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698 Public Reviews Given
972 Total Reviews Given
Review Style
Firm yet fair.
I'm good at...
Poetry and short stories.
Favorite Genres
Historical fiction and fantasy. I also love any type of poetry, especially form poetry.
Least Favorite Genres
Sci-fi.
Favorite Item Types
Short story, poetry, chapter.
Least Favorite Item Types
Interactive.
I will not review...
Interactive.
Public Reviews
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Review of LED BY A STAR  Open in new Window.
Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with SIMPLY POSITIVE GROUP  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
Hi Sherri,

I found this poem in the Simply Positive Forum. This is a beautiful account of the three Wise Men going to see Christ when he was born. I especially loved the line "The infant's mother looked like a Queen." The rhymes worked quite well; they were creative, not easy word choices, like "complain" and "reign." You helped put the "Christ" back in "Christmas" as they always say with this poem, so thanks for that. Thanks for sharing, and keep writing!

April
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Review of I miss you  Open in new Window.
Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with SIMPLY POSITIVE GROUP  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.5)
This is such a sad piece. I wonder why mother and child have separated? I like the short lines and the rhyming scheme, it works, except for "moment" and "control it." The emotion is felt in every line. Thanks for sharing, and keep writing! And check out my port if you have the time.

April
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Review of Pain Again  Open in new Window.
Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with Showering Acts of Joy Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.0)
Hi Dogpack,

I found your portfolio in the Showering Acts of Joy Garden. This was an interesting poem about trying to not focus on the physical pain one is feeling in one's body, but instead focus on positive things in life like "Reading, writing and reviewing," among others. I liked the lines "I'll write with might/Day and night." I can certainly relate to turning to the written word to soothe whatever pain I might be feeling, physical or mental.

The rhymes were good. The line breaks were somewhat awkward at times, though, and I didn't quite understand why you chose to start a new line where you did in certain instances. The meter seemed to flow well in the beginning, but then the lines got either really short or really long which seemed to disrupt the flow slightly, so you might want to read it aloud. That's just my two cents, do as you please with it. It was definitely a pleasant read, though. Thanks for sharing, and keep writing!

April

*UmbrellaR*This review is given on behalf of "Invalid Item" Open in new Window.*UmbrellaR*
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Review of Dead Inside  Open in new Window.
Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with SIMPLY POSITIVE GROUP  Open in new Window.
Rated: 18+ | (4.5)
Hi Taylor,

I found these lyrics on the Request Reviews page and I thought I'd take a look. This seems to be a piece about intense pain and suffering, internal turmoil that is unresolved and one thinks of turning to suicide to possibly relieve the effects, since one feels that he/she is going to be "crucified." I felt the emotion in every line. I liked the repetition of "I've become a victim of my own violence," it was a good idea to reinforce. I liked the line "These crimson walls are driving me insane." This was a heartfelt piece and the message was loud and clear. I have no suggestions for improvement. Thanks for sharing, and keep writing! And check out my port if you have the time.

April
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Review of Rain Dance  Open in new Window.
Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with SIMPLY POSITIVE GROUP  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.5)
Hi Lonnie,

This poem portrays beautifully the thoughts that the rain can produce. Visions of star-crossed lovers and the rain falling like tears of pain are interesting concepts. I like how you can repeat the lines throughout the stanzas; I don't know if I could pull that off! The rhymes again come naturally, they don't sound forced, and they're diverse. The meter flowed well. The content was quite sad; rain usually makes me happy, but maybe I'm just a weirdo :) Thanks for sharing, and keep writing!

April
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Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
Hi Lonnie,

We meet again. I wanted to check out your port again since you've been so kind as to R&R a few of my items. This seems to be a dark celebration of an ancient holiday. I love the image of the "gnarled hands" clutching the ancient book "bound in human skin." Kind of creepy! I love the tone of the piece, how it's so dark and mysterious.

