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Odds and Ends

Viewing comments for Chapter 20 "Dreaming Born"
off the chart genuis

18 total reviews 
Comment from amada
Excellent
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Congratulations for this poem being in the selected of the month. Such a great work, overwhelming lines, my fave "rock a bye baby
sometimes cradles drop..."


 Comment Written 25-Jun-2015


reply by the author on 25-Jun-2015
    Thank you beautiful....smile...at work right now.....hope you're doing well.love michael
Comment from RGstar
Excellent
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Gladens me to see your name on that list. My friend, again your poetic, report style which is unique to you, and I wish more would read and read again, because what you write is deeply special, and one has to dig deep to find it, but when found, it is exquisite.

A very well done.
You deserve to lift the prize one day, if not this day.

Best wishes,
RG

 Comment Written 17-Jun-2015


reply by the author on 17-Jun-2015
    hey Man...-smile-...haha...ah your a star....thank you Sir. Very much appreciated...love Michael
Comment from pipersfancy
Excellent
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Beautiful lines, filled with difficult (but ultimately hopeful) truths, Michael. You've rocked the reader with this lullaby of painful falls, and merciful renewal. Your line of: 'coaxing trampled flowers back to beautiful' had me thinking of the new flower bed I put in under my front bay window earlier this spring... When I went to purchase my plants, I deliberately chose the ones that looked to be in the roughest condition... dried out, broken off leaves, damaged in some way... The check-out girl questioned me if I really wanted those particular plants... and I told her, 'yes' (because... it just felt like they needed me most.)

My flower bed is looking quite nice, and all my plants have survived the transplant to their new home well!

Good luck with this very beautiful work, my friend!
Christina

 Comment Written 17-Jun-2015


reply by the author on 17-Jun-2015
    hey Christina...-smile-...so cool....I'll bet their blooming happy...thank you beautiful.....love michael
Comment from Brett Matthew West
Excellent
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Good plot. Easy to follow story line. Plenty of smooth flowing action. Descriptive language used well throughout this story.

 Comment Written 26-May-2015


reply by the author on 26-May-2015
    Hi. Brett...that plot and story line stuff....is great in ahh some worlds I suppose....but certainly not in any I've tried to grace with poetic sophistication mirroring...no one.... and it didn't take precedence on any planet I've been on so far at least....real life sneaks up and takes your breath away....anyway thanks man Love Bug-
Comment from jlsavell
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

God morning Michael,

I do hope this day finds you well and at peace. I am sure you are enjoying your temporary guest, but I know you will be happy when you finally have some time to yourself. Don't get me wrong, I love guests, especially family, but even family can get weary after three days. But you have such a big heart, you suffer so one may feel comfortable.

Your poem is truly exceptional. It has only been the last year that I have had the privilege of reading your work and I have yet to find one that is haphazardly produced. I know people tell you , you have a unique style but this is so cliché' Your style is signature(outside the box) asking, no imploring the reader to not just read, read and absorb, for its message reveals much more than an author's thoughts. It often contains a philosophical message which touches on the whole of humanity and their behaviorism, their dreams, and their assimilation of the world at large.

As I have told you and many other poets before, poetry is a multidimensional language. Your exceptional poetry communicates experience.

These lines a perfect example
rock a bye baby
sometimes cradle's drop
weight overbearing dream crushing

care repairs fledgling wings
broken in flight falls
down to human handling


often times our lofty dreams, or even the realization of our dreams through hard work and diligence can be shattered, annihilated for any given reason from betrayal to health issues, even to death. Your metaphorical value in these lines, alone,command and deserve a second reading.


How many times has a mother, sitting high in her nest, pushed her tiny heart into the world to fly. We know she has dreams for him, but he soars with a new world and a new hope, until the unthinkable happens. He becomes broken in flight and gravity brings him to Earth. 'Human handling', what a great line.


I had an Uncle, whom I was very fond of. His heart was as huge as yours. He loved animals and collected strays and took care of them as any loving Father would take care of a child. I know this sounds grotesque, but he had a pet cemetery in his back yard, and when one passed, he grieved hard. There was this one memory, where I was spending the weekend with he and my Aunt. He was mowing the lawn and found a tiny tiny nighthawk with a broken wing. He gently picked her up and placed her in a washcloth and took her to his vet. She had a broken wing, but she was so tiny, it was next to impossible to repair. But that did not detour my Uncle. He built her a cage, for he knew she could never go back into her mother's nest again. He named her Lucky. He diligently fed her round the clock, setting his alarm. Every morning and every evening, he would put her in a tiny wash cloth, which was her blanket, and rock her. Really? I use to laugh at this. Even more absurd, or so I thought, he and my Aunt from that point forward until the bird passed, never took a vacation together because one had to be home for Lucky. True story. This is what your poem reminded me of.


