Comment from adewpearl

Exceptional

Effective use of listing
nice touches of alliteration
lovely descriptive detail with appeal to an array of senses
great contrast between the list of delightful memories and the list of those things that plague our society
love the allusion to Strawberry Fields
compelling imagery of the fun house
I particularly like the snow angels and selfies passage
powerful closing that ties together images from the rest of the poem
Insightful and thought-provoking commentary
Brooke

 Comment Written 29-Nov-2014

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reply by the author on 29-Nov-2014

Hi Brooke. Thanks for the marvelous review and special rating! You made my day. So glad you enjoyed this free verse poem. Really appreciate all your detailed comments. I'm thrilled.

Cheers ... ;o) Art

Comment from IndianaIrish

Excellent

RealityKat, your free verse poem is wonderful and you sure made this fa,ce smile. Each verse is unique and creative and you received my vote the other day. Sorry I didn't get to review until now. I suppose soon there will be no such thing as having a check in the mail...or even checks...or even ground mail.
Hope you and your family had a grand gathering yesterday.
Smiles,
IndyCheck :-)

 Comment Written 28-Nov-2014

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reply by the author on 29-Nov-2014

Hey there IndyCheck - Thanks so much for the wonderful review and vote! Came in last place, but that's okay as I had some fun writing this and trying something different with the free verse format. Glad this poem made you smile. Gov't releasing another some 3500 new regulations doesn't make me smile - they are bound and determined to control and regulate everybody and everything. I still write checks, but very few as most transactions are done electronically now.

Yes - we had wonderful gathering of family and friends - it was a fabulous Thanksgiving Day! Hope all is going well with you, and you're staying happy and warm in Valpo. Gosh, I'm not looking forwards to Winter ... wish I was a snow bird headed to the southwest, only to return in the springtime.

Do appreciate your review and vote! ... ;o) RealityKat

Comment from Dean Kuch

Excellent

Bureaucratic "fat-cats" is right, starkat. Lots of witty, scathing criticism to get your point across. But, hey, somebody's gotta say it the way that it is, right? So, it might as just as well be you!

Good stuff...I love the cynicism... :D

 Comment Written 27-Nov-2014

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reply by the author on 28-Nov-2014

Thanks, Dean. Glad you enjoyed the criticism is this real vs unreal free verse poem. Yep, somebody has to make these subtle points and take the reader on a ride too feel the frights. Now that some 3500 new gov't regulations have been released, I'll have more points to ponder and poetically serve up for readers to digest. (gosh, ate too much on turkey day)

Appreciate your comments. Cheers ... ;o) starkat

reply by Dean Kuch on 28-Nov-2014

You're very welcome, starkat.

Cheerio!...;) ~Dean

Comment from Charlene0513

Excellent

To starkat,
A free verse poem indicating the major problems of our world stem from our bureaucratic nonsense and nothing good is guaranteed; not even honesty.
I enjoyed these two lines: to walk through the fun house mirrors
where distorted images bend and twist
Charlene

 Comment Written 27-Nov-2014

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reply by the author on 28-Nov-2014

Thanks, Charlene. Glad you enjoyed the walk through the fun house mirrors where distorted images bend and twist. I had some fun creating this real vs unreal free verse poem.

Appreciate your comments. Cheers ... ;o) starkat

Comment from Just2Write

Excellent

What great use of cynicism to get your point across.

government taxing cow farts
won't stop global warming

No, it won't - but they'll do it anyway. I seem to remember that New Zealand was talking about cutting down on methane gas by reducing flatulence in sheep. Sheesh.

You make some great observations and use humour well to pound them home.

Rose.

 Comment Written 27-Nov-2014

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reply by the author on 28-Nov-2014

Thanks for the wonderful review, Rose.

I think they want to tax each cow $100 per year, and now they also want to tax every pond and puddle on private land. Taxing flatulence in sheep seems super silly, and that won't have any impact on global warming, either. Now the gov't has released some 3500 new regulations for us to digest. 'We the people' have to wake-up, smell the coffee and take control back.

Glad you liked the observations and humor in this real vs unreal free verse poem.

Appreciate your comments. Cheers ... ;o) Art

Comment from Liilia

Excellent

A very thought provoking poem taking the reader to many places including mountain tops and low valleys of the mind as well as the world. The ideas are very original the way you present them in contrast between unreality and reality, the focus on the beauty only and then the focus on the harsh realities, both of which are part and parcel of life. The question is - which one to dwell on more without becoming stuck in the house of mirrors or the pink clouds above and not be able to get back to earth. You state your ideas in clean cut stanzas and the entire poem is well balanced. Lots of food for thought here. Good luck in the contest.

 Comment Written 27-Nov-2014

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reply by the author on 28-Nov-2014

Thanks for the wonderful, detailed review, Liilia. Glad you enjoyed this real vs unreal free verse poem and that it provided some food for thought. I enjoyed writing this poem and taking readers on a ride, but not staying too long to be trapped in the fun house mirrors or freeze to death on the top of Mount Everest. Everybody made it home, safe and sound - but, learned something along the way.

Appreciate all your comments. Cheers ... ;o) starkat

reply by Liilia on 28-Nov-2014

You are very welcome. Keep taking us on those literary rides! Liilia

Comment from c_lucas

Excellent

Life goes on, even when we are ready to give up. It does no good to worry about tomorrow, when we should be living for today. Good imagery.

 Comment Written 26-Nov-2014

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reply by the author on 27-Nov-2014

Thanks, Charlie. Appreciate your comments. Glad you liked the imagery. Cheers ... ;o) Art

reply by c_lucas on 27-Nov-2014

You're welcome, Art. Charlie

Comment from BeasPeas

Excellent

I enjoyed reading your poem. Thought provoking and I guess it's purpose (if any--other than yours) is that the reader brings to it his/her own interpretation--which in itself is something.

 Comment Written 26-Nov-2014

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reply by the author on 27-Nov-2014

Thanks, BeasPeas - Glad you enjoyed this poem and found it thought provoking. Appreciate your comments. Cheers ... ;o)

Comment from Pullmanspb

Excellent

I think there are two things I really LIKED ABOUT THIS:

1. the TOPIC YOU CHOSE (I.E. YOU WERE PREACHING TO THE CHOIR.)

2. How you capably slipped back and for the between the privileged and the rest of us.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Steven

 Comment Written 26-Nov-2014

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reply by the author on 27-Nov-2014

Thanks, Steven. Glad you enjoyed this free verse poem. Appreciate your comments.

Happy Thanksgiving to you, also. Cheers ... ;o) Art

Comment from TAB_that's me

Excellent

I think this is a great entry (truly!). You did a great job with reality verse not reality. Good luck in the contest!
Teresa

 Comment Written 26-Nov-2014

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reply by the author on 27-Nov-2014

Thanks, Teresa. Glad you enjoyed this free verse, real vs unreal, poem. Appreciate your comments. Cheers ... ;o) Art