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Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (4.5)
Enthusiasm,



I hope you made the coffee black and strong today, because this could get long-winded. There're a lot of observations and comments I'll make about this story, but let me start off by identifying the overall cathartic feeling the reader is left with after reading this. As part of what appears to be a series of half-autobiographical and half-allegoric stories of dealing with loss, guilt, and the search for redemption, this feels like a culmination and completion.


BASIC PRO'S (in case you want to skip all the other mumbo-jumbo)

BASIC CON'S (ditto the other mumbo-jumbo)

A Whole New World...Kind Of

The Times, They Are a Changin'

A Whiff of Promise; the Scent of Doom

This Is Your Subconscious Calling

Old Friends, New Relatives

Resin Is the Reason for the Season

It's About Time

The Hauntings

The Head-Scratchers


This final(?) piece in the Lands of Guilt series is as enjoyable as the rest. In fact, when read in sequence (with this as the last), the coherent theme and progress of emotions and psychological is astounding. A painter creates with subtle brushstrokes; you paint with equally stunning keystrokes, my friend. Bravo!

I look forward to finding more goodies in your portfolio.

Very sincerely,

--Jeffrey




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Review of to die  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (3.5)
Dr,

I know that feeling well. Articulating the feeling, ne of my favorite songs croons:

So I turned myself to ice and stone
Said I don't need anyone
And nobody else would ever make me cry*

I didn't know if that's true or not, but it certainly feels that way, doesn't it?

It seems like you were not so much blindsided as worn down by a lack of reciprocation, which this reader feels keenly; it's usually the way loss of love has gone for me. Now, while your sentiment is spot-on, the presentation is in need of some attention. In particular, may I suggest using line breaks? For instance:

Even if I die, I won't love Not out of stubbornness, not for revenge

Would become:

Even if I die, I won't love
Not out of stubbornness,
not for revenge

And so on... It helps the reader delineate your thoughts more clearly, enabling them to focus on the meaning of the poem rather focusing on physically reading it.

Aside from that small thing that will make a big difference, there is nothing else I would suggest for improvement. You poem is strong, honest, and straightforward;it avoids being whiny or snobbish. It's just one person saying: "I'll turn heart to ice and stone..."

Well, best of luck— and love— my friend. And write on!

--Jeffrey


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* Trisha Yearwood, "Maybe It's Live," from Everybody Knows
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Review of Sarah-Sue  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
Oh my gosh! To have little ones again! This is so sweet that I can picture it. Nicely done.
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Review of My Little Fiat  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.0)
Steph,

Being a vet myself (E4, Corporal, USMC, 1993-1997), this story was easy to identify with. My first car was from a fellow Marine, though with NO drama whatsoever. It was a Mazda 626 with a semiautomatic clutch. "A what?!" There was a small hole in the clutch somewhere, and it would slowly work its way back into gear at a stoplight or, God forbid, on an entrance ramp to the highway!

I know some guys fooled around with wives. That was minefield if ever there was one. I dated off-base and way upstate. Made weekends to see my girl rather difficult—but safe, in many ways. Until Ed drove is the wrong way for two hours on the highway getting back to base one night... Well, I'll use that for one of my future stories.

So I was able to identify with this story from a former military point of view. However, if I had never encountered these terms before, you did an excellent job of explaining them parenthetically to that anyone can know what you're talking about. Good thinking.

Your paragraph breaks are very well chosen. Dialog should 99% of the time be broken into separate paragraphs as each party takes a turn speaking, and you have done that. As a reader, I appreciate the attention to that detail. It avoids confusion and extra work on my part. Sounds lazy, but readers generally are, and we write for our audience.

The vocabulary you use is chosen well, also, except for one spot I'll talk about in a minute. You avoid using a lot of military jargon and terms. As mentioned, that keeps this piece accessible to everyone.

Mechanically, you've done wonderfully. No Shatner or Walken commas, no accidental run-ons.

But there's a few things I want to point out. It bears noting that these suggestions are in the way of helpful observations; disrespect is never intended.

