Comment from Raul1

Excellent

This poem meets the requirements for the contest. It has a very good chance of winning the contest! Excellent work! No grammatical errors. Best wishes in the contest!

 Comment Written 27-Apr-2021

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reply by the author on 27-Apr-2021

Thanks Raul. I hope the voting will place me on the podium.

Pleased you liked my Grandfather inspired poem.

Comment from tempeste

Excellent

Ciao poet! I gave you your 5 th vote!


That's a beautiful photo of your grandfather

So your grandfather was a reserved man by nature or did he just posed stoic for the photo?

In those days it was the norm to look collected...no smiles etc.

I read your notes ... He spoke 5 languages ..this makes me think he enjoyed communicating..sharing

He witnessed and lived through many changes having been part of two centuries..

The second Industrial Revolution

The Russian Revolution

Two WWs or just WW1..did he serve?

He witnessed the Spanish Flu pandemic too then?

The GreatDepression?

Shame you didn't provide the years of his birth and death. ( sigh)

 Comment Written 27-Apr-2021

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reply by the author on 27-Apr-2021

Tempeste,

Likely he just posed for the photo.

Born in Russia-Poland about 1870, died in 1963. Arrived in the USA (New York City) in Summer 1887 just in time for the infamous snow Blizzard of March 1888. By 1889, he had saved enough money to bring his parents and siblings to America. Married in 1898. His wife died in 1959. I am their first grandchild. Coincidentally, my grandfather, my fafter, and I all married at age 28.

All the rest of his history was true.

Thanks for your vote!

reply by tempeste on 27-Apr-2021

Thanks Marco.. your grandfather was a hard working man .. he wanted his family with him...I can understand that .

The change must have been
tough.


Thank you for sharing!

Keep safe!

Comment from mobileliz

Excellent

short and to the point, good choice of picture, no typos, etc. not sure how this could be improved. He looks like a wise and intelligent man. Hope he really is your grandfather.

 Comment Written 27-Apr-2021

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reply by the author on 27-Apr-2021

Liz,

He was! He was the only grandfather I knew; his wife was the only grandmother I knew. They were married for over 60 years. Sadly none of their five children lived as long in years as they did. He was 93 at his death; grandma was 84. My writing style is mostly 5-7-5; longer verses are not in my poetry wheelhouse.

reply by mobileliz on 27-Apr-2021

Your poetry wheelhouse looks fine to me. I'm not really a poet so I can't say I even have a wheelhouse (haha) take care and have a nice day

reply by the author on 27-Apr-2021

I like writing these short ones, but I don?t yet consider myself a poet LOL

Stay safe. Keep healthy! Keep writing; we can all improve in our poetry skills.

Comment from Wendy G

Excellent

A beautiful modern Haiku. He looks very dignified in the photo. You have done him honour with your words and expressions, also in the Author's Notes. Good wishes for your entry.

 Comment Written 26-Apr-2021

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reply by the author on 26-Apr-2021

Thanks Wendy!

He is the only Grandpa I knew. Sadly my children never knew their grandfathers. But luckily, their grandmothers lived to celebrate their 95th birthdays in good health.

Comment from Gypsy Blue Rose

Excellent

Grandpa Remembered

Hello, Mark,

Excellent contemporary haiku...I would call it a senryu because it's about human nature but cont.haiku is okay. I like your grandpa's picture. I have old pictures of my family....now days hard pictures are a thing of the past. My granddaughters love to go through my box of pictures...I have a lot of them. I like the way he is looking in the distance. My grandma died in her 90s too. Good syllable count and connection between lines. Good luck in the contest.

Gypsy

 Comment Written 26-Apr-2021

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reply by the author on 26-Apr-2021

Thanks Gypsy!

The only set of grandparents I knew were my paternal side. Grandma died in her 84th year; Grandpa died in his 93rd. Sadly none of their five children achieved those ages. Now we look at family pictures on the computer. We have not recently looked at our family picture albums.

Thanks for your good wishes in the contest.

Comment from Goodadvicechan

Excellent

I like the picture. It does relate to the poem. We all miss our grandpa... in my case, I haven't met my grandparents. They passed away before my birth. I love my grand children very much now.

Thanks for sharing your excellent poem

 Comment Written 26-Apr-2021

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reply by the author on 26-Apr-2021

I only knew one set of grandparents, my paternal side. I too love my grandchildren, coincidentally all are April birthdays. Thanks for your support of this contest entry.

Comment from Chris Fruge

Excellent

I enjoyed this piece and think you delivered a powerful image that many can relate to in a very limited form. The commentary was also a nice touch which further enriched the piece but the work itself stands alone well too. Nice job

 Comment Written 26-Apr-2021

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reply by the author on 26-Apr-2021

Thanks Chris for your generous remarks on my overall presentation for this tribute to my Grandpa.

Comment from Kerry L Batchelder

Excellent

Your grandfather sounds like a very wise man. Your picture of him compliments the wonderful description you have provided of him through this poem. Great work!

 Comment Written 26-Apr-2021

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reply by the author on 26-Apr-2021

Kerry,

My Grandpa was truly a wise man but I do recall his scratchy beard. LOL. He was a successful immigrant. Growing up, we visited he and his wife and their daughter at least once a week. I have fond memories of all of them.

Comment from Janice Canerdy

Excellent

In these few syllables, you have conveyed a moving and meaningful message about memories--how they take on a deeper importance as we age. Excellent ekphrastic piece

 Comment Written 25-Apr-2021

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reply by the author on 26-Apr-2021

Hi Janice!

I have fond memories of the only living grandfather I knew. He was an old man in my mind, as depicted in his picture. I am at the age now that equaled his age when I, his first grandchiid, was born.

Comment from Sharon Davis

Excellent

A well captured memory is set out in this contemporary haiku. The words of the poem are mirrored in the photograph that inspired the piece. Well put together and presented.

This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.

 Comment Written 25-Apr-2021

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reply by the author on 25-Apr-2021

Thanks Sharon for endorsing my Grandpa?s tribute. He was a remarkable human being - very generous to his family and in-law family.