As for the actual writing, the meter flows flawlessly. I didn't find anything awkward about it. The rhymes came naturally. There was lots of rich imagery used, and the proper tone was set from the very beginning and stayed consistent. I have no suggestions for improvement. It was a delightful read, and I look forward to reading more. Thanks for sharing, and keep writing!

April

My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Go Noticed" Open in new Window..
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Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with SIMPLY POSITIVE GROUP  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (3.0)
Hi Piau,

I found this poem in the Simply Positive Forum and thought I'd take a look. I really liked the line "Or it might leave you laughing in madness." I did have a little trouble, however, with the first stanza that became the last stanza. I didn't quite catch the meaning. If you could help me out with that, I'd appreciate it. Thanks for sharing, and keep writing!

April
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Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with SIMPLY POSITIVE GROUP  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.0)
Hi Rich,

I found this item in the Simply Positive Forum and thought I'd take a look. It was apparent to me early on that humanity had died out, or almost died out, by the descriptions of the surroundings. Everything sounded so scary, I felt like I was seeing a movie in my mind! Some new movie by your descriptions because I haven't seen those things yet, like the dried up ocean. I think my favorite image was of the ocean. The sand and bones was just really eerie, although the roaches and mice in the school was pretty bad too. I like how the beginning starts off with some description but also some reference to past actions, how they "used to worship something there." The action got the piece flowing. Normally too much description weighs a piece down, but I think it was essential to this one and I didn't find it having any negative effect on the flow at all. I do have a suggestion. There are some grammar mistakes that need to be corrected. For instance, "dieing" should be "dying." Some words weren't capitalized at the beginning of the sentence, and "lets" should be "let's" where it was used in this piece. But other than that, you did a great job. I had a feeling of gloom the entire time I was reading it. Thanks for sharing, and keep writing!

April
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Review of Trumpets Sound  Open in new Window.
Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with SIMPLY POSITIVE GROUP  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.5)
Hi Winnie,

I found this poem in the Simply Positive Forum. It seems to start with the beginning of time, "at dawn's creation," and progressively takes us to the end of time. I like the first stanza's tone, how it's sort of neutral and matter-of-fact. The second stanza seems to have some emotion in there with the words "Man in turn doth kill the King," as if to signify that after everything that he did for mankind, they still went out and killed him. The third stanza is sort of scary in its wording, "dawn's cessation." It's eerie. I wasn't too sure what you meant to say by "Faithful gain lasting elation," but the next line was a great one. I like how we go from man's creation to man's fall. It's so full circle. And I liked the repeated image of the trumpets sounding, that was rich. Thanks for sharing, and keep writing!

April
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Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with SIMPLY POSITIVE GROUP  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.0)
Hi Thaddeus,

I found this item in the Simply Positive Forum and I'm a new member. This picture is painted beautifully from the cold gusts of wind to the autumn leaves and the snow, and we can't forget the cocoa. Just reading this made me feel cold and wanting to snuggle up with a warm blanket and turn on the heater :) I like the line "Peace to mankind for all friends and foe." It's such a holiday theme. The rhyming scheme did get to be a bit much only at the end, but it was forgiven with the final stanza with go and snow, since it returned to the central theme. It was a lovely read. Thanks for sharing, and keep writing!

April
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Review of WEATHERED STONES  Open in new Window.
Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with SIMPLY POSITIVE GROUP  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.5)
Hi Old Warrior,

I found this poem in the Simply Positive Forum, and I'm a new member. I love the setting of this poem, being in the graveyard. The picture is painted beautifully with all of the different "weathered stones" and their unique stories, and you can't help but feel so sad for their deaths, especially the ones who went too soon. I like the line "And in her arms a resting child, who never tasted fear." Wow. The never tasted fear part really touched a chord in me. It's interesting that you used the emotion of fear, instead of any other emotion to choose from. I found that the long lines flowed well, and the short stanzas made the poem run smoothly. The rhymes didn't sound forced, as there were enough words in between the rhyming couplet to almost forget the last word of the previous line until you hear the word that rhymed with it, and then you go "Oh, that's right." So they sounded just fine. It was a lovely yet tragically sad read. Thanks for sharing, and keep writing!

