Comment from TAB_that's me

Excellent

With all the no-no's on the taboo list, you still could write in your usual horror style:) Great job with this free verse prompt. Great alliteration and imagery.
Teresa

 Comment Written 14-Nov-2014

---

reply by the author on 15-Nov-2014

Thanks so much, Teresa, I'll admit, I found it rather...challenging, to say the least. Free verse is not my forte, but I do try very hard in whatever it is I try to do.

Thanks so much again. I sincerely appreciate it! :)

Comment from Glasstruth

Excellent

You have a way with words that creates a mood that's unforgettable. You make Death sound like a scary ghost, and yes, we all fear it. My favorite:

"Death holds court underground.
Judge, jury...executioner;
none are spared
its final earthly feast."

Superbly written! Les

 Comment Written 14-Nov-2014

---

reply by the author on 15-Nov-2014

Thanks, Les! I'll take "superbly" from you any day of the week, my friend!

I so sincerely appreciate your complimentary and thoughtful review. :}

Comment from Ridley Williams

Excellent

Hey DeanO,
Wow...strong image of a graveyard. It sent a shudder down my spine! Nice alliteration with "virulent vortex" and "putrid pall"...yuck! Lol.
You do a good job bringing Death to life (if I may), and remind us of a future event most people would rather not think about...don't know why since it's a fact of life.
Judge, Jury and Executioner, about says it all!
Liked the reference to Eve and the forbidden fruit at the close of the piece.
Looks like a solid write, my friend. I wish you luck with this entry, Bill

 Comment Written 14-Nov-2014

---

reply by the author on 15-Nov-2014

Thanks very much, Bill, and I truly appreciate your brilliant interpretation. A graveyard -- and everything which lies beneath the earth therein -- is precisely what i was trying to depict here. And you nailed it!

Thanks so much again, my friend. You have made my day!

Comment from rtobaygo

Exceptional

Hello!

I feel a bit rusty... The poem's imagery was graphic, dark and frightening. You presented the reader with a foreboding darkness that would envelop all that it touched without mercy or a glimmer of hope.

Well done!

Take care and stay safe,

Ray

 Comment Written 14-Nov-2014

---

reply by the author on 15-Nov-2014

thanks so much for your exceptional rating and outstanding compliments concerning my poem, rtobaygo. I truly appreciate that.

You stay safe as well, my friend.:}

Comment from Cosmic2011

Excellent

I have never been a fan of free verse poetry (mainly because I don't know how to write one nor do I understand them--I like rhymes and rhythm to spice up my world), but this poem opened my eyes to something I've never realized before. It takes a lot of concentrated effort to write free verse poetry because every word conveys meaning. Well done!

 Comment Written 14-Nov-2014

---

reply by the author on 14-Nov-2014

Nor have I been much of a fan of free verse, Cosmic2011, as I prefer rhyming poetry myself. I like poems that say precisely what they mean, and mean precisely what they say. In fact, this is just my third attempt at writing such poetry, so your outstanding and thoughtful comments are greatly appreciated.

All forms of expression can teach us something of value, I beleive. In this poem, I am simply saying that our bodies are nothing more than meat -- a mechanical machine of flesh and bone -- and when we die, whether we be an insect, or a human being, the husks we leave behind -- those empty shells of our mortality -- are nothing more than compost...withered leaves of dying trees. It is our soul that lives on, and truly makes us who and what we are.

Thanks again for taking an interest in my work.

I sincerely appreciate it, my friend. :}

reply by Cosmic2011 on 14-Nov-2014

Thank you so much for filling in the blanks...now you words make more sense. My interpretation was similar, but not quite. If it helps I really liked the very last part about the bitter fruit. Genius!

reply by the author on 14-Nov-2014

I sincerely appreciate each and every word of your review. Thanks so much again. :}

Comment from Leineco

Excellent

Pretty deep Dean. . .the imagery of fall morphing into the fall of man. The transition from vibrance to demise.

As always, developed with foreboding escalation . . . and increasingly squirm inducing imagery.

Nicely done :-)

 Comment Written 14-Nov-2014

---

reply by the author on 14-Nov-2014

You nailed it better than anyone, Lorraine! Your perceptive assessment is precisely what I intended to convey.

If there were six star awards to hand out to those who care enough to review our work, you would most assuredly have one of mine.

thanks so much, and have a wonderful weekend. :}

~DeanO

Comment from flamingstar

Excellent

...and that's what makes Earth such a challenging place to grow and learn; it also makes me wonder why the hell I chose it when there are easier options to choose from (spoken by one who staunchly believes in reincarnation). Spellbinding and ultra-creepy as always! My only suggestion would be to capitalize Death after Creeping in last stanza and also in line 8, so it's uniformly personified throughout the piece.

 Comment Written 14-Nov-2014

---

reply by the author on 14-Nov-2014

Done, and done, flamingstar. Thanks so much for the perceptive review and suggestions.

Much obliged! :}

Comment from kiwijenny

Excellent

Dean this makes me so glad that Jesus died for us.
I have just heard that a dear friend died this morning. He was a dear sweet Christian man. He will NOT be devoured....yay
God bless

 Comment Written 14-Nov-2014

---

reply by the author on 14-Nov-2014

That's very good to know, kiwijenny, and I'm so sorry that you lost such a dear friend. We can all hold great comfort in knowing that while his mortal husk lies empty, his soul lives on in Paradise.

Thanks for the great review. :}

Comment from Louise Michelle

Exceptional

Well, Dean, this earned you another sixer. Through your imagination, death has become an entity, one that controls the destination of decaying flesh. "Death holds court underground" is brilliant.

I think what makes this so special is the subtlety. You avoided using the obvious gruesome words which makes the impact even darker. A wonderful work! Hugs, Lou

 Comment Written 14-Nov-2014

---

reply by the author on 14-Nov-2014

Thanks, Lou, and you've subtly hit on my reasons for why I wrote "DEACAY" the way in which I did, purposely avoiding the more gruesome terms and phrases. I wanted it to read matter-of-factly, as I feel that our bodies are nothing more than compost -- like the withered, dead and dried leaves of trees -- when all is said and done. It is our soul and spirit that truly matter in the end.

Thanks once again for an awesome review and outstanding assessment.

Hugs to you 2! :}

~DeanO

reply by Louise Michelle on 14-Nov-2014

Ditto!

Comment from c_lucas

Excellent

Even Death must give honor to Life. This is very well written with a smooth flow of words, making for a good read. Good luck in your contest.

 Comment Written 14-Nov-2014

---

reply by the author on 14-Nov-2014

Thanks, Charlie. :}

reply by c_lucas on 14-Nov-2014

You're welcome, Dean. Charlie