The Olympic dream is one
that bites young and grown.
Blood pumps, aches come
and go. Success is homegrown.
Whether you compete or view,
commentate or congratulate,
the whole world is with you —
for high jump or speed skate.
For table tennis, archery, judo,
bobsled, skiing, gymnastics,
luge, fencing, water polo,
swimming and other classics.
Drive, passion, tears and victories,
on the podium and at the finish,
create winter and summer histories
that, like fables, never diminish.
Forget all the heartaches untold,
the crashes, pain and sadness,
remember bronze, silver and gold —
athletes shining with gladness.
Copyright 2016 Brenda Davis Harsham
Notes: It took awhile to write an ode to gold, but I finally finished, long after the last gold was given and perhaps without the polish of Pindar. Feel free to leave a ditty here in comments to honor the athletes, many of whom have been training since they were younger than ten. The only thing I’ve been doing with regularity since age ten is writing. That would be my Olympic Sport. What would yours be?
Happy Poetry Friday! Thanks to Heidi Mordhorst at My Juicy Little Universe for hosting.
Great post! Interested in the origin of gold? 🙂 https://goldisfromaliens.com/2017/01/29/why-is-gold-valuable/
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You always find an incredible way to pay tribute to your subject, whether it be a person, a fairy, or a lovely flower. Your eyes are opened by your heart. Lovely.
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Thanks, Toni. What a lovely compliment. XOXO
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I was in Australia for part of the Olympics and it was fun to see how coverage was different. A woman in a grocery store line asked me how I liked the Olympics so far. I mentioned I thought the Womens gymastic events were wonderful. She hadn’t seen that but thought the Pole Vault was fantastic. And most of their TV coverage was of womens vollyball and rugby events. Each of the athletes is amazing–like your tribute poem. Well done.
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Thanks, Joy. I’m glad you think so. I had a lot more I wanted to say. I tried to boil it down to the best thoughts I had. 🙂
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Just made me smile 🙂
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Thanks, Morgan
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I’m not much for competition. My favorite “sports” are yoga and long walks. Even so, my “blood pumps, aches come and go.”
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I like yoga and long walks, too. I get some great ideas doing those.
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What a great tribute, Brenda! The Olympics and all that it inspires is such a truly worthy topic to write about. Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks, Kiesha. I’m following a long tradition, probably not the first Olympic Ode to Gold, although I didn’t find another in a quick search.
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Your photo tricked me! I thought this would be a flower poem, or an end of summer poem. (“Nothing gold can stay…”) Instead, you wrote a fabulous tribute to the Olympians! Well done!
My Olympic sport would have to be reading!
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I’m glad you forgave my trick. My version of curling — curling up with a book. 🙂
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They are marvels, those athletes. I have always been attracted and amazed by their passion, drive and beauty. Beautiful ode to the goal and gold.
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Me, too. It’s a story to inspire. Years of effort and toil, with excellence at the end.
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Wonderful ode to gold here, Brenda. I like how you capture the effort athletes put in, but how it’s all worthwhile in the end, in those “athletes shining with gladness.” I didn’t think I’d get caught up in the games this year, but I did–along with the beauty of Rio!
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NBC’s coverage did make Rio look like a paradise. I was amazed how many of the athletes wept on the podium. Then I thought it over, and I wasn’t. How can you be numb to the majesty of that moment?
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Hi, Brenda–
Watching LOTS of the Olympics this year was “poetry in motion” indeed, and everyday I rejoiced that I had not respons/ability to join in such competitions. My favorite line today is not in your poem, but in your comment: ” poetry remembered me. And held no grudges. ” Your performance attracts the favor of the judges!
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Thanks, Heidi! We watched the Olympics, too. My favorites were the women’s soccer, the beach volleyball and the gymnastics. Constant action and tension. The swimming, too. My kids were impressed by the gymnastics, especially.
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I didn’t watch any of the Olympics but I loved reading your tribute to the amazing athletes. I especially liked the first stanza–it’s gritty with aches, blood pumping, and the dream biting young and old.