Yes, many times, it is the human heart filled with understanding and compassion that retrieves the broken souls and nurses them back till they can find their wings and fly again,


Another great line, filled with appreciation and allusion to hope and faith

God forbidden mysteries just right
coaxing trampled flowers back to beautiful
is given life...

We often question our suffering and are often told it is God's test He has bestowed upon you. To me, this paradigm is erroneous. For He never test anyone, but allows. Yet, He never allows any more than we can handle. Yet, within our faith and our integrity, He will lift us up victoriously, coaxing trampled flowers to beautiful.


You know we are not all good readers of poetry. Our poetry cannot always be judged by the response it evokes from readers. Some readers are in tuned to the incandescent fire of poetry, others are not. If one is a poor reader of poetry, then you will get response such as most of its eloquent and tight language is "nonsensical". They may truly find it dull and boring and say that poetry is just a fancy way of writing something that could be said more simply. I say then, so might a colorblind man deny that there is no such thing as color?

Good poetry brings us pleasure and it communicates experience. It engages the reader for it touches his sensual, emotional, intellectual and imaginative level. It's tight and eloquent language and employment of poetical devices shapes its beauty and where there is beauty, there is pleasure.

Incredible work Michael, incredible my dearest and closest friend..

Love jimi


 Comment Written 25-May-2015


reply by the author on 25-May-2015
    Hi....-smile- bright eyes, I see you've made it to starbucks already.....a lil' high strung on slapping somebody around should they disagree.....lol...ahhh smile-....I wish I were special,,,,so fucking special...-shouldershrug-....love you Bug-
reply by jlsavell on 25-May-2015
    You are wonderfully special. Radiohead. Love you dearly
Comment from livelylinda
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

Michael: may the good Lord repair your broken cradle with someone's love and care. Beautifully written as usual. I had not ever heard John Mayer sing; only knew he dated Jennifer Anniston once upon a time. Great choice! Soft Thunder

 Comment Written 25-May-2015


reply by the author on 27-May-2015
    Boy sure wish I could say that....ya know that Jennifer Aniston part.....-crookedsmile-.....oh well maybe she single now....you think she reads me too...? you think...? -smile-....love you Michael
reply by livelylinda on 28-May-2015
    I don't know, Michael. Jennifer Aniston seems always very busy attempting to replace Brad Pitt . . . doesn't seem to be working for her while he seems extremely happy. She doesn't seem like a poetry-kind-of-gal to me . . .
    Tired Thunder
    Hey, did you get flooded out? I've been watching the news about the horrendous flooding in Texas.
reply by the author on 29-May-2015
    -headshake-....no....been thinking about it....I'm pretty sure she does....-wink-.....smile
Comment from TAB_that's me
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

I wonder if the abused and battered, the ones taken for human trafficing, etc can ever feel beautiful again. Well done my friend.
teresa

 Comment Written 24-May-2015


reply by the author on 27-May-2015
    ah.....yes. but usually by someone else....-smile-...first. -wink-...thank you Teresa......love Michael
Comment from Joan E.
Excellent
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You're rubbing it in--I always have to ask for pillows "sin plumas," since I'm allergic to feathers! I relished your alliteration of "f's" and "s's" and the circularity with the repeat of the first stanza. Here's to healing "over wounds"! -Joan, from Lisbon, Portugal

 Comment Written 24-May-2015


reply by the author on 27-May-2015
    um well....I've been told I have strong hands....-shouldershrug-...and a wandering mind....-smile-....thank you Dear....what....Portugal.....hm....bring me back some castenetts ....love Bug-
reply by Joan E. on 29-May-2015
    Lots of castanets in Spain and Portugal-- your "strong hands" would be perfect to learn to use them! Smiles- Joan, from Madrid
Comment from robina1978
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

Excellent title and photo that complements your poem perfectly. As mostly liked the first and last stanza best. It is a very well written free verse with much alliteration. About a female who dropped and later needed repair.

 Comment Written 24-May-2015


reply by the author on 01-Jun-2015
    wooo...hey sis....-smile- sorry I'm late .hmm...well I honestly don't remember what its about...so okay dokey....love Michael
Comment from Chris Tee
Excellent
Not yet exceptional. When the exceptional rating is reached this is highlighted

As Per usual an absolutely excellent overall job The poem is great and I like the alliteration strewn around like "rife with sacrifice secures second chances" and "holy held" and a few more. Great work indeed here my friend.

 Comment Written 24-May-2015


reply by the author on 03-Jun-2015
    Hi Chris....-smile-....why thank you Sir....good to see you again....love bug-