That One Vocabulary Thing
Based on the rest of the text, is "trying to bang me" the best choice? The observation is not from a prudish standpoint. (Remember, I was in the Marines. By the end of my morning coffee, I'm dropping F-bombs like commas!) It felt like seeing the Pope with his wang out. Just didn't fit the rest of the story.

Some Typo's That Matter
2nd paragraph: "...Sergeant First Class charge of the platoon..." needs to be in charge.
3rd and 8th paragraphs, you have "use" instead of "us." In the first instance, one could actually take that in a very different context. *Shock*
When you ask your fast friend how long she has been intimate with her superior, you use "to" instead of "two." It's little, but it stands out.

Stylistic Repetition
You used "Mind you" and "Let's just say" multiple times each. It's a narrative, a personal story, so the stylistic license is granted. But you might want to take a look at the frequency of your use of these phrases to ensure they don’t become as much of a habit as someone saying "like" every third word in a conversation.

Tense Agreement (Maybe)
In the paragraph where you deny your status of being a "rat fink," there's actually 2 things. First, "no-nothing" should be "know-nothing." (I know—as a private, both are true, aren't they?!) Second, you lapse into present tense. This could be a mistake, or it could be a reflection of your thinking at the time, which would have been in present tense. If the latter is true, placing it in italics might help set it off as such, or quotation marks with an "I thought" at the end.

The End...I Think
This is the one that needs the most focus. The others are technical little things; this one is structural. Unfortunately, your ending is closure. An ending, unless deliberately avante gard, either refers back to the rest of the content, reinforces the opening paragraph, or points the reader to a forward (sometimes past, but that's usually articles or essays) time, event, or goal. Unfortunately, your current ending is just s stop. Screeee! "Then what? Did you fix it? Sell it to your friend as is? Set it on fire?" You get the picture.

It might seem like I was trying to tear your story apart, but I really wasn't. I mean, everything I didn't mention was golden! It's a rather humorous story that appeals to military folks, casual readers, and especially anyone who's ever gotten burned on a first car, in whatever way. This is a very good story, and I do hope at least one thing I noted helps.

As they say, Steph—write on!

--Jeffrey


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Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: ASR | (4.5)
Christopher,

When a story grips us as well as these stories to which you allude have gripped you, then we know we are not only in the presence of great writing, but in the world of it. You yourself bring the reader in in similar fashion. Your lines remind us of the racing motorcycle rides we've read breathlessly, the times we realize we are gritting our teeth as our character crawls through mud trying not to get shot, the heady feelings we share with the heroine as she softens the brute pirate (most of him, anyway).

Some of these lines really stood out to me:

I luxuriate in silky smooth sheets/ Until mud squishes through my fingers. Sliding from one tactile image directly into another felt dreamlike (and isn't the sensation of immersive reading just strong, lucid daydreaming?), the sensory equivalent of a portamento from a safe major to a sinister minor chord.

Seawater is no good to drink,
but red velvet delights my tongue
While bitter lemons yearn to become lemonade,
The iron tang of blood reminds me I’m alive.

--That I can taste these things, each on its own line and the tanginess overall—even over my morning coffee and morning breath— is signature of wonderful lines, my friend. (Why couldn't you have written a few lines about toothpaste for me? *Wink*)

As eyes follow finger across yellowed pages Your mention of physical pages touches the hearts of many of us. Even though the medium has gone mostly digital—and for some very good reasonsit's just not the same as the feel of a book, the act of turning a page, the sensation of your finger on the page, the smell! (Goodness, I love the smell of a bookstore...)

...dreams of people/ Whom I shall never meet. That's it right there, isn't? We'll never know these characters, ride these seas, get shot at by these soldiers. But we were there anyway, and that lucky travel is what this poem is all about. Grab a book and travel, then come back unscathed. Mostly, anyway...

As with much free verse, I've nothing to suggest in the way of tweaks that could help. Your construction is almost episodical, allowing the reader to skip back and forth from stanza to stanza—even line to line, really—to consume these sensations at their own pace. The theme is clear throughout, with a very nice summation at the end.

