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115 Public Reviews Given
286 Total Reviews Given
Public Reviews
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26
26
Review of LOVE’S WARMTH  
Review by Artemismad
Rated: E | (4.0)

The Best Parts:

The metaphor of the red shawl:

As I sit in lonely night,
Draped in the fading red shawl,
Which you gave on my birthday,
I do memories recall


“I am going now afar,
Keep this shawl with you ever.
It has warmth of my love,
Let it part from you never”.


Snuggling in the snow (awwww *Blush*):

Silent but yet professing
Deep love for one another,
Unmindful of falling snow,
Though it gave us a shiver.


Okay, I know this one doesn't rhyme like the rest of the stanzas but it's a great image.

Worth a second look:

I was now to get never.

<cringe>
I've just an odd aversion to the word "get" (in Virginia the pronounce it, "git". Aaaahhh!); there are better words, I think ("have", "know"?).

For the last time as you glanced:

Glanced at what?

Overall
A sweet poem that heartfelt and heartwrenching.

Cheers,
Anna R.


27
27
Review of Chaos  
Review by Artemismad
Rated: E | (4.0)
Yep, I can relate to this one too. I'm a clutterbug, not so much in the unsanitary, dishes piled to the ceiling sort of way, but in the "my lease and tax forms reside in a pile that includes all my junk mail for the last month" sort of way. *Bigsmile*

I laugh but it is a genuine struggle too. I notice a touch of sadness in this as well and rings very true.

Cheers,
Anna R.
28
28
Review by Artemismad
Rated: 13+ | (3.0)
Hmmm...this isn't one of my favorites of yours.

What needs a second look:

*The rhyme of the first and last stanzas do not match the middle stanzas or each other.

*The rhyme scheme of the last stanza does not match the two in the middle.

*"I bought a pool the dog ate up." Huh? *Confused*

I hope this helps.

Cheers,
Anna R.
29
29
Review by Artemismad
Rated: 13+ | (2.5)
No doubt this is a very articulate piece with a lot of passion behind it, but your base idea,

...a debate between my soul and my body. My soul says,“Celebrate Death and Mourn Birth” and my body says, “God is the Ultimate Terrorist in the Universe”., never really sinks in.

At first glance, I don't really see a "debate", but rather two statements that support one another so presenting this as a debate is already difficult. If being alive is a tragedy then birth could be considered an act of terrorism by God, yes?

The definition of terrorism as it relates to both God and Man should be presented earlier to give the reader a "step up" to your plane of thinking. Alternatively, you could adjust the first statement to something like, "Death is an act of love by God". That way you have a more straight forward arguement that starts with "Death is good; Death is bad" and builds its way up to "Ignorance is punishment; Ingorance is bliss" and so on.

Some Specific Suggestions:

Especially the recent Kumbakonam* incident, where 90 kids of 3-5 years old died (rather fried) due to a fire accident in the school building disturbed me a lot.}/i}

This insertion really isn't necessary and might be considered by some to be in poor taste. "Offensive" statements distract from your arguement; a subdued, objective kind of approach would be more effective since these events have plenty of shock value on their own.

"I can’t laugh and celebrate the death before 90 deep fried flesh of Kids died in a fire accident in Kumbakonam."

See last statement...

Some Typos:

"When Adam and Eve..."

I hope this helps. I'll happily re-review this any time.

Cheers,
Artemismad
30
30
Review of Visits Matter  
Review by Artemismad
Rated: E | (4.0)
Fantastic Illustrations:

"When I ask her the name of her children, she sometimes cannot tell me, but she never suffers one of her crying episodes on a day one of them comes to visit."

"Alzheimer’s and dementia can make big children out of grown ups. Imagine for a moment that your loved one at BUSINESS is a kid at summer camp, and think back to when you were a child away at camp for the summer. Do you remember visiting day – the day when parents would come and have lunch or dinner with their children? It could be awkward for sure, but didn’t you feel a little bit sorry for the kids whose parents never came for a visit?

I think you've presented a unique perspective on an issue that does not get nearly enough attention. The "Summer Camp" illustration really tugged at my heart strings and drove the point home.

NB: I gave a 4.0 because I suspect you are still adding to this; I'll happily re-review it at any time.
*Smile*

Cheers,
Anna R.
31
31
Review of Peacenik Prose  
Review by Artemismad
Rated: 13+ | (3.5)


Typo:

And our and strife.

Best Parts:

What if "they” gave a war,
And nobody came?