April
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Review of REUNION  Open in new Window.
Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.5)
Hi Just Loti,

I found this item in the Simply Positive Forum since I have become a new member. This is the sad tale of Ted seeing his name, and those of his firemen friends, etched in stone on a memorial to those who perished in a great fire. He may not know that he is dead, as he wants to hurry to the anniversary of the Great Fire. He knows that the others are gone, but he thinks that he will see them again. Such a heartbreaking piece. The last line says it all: "Ted sighed as he faded away." He probably faded away physically, his spirit crossing over to a better place if that's what he believes in, but he also may fade away in history as well over time, as there are just too many people to remember. So it has a double meaning.

I have no suggestions for improvement. The piece was short enough to follow well and it flowed smoothly. The content was consistent and linear. It was a lovely read. Thanks for sharing, and keep writing!

April
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Review of " Anna's Dolls"  Open in new Window.
Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.5)
Hi Scarpello,

I found this poem on the Review Request Page. This is a truly disturbing story about Anna and her insane dolls that won't leave her alone. I liked the rhyming scheme; it didn't sound forced. The story flowed well, taking its time to develop. The length was a bit long, but it was of no consequence because I absolutely couldn't stop reading! The story sucked me in and held me captivated, and I couldn't wait to see what happened next. Some lines were a little wordy and needed some trimming, as they disrupted the flow of the meter. Read it aloud and you'll find those parts. All in all it was an enthralling piece. Thanks for sharing, and keep writing!

April
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Review of I Shutter  Open in new Window.
Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.0)
Hi Randy,

*BalloonR* Welcome to WDC from "Newbie Welcome Wagon" Open in new Window.! *BalloonR*


I found you poem on the Noticing Newbies column on the lefthand side of the WDC page, sort of featured if you will, so congrats for that. This is the story of someone who is going through a very rough time, feeling alone and like there is no hope. This person feels like life is constantly attacking him/her, and from the words of the poem I would feel the same way. I love the line "Like all that I needed now/Was a little kick in the throat." A very powerful image and statement. The opening lines "I feel mighty awful/And the awful within me is mighty" sets the tone for the rest of the poem accurately. The rest of the poem stays true to those beginning words.

I have one suggestion. The line that begins with "Air" seems rather fragmented. "Air" could be attached to the previous line to complete the thought, and then the next line would feel more complete and less abrupt and awkward. Just my two cents. Thanks for sharing, and keep writing!

April
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Review of A Nice Day  Open in new Window.
Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.0)
Hi Ged,

*BalloonR* Welcome to WDC from "Newbie Welcome Wagon" Open in new Window.! *BalloonR*


I found your poem on the Noticing Newbies page and thought I'd take a look. This poem paints a beautiful picture of a warm, bright day. The narrator is going through some tough times but he stays strong, and can still appreciate the beauty he finds around him in the sky and the earth. I loved the line "But under no circumstances will I bow." That shows a lot about one's character and perseverance.

I have a couple of suggestions. "Go on" and "not alone" don't rhyme, while everything else does. If you've chosen a rhyming scheme, stick to it to be consistent. Find the perfect word - it does exist out there. For instance, after "The day in its wonder gives me strength to go on" could be followed by "I find in it promise like the light of the dawn." I don't mean to write your poem for you, by no means, I just wanted to show you how you can choose a word that rhymes and make it work. Also, verdant and green seem to be redundant. Maybe you could say "The grass all around is a verdant scene." Just my two cents, do as you please with it. It was a lovely poem, though. Very inspiring. Thanks for sharing, and keep writing!