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I am always amazed at how long the athletes compete to get there. And all the ones who don’t even make it there… So much talent in our world.
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I confess, Brenda, I did not watch one moment of the Olympics this year (our TV doesn’t get NBC or cable). Alas, I don’t even think I’d do very well competing in writing, but if daydreaming was an event maybe I’d have half a chance!
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I prefer enjoying to competing. 🙂
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Brenda, you’ve been writing since when? You were 10? You certainly have gone the distance! Good for you. Work and perseverance show!
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Thanks, Diane. 🙂 I was published in HS and college, and then I took some criticism too seriously and STOPPED! I became a lawyer, always writing for my jobs. I was published in law school. Then I had back surgery, and I started a blog, and I remembered. Or poetry remembered me. And held no grudges.
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What a lovely way to pay tribute to those amazing athletes!
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Thanks, Tara. I tried to make my poem shine in their honor.
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“the whole world is with you —” Yes! I am amazed at the concentration and focus and years and years of dedicated practice these athletes bring to their goals – sometimes for only a few seconds in their execution. Amazing stuff. And that link – Who knew?! I loved reading about the (wacky) attempt at tossing in some humanities competitions, too, 100 years ago – had NO idea! Thanks for sharing all!
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Not to mention the pain they endure. Those gymnasts have to hurt like anything from slamming their bodies around the way they do. One French gymnast broke his leg landing off the vault. Broke His Leg. And the bike crashes. The hockey slams. Basketball players sprawling. Beach volleyball players eating sand. Any of the sports — it’s amazing.
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Gold medal winning poem, Brenda! I love that you pay tribute to the entire journey including the crashes and commentators. As for lifelong activities, do they give gold medals for loving to eat? If so, I’d win! LOL =)
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LOL There should be a gourmet poets club. Jama would definitely have to join. I miss her.
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Writing is your Olympic Sport-yes-Go for the Gold, Brenda!
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Yay! Thanks for your support, Carol!
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I agree with Amy about watching people at the top of their form create “athletic art” for us to ooh and ahh over. Thanks for sharing your tribute to them! 🙂
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Thanks for visiting, Renee.
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i love to tell stories, maybe storytelling will become an event…)
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You’d get a gold for making us laugh, for sure. XOXO
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How lovely! And I like your tribute to all the athletes not just the “winners!”
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You can’t be a winner without all the others there striving with you. They better they are, the more valuable your achievement. We are all needed to make it work. Especially you, with your magical pictures.
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Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
MORE VALUABLE EACH YEAR….THESE FLOWERS ARE!
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There is something about seeing human beings in beautiful form making magic with their bodies. Just awe-inspiring! Thank you for honoring them with this special, natural….homegrown medal and poem. Happy Poetry Friday!
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Your comment makes me shine with gladness. 🙂
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Hi Brenda, I love that “bites young and grown”. It’s true, I never quit being inspired and admire the dedication very much. This time I actually know someone who knows an athlete! A still close student of my brother’s son competed and earned a bronze medal in wrestling. We were so excited!
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That’s awesome. I had a brush with greatness once. I caught the eye of an olympic medalist (canoeing), but his mettle turned out to be too wandering for me. 🙂
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Love the poem and the beautiful GOLD flower pic to go along. Here is a limerick you inspired!
Brenda your Ode to Gold’s the best
Such celebration of the Olympic fest!
de Coubertin’s was too stuffy
with words full of fluffy
But yours won the Gold and beat all the rest!
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Wow! Great limerick. I may frame it and hang it on my wall. 🙂
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oooooh, success is homegrown. That’s a winner of a line right there. And, those flowers are better than medals any day…closer to the laurel leaves they started out as.
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Yay, thank you! What a lovely comment.
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Wonderful tribute to the spirit, dream and passion of those who participate and love the Olympics. ❤
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Without us viewers, there wouldn’t be olympics, would there? We had a great time watching this year.
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It still happened in the past, but with less media attention. Maybe radio in those days? 🙂
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I imagine the live audiences were the original viewers.
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🙂
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