Gold Stars and Bronze Medals

Gold Stars and Bronze Medals

written by: Ann Marie Gardinier

Maybe you misunderstood
The meaning
Of the word
That repeated
Echoed
So heavy with
Weight
And value
That it determined
Your identity
Your path
Your health
Your worth

Maybe it isn’t
Productivity
Achievement
Excellence
A Standing Ovation
The little actor
Bringing the drama
Playing to the crowd
Riding the crest of the laughter
Chasing applause

Praise waited in the wings
Eager to take over
When the applause faded
A magnetic force
Even with its fleeting nature
Its gravity pulls
Drawing attention
Light attracting light

And you, moving
Chasing the reflection
But it scatters
Bounces
You’re running but falling behind
It flips
Losing momentum
You can’t catch the intangible
Running ragged
Losing strength
A hunger that can never be fed
It shifts again
The finish line never stops moving
But you do.

You ran and ran
Until you could no longer keep up
Until the pace broke you

Until the pace broke me.

Perhaps praise is not the prize
Gold stars not the goal
Defining success not the problem
Maybe there wasn’t a misunderstanding
But a miscalculation
Trading value for recognition,
And worth for an ‘Atta girl’
When the best students know
The best trade is always for bronze.

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• About
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Ann Marie Gardinier

Ann Marie is a professor and award-winning author. She writes regularly at her Substack Midlife U, with an inspiring “faculty” who write and teach about topics important to midlife women. Her Spillwords poem “Voices in the Mirror” was named Poem of the Month and nominated for Publication of the Year. Ann Marie’s work has been featured in HuffPost, Medium, Only in Your State, 30Seconds, and RVAMag. She is the author of the award-winning children's book Bucket Filling Fairy, and a play, Have You Filled a Bucket Today?, which has been produced across the U.S. and internationally. Ann Marie is grateful to have been a Writer-in-Residence at the Pedlar River Institute's Sourwood Forest Artist Residency.

Latest posts by Ann Marie Gardinier (see all)

• Gold Stars and Bronze Medals - July 14, 2026
• Voices in the Mirror - August 12, 2025
• Lady Liberty Whispers - May 29, 2025