Reviews from

Border Control

musings while gardening...

40 total reviews 
Comment from johnwilson
Excellent
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I knew you'd have something profound to say about our current political situation; however, that you'd stoke it with Valerian and Damask roses is sublime! As usual, a very good piece!

 Comment Written 09-Oct-2016


reply by the author on 12-Oct-2016
    Thanks again, Jean. Glad you enjoyed it! Difficult to fnd anything profound to say about the current mudslinging debates. Tony
Comment from djsaxon
Excellent
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Awesome. The last stanza is ridiculously clever. Only your pen could have generated that metaphor. I dips me humble lid. Cheers - DJ

 Comment Written 07-Oct-2016


reply by the author on 07-Oct-2016
    Thank you kindly, sir. You say the nicest things! Cheers, Tony
Comment from Treischel
Excellent
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The joys, the battle of a garden, expressed so well in this mixed meter poem with aabb rhymes. The title underscores a cleaver metaphor. Was delighted with "adventitious propagates." The poetic imagery: evoking Camelot, the flowers, the invasive yellow bane; was best part of this delightful musing.

 Comment Written 06-Oct-2016


reply by the author on 07-Oct-2016
    Thanks, Tom. I always enjoy your reviews and this one is no exception! Best wishes, Tony
Comment from judester
Excellent
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Your clever poem and little garden seems to mirror today's refugee plight. Our little gardens, so predetermined and planned, then yikes, foreign flowers pop up. That is all I am going to say about this, I received alot of flak when I wrote how Canada's wonderful Prime Minister welcomed the refugees to Canada. 'They are not refugees, but New Canadians." I enjoyed this, cheers, judester

 Comment Written 05-Oct-2016


reply by the author on 07-Oct-2016
    Thanks, Judester. I had some interesting reviews of this one, some thinking that I was all for tighter border control, some thinking I was against it and some thinking I was just talking about weeding the garden! I think, judging from your response, that you and I are on the same wavelength. Best wishes, Tony
reply by judester on 07-Oct-2016
    I find our American friends are verrrry wary about accepting these refugees. Canada and America, though neighbors, have different ideas about the rest of the world. Often they ask Canada to come help them fight some war, if only to show them where this country is on the map, ha ha, old joke. Since 9/11, America has changed to it's core and experiencing what they do, fighting foreigners, has jaded them I'm afraid. Canada has wonderful thriving neighbourhoods filled with people looking for a better life and they find it. I imagine when the bombs stop falling on you, there is time to spend on more peaceful endeavors. These are people, just like us, looking for the promise the world made years ago...never again. Cheers, j
Comment from Pam (respa)
Excellent
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-Very nice image and presentation.
-It must be spring in your part of the globe.
-Good poem with good rhyme and description.
-The lovely flowers are described as such in the first half and
the "adventitious propagules" are described well in the second.
[I did increase my vocabulary with that one!]
-I like your phrase of breaking "pre-set rules."
-A good ending.
-Hope your garden does well.
-Won't it be time for pig face soon, too?!
-Thanks for sharing.

 Comment Written 05-Oct-2016


reply by the author on 07-Oct-2016
    Thanks, Pam. The garden is going just great. We laid a new front lawn last week, the day before the worst storms here in over 50 years - so it got well watered in! I think we were the only people in South Australia glad to see so much rain. The Pigface has almost doubled in size again since the last poem, now covering between one and two square yards. It should be coming into bloom in about a month and may inspire another poem - you never know!
reply by Pam (respa) on 07-Oct-2016
    You are welcome, Tony. You are gardening, we are awaiting the leaves falling! I would think if Pigface doubled in size, it would definitely deserve a poem:) Enjoy your garden.
Comment from rspoet
Excellent
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Nature does not like a garden...
to remain pristine.
You may plant seeds,
but the wind will plant her own
unconcerned about rules
of who may enter and who may not.
Survival of the fittest, strongest, most aggressive
Does nature care one sot for beauty?
Beauty is in the mind of the observer
What was there first, the flower or the weed?
And is the sower a poet, farmer, industrialist?
or a retired tinkerer pulling weeds
with some vague notion of Camelot?
Excellent musings

 Comment Written 05-Oct-2016


reply by the author on 07-Oct-2016
    This review caused me great entertainment, RS. I have been saying to my wife for years that we should grow weeds and root out all of the flowers - a suggestion that is not generally well received! We put in a border of Agave plants down the driveway last year and a few nasturtium seeds must have been in the mulch. We now have a rambling cascade of colour, far better than our carefully laid plan!
Comment from Spitfire
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

A marvelous conceit or extended metaphor. A sure slam on those who look down upon others and don't want them near their country club. Some of those invasive plants can offer color too.

 Comment Written 05-Oct-2016


reply by the author on 07-Oct-2016
    Thanks for this great review and for the six stars, Shari. Some reviewers seemed to think I was writing about gardening and others that I was an ardent supporter of border controls, building walls, etc. I'm delighted that you read it as I intended! Best wishes, Tony
Comment from strandregs
Excellent
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Well done.
taking immigration to a grass roots level.
the seed of all weevil.
weelbarrows loaded with dirt.
forks stuck in discorides roots.
lovely analogy. Analgestic.
Miss May and Miss Merkel
sipping confiscated assaylum tea.
ponderosa.
:-)) Z.

 Comment Written 05-Oct-2016


reply by the author on 07-Oct-2016
    A satiricl response to a satirical poem, and laced with your inimitable humour. Thank you! Best wishes, Tony
Comment from WalkerMan
Excellent
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Based on the title, if I understand this poem correctly, the invaders of your carefully tended garden are much like the illegal immigrants with no intention of assimilating who are accelerating the decline of our cultural heritage. We need to weed them out -- at least the criminals among them -- while still allowing the legal immigrants who come here, not for handouts, but to work, assimilate, and be free. Well done and nicely presented.

 Comment Written 05-Oct-2016


reply by the author on 07-Oct-2016
    Many thanks for your review and interesting comments. Much appreciated. Tony
reply by WalkerMan on 07-Oct-2016
    You're welcome, Tony. Often, a good poem can be read on many levels. -- Mike
Comment from BeasPeas
Excellent
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This is an amusing poem and a delight to read. Image
is gorgeous. The bane of not having rules followed. We are
all victims of that. Great rhyming and flow. Marilyn

 Comment Written 04-Oct-2016


reply by the author on 07-Oct-2016
    Many thanks for your review and interesting comments, Marilyn. Much appreciated. Tony