April
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Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.0)
Hi Jessi,

*BalloonR* Welcome to WDC from "Newbie Welcome Wagon" Open in new Window.! *BalloonR*


I found this poem on the Noticing Newbies page and thought I'd take a look. This seems to be a poem about unconditional love for a person who may not be returning that love, and it hurts the narrator. I found the very short lines sometimes hard to follow as they broke up the ideas almost prematurely, so you might want to think about making them a bit longer to make them flow a little smoother. The one long stanza was appropriate as this was a linear poem. I like the line "Go to space and bring you the moon." That's a nice image. Thanks for sharing, and keep writing!

April
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Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.5)
Hi Morisson,

*BalloonR* Welcome to WDC from "Newbie Welcome Wagon" Open in new Window.! *BalloonR*


I found your poem on the Noticing Newbies page and thought I'd take a look. It's evident that it's about depression even without reading your description, so that's a good thing. I've read a lot of poems lately that are just too cryptic, but you don't have that problem. I like the line "As if the weather is reacting to how I feel." I also like the idea of smiling to make the sun shine which would then in turn shine light into your own soul. An interesting image.

I have a suggestion. I wouldn't use a comma after the fourth line, or a period after the fifth, because you don't use any punctuation to end any other line, so it's best to stay consistent. Line breaks are like punctuation in poetry anyway so it's my own personal belief that periods or commas at the end of lines are sort of redundant. Other than that, I have no suggestions for improvement; I liked it. Sorry if you were looking for something more helpful! Thanks for sharing, and keep writing!

April
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Review of A New Arrival  Open in new Window.
Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.0)
Hi ChuChuRocker,

*BalloonR* Welcome to WDC from "Newbie Welcome Wagon" Open in new Window.! *BalloonR*


I found your poem on the Noticing Newbies page and thought I'd take a look. It's a lovely dialogue from a mother to her son who is still in the womb. I like the line "Every time I move, we dance. Our hearts, the only beat." It's such a rich image. I feel the love the narrator has for the son through the words used in this piece. The meter is nearly flawless; there just seems to be one syllable too many in the second to last line, so maybe remove the word "Only"? It will flow better. Read it aloud and you'll hear it. Other than that, I have no suggestions for improvement. It was a lovely read. Thanks for sharing, and keep writing!

April
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Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (3.5)
Hi Elizabeth,

*BalloonR* Welcome to WDC from "Newbie Welcome Wagon" Open in new Window.! *BalloonR*


I found your poem on the Noticing Newbies page and thought I'd take a look. This is a sad tale of the death of a loved one, and the effects it has on those left standing. You paint the picture well with the snow falling and the barren trees as the Christmas song played in the background. The emotion can be felt in every line once we find out that she has died, and we feel for the narrator of the poem. I like the repetition of "The snow was falling steadily down" in the first and last stanzas.

I have a couple of suggestions. "It's quiet essence" should be "Its quiet essence." There's also many instances where a comma should be used. For instance, "It would be December 24th, our favorite holiday, you'd be taken from my life." There are other times, too, but if you want a list I can outline them in an e-mail. As a matter of style, I wouldn't use a comma after every line. A new line indicates a new thought, therefore breaking it up from the previous thought, so a comma seems redundant. This is just my two cents; do as you please with it. Thanks for sharing, and keep writing!
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Review of Momentum  Open in new Window.
Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (3.5)
Hi Shawn,

*BalloonR* Welcome to WDC from "Newbie Welcome Wagon" Open in new Window.! *BalloonR*


I found your poem on the Noticing Newbies page and thought I'd take a look. I noticed that the whole thing flows really smoothly; the meter is nearly flawless. I like the idea of positivity controlling your dreams. I like the lines "I am no longer lost in sleep/Although my dreams I choose to keep." There's a double meaning of dreams there. Each stanza sticks to its main idea, and no two stanzas are alike.

