts something to do, lol, cheers David

Terry Flood

Date: 8/22/2023 4:37:00 PM

Hey, an old shovel with a stout wooden handle… will outlast a modern plastic handled effort by millennia. Unless you’ve edited this, David, it seems like fine personification to me… so I hope you get a worthy second in the contest. Tee hee

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/23/2023 12:49:00 AM

Yeah I did an edit under Lin’s supervision, I liked the original but was not suitable for contest, yep I’m with you on (stout handles) cheeky git, Gertcha, cheers David

Jan Allison

Date: 8/22/2023 3:04:00 PM

love the personification and monorhyme - the line about getting shafted was so clever! hugs jan xx

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/23/2023 12:39:00 AM

Thanks so much Jan, I purposely saved that line for the ending, only so many parts to a shovel, for playing around with, cheers David

Lin Lane

Date: 8/22/2023 5:00:00 AM

Any tool with the chance to rise from lack of use deserves to be erected or I should say resurrected. Personify this guy, David and enter it in the contest.

Lin Lane
Date: 8/22/2023 2:16:00 PM

You're welcome. You'd do the same for friends.

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/22/2023 6:50:00 AM

Well it got one now thanks to you Lin, I really should read contest instructions thoroughly, thanks again

Lin Lane
Date: 8/22/2023 6:38:00 AM

;-) Your shovel needed a life of his own.

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/22/2023 5:32:00 AM

Aah I hate to discombobulate this one, I totally misread this contest rules, what’s new lol, it needed to be a personification, thanks for the heads up, cheers David

Di11y Da11y
Date: 8/22/2023 5:11:00 AM

Excellent idea! I'm heavily invested in this idea :)

Tom Cunningham

Date: 8/22/2023 4:38:00 AM

Sadly it was his time David, you'll need a new one to put the old one to rest. Good luck in the contest. Tom

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/22/2023 4:55:00 AM

Heya Tom, I actually have an old one that needs a new handle, next time I’m in Home store I must get one, cheers David

Di11y Da11y

Date: 8/22/2023 4:24:00 AM

Lived and breathed this one as I read, I'm just glad it wasn't set to music :(

David Kavanagh
Date: 8/22/2023 4:52:00 AM

An old violin in the background might be a bit too much Dilly, heard he’s recycled now into the hull of a ship, bah! :-( cheers David