Poems Inspired by Heirlooms
Poetic Legacies Woven with Threads, Words, and Keepsakes.
Every genealogist has salivated over learning about family heirlooms, especially when those items tell a story. Other objects may be shrouded in mystery -- why did the ancestors hold on to that corn cobb pipe, that silver-plated tray, those half-finished quilts? That pocket watch engraved with the initials of your third great-grandfather felt his gaze and his hands. Each keepsake is a doorway into ancestral memory.
I'll never forget seeing, for the first time, the "trunk" my ancestors brought from Wales on a ship. No bigger than a breadbox, that container held everything my ancestors wanted to carry to the new land in the late 1800s. I couldn't imagine what they decided to bring, and I doubt it was documented, but that image helped me imagine their voyage and hopes. Heirlooms provide a tangible foundation for poetry and storytelling, providing a window for us to imagine family rituals, migrations, and joys or sorrows.
Writing poetry about heirlooms helps to preserve family history. Our poems become insightful time capsules accessible to our descendants.
Poetry Form Spotlight: The Object Poem
Why an Object Poem?
An object poem is a piece that praises or pays tribute to an object, no matter if is a sock or a family heirloom passed down through the ages. It's the perfect form for writing about heirlooms because it allows you to elevate the everyday object such as a sewing thimble, a brooch, or a well-worn apron to something sacred and eternal.
Object Poetry Characteristics:
Addresses the subject directly
Can use elevated language or emotional tone, or simple and direct language
May be formal with structured stanzas or informal/free verse
Examples:
"Stuff" by Wendy Barker
"I Can't Put Enough Household Objects in This Poem To Equal Your Wonderfulness" by Molly Tenenbaum
"Yellow Glove" by Naomi Shihab Nye. A prose poem, worth a look as that form is a wonderful possibility for your poem.
Call to Action: How to Get Started
You don’t need to be a poet to begin—just start by noticing the objects in your home that hold history. Sit with one. Let it bring up a memory, a question, or a story. Write freely and let the shape come later.
You can also:
Interview a family member about a specific heirloom
Pair your poem with a photo of the object
Record yourself reading the poem and save it for your descendants
Your heirloom poems don’t just preserve the past—they awaken it. Keep that poetry in a family history book, a scrapbook, or your digital storytelling archive. These poems will become heirlooms, too.
Head to this article at Goin’ Poetic to gain access to books and poems geared toward writing about cultural artifacts, and to try the prompts I provide in that piece to write your own story.