I have to say that I was a little lost with the true meaning of the piece. I'm not too certain of what you mean by "Ideas cannot die." It all came across as a bit vague, nothing really concrete. If you could clarify that for me, I'd appreciate it. Thanks for sharing, and keep writing!

April
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Review of Screaming  Open in new Window.
Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.0)
Hi Sorcha,

*BalloonR* Welcome to WDC from "Newbie Welcome Wagon" Open in new Window.! *BalloonR*


I found your poem on the Noticing Newbies page and thought I'd take a look. It's a sad tale of people suffering in silence while those around them are safe and warm in their homes and their beds without a care in the world. I like the line "Survive to suffer another day," it's so tragic. There's rich imagery of hearts, street lights, beds, blankets, breakfast, and the sun. The short lines made it flow well.

I have one suggestion. The message was a little cryptic after the first stanza, so you might want to make some obvious phrases just to get the main idea across to make sure you don't lose the reader. Thanks for sharing, and keep writing!

April
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Review of Early Poetry  Open in new Window.
Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 13+ | (3.5)
Hi Eline,

*BalloonR* Welcome to WDC from "Newbie Welcome Wagon" Open in new Window.! *BalloonR*


I found your poems on the Noticing Newbies page. The first poem Itching is about skin itching, but I didn't understand why it was itching. The image of wanting to scratch off the flesh and scratch out the eyes was powerful, yet I didn't know why it would go that far. Maybe add something in there that will let us know why exactly the skin was itching.

Grey is a poem about not everything being in black and white, clear cut and able to be explained so easily. I liked the images of the cement, stone and metal. It did seem a bit short though, so maybe consider adding an extra line or two to add some more meaning to it? That's just my two cents; do as you please with it. Thanks for sharing, and keep writing!

April
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Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.0)
Hi Jacqueline,

*BalloonR* Welcome to WDC from "Newbie Welcome Wagon" Open in new Window.! *BalloonR*


I found your poem on the Noticing Newbies page. I thought I'd take a look. This seems to be a poem about not wanting to be forgotten, but knowing that's it's inevitable. The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the poem. I like the metaphor of the tree trunk. I like the imagery of the black night and the light, a nice contrast. I like the line "I create the path for me to walk." It shows a lot about one's character. The last two lines were my favorite; I like the idea of fading into black night but the spirit living on and bringing forth light forever.

I have a couple of suggestions. I wouldn't begin the poem with the word "And," because you didn't say anything before that, so it didn't really make sense to use the word "and." Also, "Head them" should be "Heed them." Thanks for sharing, and keep writing!

April
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Review of The Dreams  Open in new Window.
Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 13+ | (3.5)
Hi JustMe5,

*BalloonR* Welcome to WDC from "Newbie Welcome Wagon" Open in new Window.! *BalloonR*


I found your poem on the Noticing Newbies page and thought I'd take a look. I like the last stanza, with the tucking of the hair and the white knight. I like the repetition of "My dreams taunt me tonight," but I think repeating it only once would be enough. My only concern was that if I hadn't read your description, I wouldn't have been able to figure out what the poem was about. Its meaning was sort of lost on me. The third stanza comes close to conveying the message, but it's still a bit cryptic. That's just my opinion, do as you please with it. Thanks for sharing, and keep writing!

April
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Review by April Desiree Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.0)
Hi Paige,

*BalloonR* Welcome to WDC from "Newbie Welcome Wagon" Open in new Window.! *BalloonR*


I found your poem on the Noticing Newbies page. It seems to be a poem about a wonderful man with whom you're in a relationship, and he seems to have all of the qualities you're looking for in man, from the physical features to his intelligence and knowing how to show his feelings. The rhyming scheme works; it doesn't sound forced.

I have just one suggestion. Maybe group the lines together to make longer stanzas, such as four lines in a stanza to keep the ideas together so that they're not so broken up when they're separated like they are here. It'll make the ideas flow a little smoother. Thanks for sharing, and keep writing!

April
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