"But who dares to philosophize
When apathy is the rule.
“Don’t get involved,”
Versus
"Don't give a damn,"
Is the ultimate duel."


Overall, I think you make some good points, and this poem has a lot of great "parts". Try as I might though, I could not read it in its entirety without stumbling. Maybe the exclamations and deep questions should be separated out to allow the reader to pause and ponder, if only for a second because they'll want to regardless of whether you allow it or not.

Cheers,
Artemismad


32
32
Review of Inherited Medals  
Review by Artemismad
Rated: E | (4.0)
This almost seems like two poems in one, one that rhymes and one that does not. I have a couple of poems like this too, but can be a little jarring for the reader especially for contemplative pieces like this one. Rhyme has a way of speeding things up because it kind rolls effortless off the tongue (brain *Pthb*), so to switch from non-rhyming to rhyming rushes the reader through the conclusion of your poem.

Overall, I do like the message. Our legacy as a person is so much more important than our legacy as a hero.

Cheers,
Anna R.
33
33
Review by Artemismad
Rated: E | (4.5)
This piece was so prolific that I just took what I thought to be the defining quotes for my review, and organized them for anyone who wants to read it.

Universal Wisdom:

Often times many of our happiest and most contented memories are rooted in the most simple and inane moments.

Hurtful words can often inflict more pain than a punch. Still,many people who use language to hurt never apologize or make any attempt to take back these words.

The process of becoming "adult" for many is a long one,

It has only been recently as my life has taken the path of discontentment that I have come to realize the healing nature of words, specifically the ones that are written from the heart.

The one thing I've come to know through much heartache and pain is that there is no greater comfort than that of emotional comfort, that unspoken contentment within yourself-- for yourself.



Comforting Wisdom for Divorcees:

"once you accept that this is not the image you had for your life and move on to create a healthy healing environment for yourself and child, life begins anew".

That said I also am of the mind that my marriage not lasting was not a failure, it's a promise unfulfilled, it was a dream broken, but it will not be categorized in my mind as a failure.

I also recognize that I am a much wiser and more sensitive person for having survived a divorce and it's effects on my child and me.

Still in all the confusion and heartache there are certain things I would never change, and our time together can never be diminished by the outcome.


Things I can relate to as a child of divorce:

My father had taken to drinking in the bar after work and often times I was left to prepare the meal and keep an eye on my younger brother. This was such a role reversal, something that really changed me; I knew I was not just a kid anymore. In retrospect, I can see now how much this depressed me as a teen-ager, and how all I really wanted was my family to be made whole again.

Okay, so my Dad didn't drink, but he was terribly depressed and non-responsive.

Typos:

This Sophia is what we all strive for, to be at peace, to be happy, and to give and receive love.

Our unwillingness to go with my mom was both because of a loyalty we felt for our father, as well as a condemnation of the whole process which was causing us this pain.

--Alfred Lord Tennysonpe (?)

Overall:

This was a beautifully written piece. I liked the first part best because of its universal applications. The 2nd and 3rd parts are more specific to your family, which is helpful as well.

I also enjoyed the insertions of recipes (especially the pancakes *Laugh*) and well-chosen quotes.

Write on!

-Anna R.




34
34
Review of Help Us Help YOU!  
Review by Artemismad
Rated: ASR | (4.5)
I'm a little bashful about the whole "emails to other sites" thing. Besides, I'm happy here and have had some really disappointing experiences in the past (ahem...Poetry.com).

I think group involvement in general on this site is good for exposure, even if their express purpose isn't promotion of other writers. Public reviewing is another great way to gain exposure, not only for the author being reviewed but for you as the reviewer as well.
35
35
Review by Artemismad
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
Man can I relate to this! I feel so lonely sometimes in my singleton life but those times do pass. Independence is a highly underrated gift. You're your message universal and your language is simple enough for everyone to understand.

My Favorite Parts:

I have too much to lose
by making bad decisions.



What you think you're offering,
Isn't what you have to give.
Besides, I don't know what I want,
Except a chance to live.


Well Done!

Cheers,
Anna R.
36
36
Review by Artemismad
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
This is great idea! I loved the original, but it is a bit outdated now. "Paparazzi" is spelled wrong, btw. You've managed to keep the rhyme and rhythm true to the original, which I'm sure was hard.

It's a little we sad think of the "stain on the blue dress" as a historical event. What is the world coming to?!

Cheers,
Artemismad
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