Very nice poem, Christopher. I'm glad I could read this before I start a busy day. Nothing says "I'm ready for a fresh start" like having lived a thousand lived before my first email of the day! (Oh wait, that's what pretty much every Monday feels like!*Wink*)

--Jeffrey


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Review of MY WATERCOLORS  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
Seabreeze,

These are stunning! I used to dabble in watercolor myself. I once painted a picture for a friend of mine for his birthday. He was one of those characters who was always young at heart. He was 90, I was 48, but we palled around when he could. His family set that painting on display at his viewing when he passed. I've never been more gratified from my own art. (Personally, I thought the painting was terrible.) Now, no longer having a dedicated space for it, it's too much trouble to drag everything out and paint. By the time I've gotten everything out, the inspiration has left me.

But enough about me! Let's talk about some watercolor work that is beautiful! I am particularly impressed by Hummingbird and Walk in the Woods, with Creek a close third.

Hummingbird
The edge precision in Hummingbird is amazing. There is no bleed between the yellow and blue. If it were just a blue stripe on a yellow background, the lack of bleed would be impressive in and of itself. But this goes beyond the excellent technique. The sketch of the hummingbird and the flower are exquisite; to my eye, the proportion and dimension are perfect. This is one I'd buy and hang, no lie.

Walk in the Woods
There are three things that impress me in this picture: the person being identifiable as a person; depth of field; and tree-work.

     Person: Having mentioned my own painting, which features David (my friend) in the foreground, I know what a royal pain in a certain nether region sketching and/or painting people can be, especially with watercolor. Again, I struggle with bleed or blop—too much water or too much gooey paint. One is immediately able to recognize the form of a person and a dog, and you accomplished this without fussy detail.

     Depth of Field: If people are a pain, depth of field is a spear through chest. I can't draw it, can't paint it. Sometimes, I can't even write it! As dumb as it sounds, using more water for a gentler wash in the background is something that never even dawned on me—and it's perfect! It seems to communicate a soft morning mist, a larger field or clearing. I'm definitely going to remember this technique 8 or so years from now when I finally feel like pulling out my paints again. *Frown*

     Tree-work: If the cartels get me and threaten to make me eat Brussels sprouts if I can't draw a tree, I'm going to be on a perpetual diet of nasty little alien heads, I fear. I make too many branches, or too thick; my leaves look like bad watercolor leaves. In Walk in the Woods, the variegation in color of that foreground tree is captivating, and it has a wonderfully full and 3-dimensional feel to it. Not just the look, but the feel. Another strength in the picture overall is that, while this is a scene of a walk in the woods, it is truly a portrait of one lovely tree. (You might be interested in one of my favorite short stories of all time, by Algernon Blackwood: "The Man Whom the Trees Loved" https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/11377/pg11377...

Creek
Your tree work is good here, as well, but the rocks impress me more. Again, you have an eye for which color is right for bringing out all 3 dimensions. Of particular note, though, is the water. The colors and brush/wash techniques you have chosen truly give it the feeling of motion. I am fascinated by pictures that feel like they're living as I look at them.

The others are all very good, too, of course, with very similar notes from me. I love watercolor, as I mentioned, but I suck at it—probably because I can't sketch well, either. However, since I love looking at it, I will offer a couple of notes on a few of lesser details I noticed (and of which you are no doubt already aware).

Cormorant: That right wing wants to be a dorsal fin. Interestingly, the is the inverse of my biggest problem with trees—getting that damn back branch, on the other side of the tree, to a) have the correct dimension and shading, and b) stay on the back side of the tree! My trees all end up with side flippers in this same vein.

Wood Stork: Something is off with the legs. It's subtle enough I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but off enough that it's noticeable.

Hibiscuses: The only issue with these is that I didn't paint them. *Wink*

This is an impressive collection, Seabreeze. I am so glad this beauty is what I saw first this morning. (No, second. First beautiful thing was the steam rising from my coffee. *Cool*)

Wri—er... well, Paint on!

--Jeffrey


PS: If you do ever decide to have Hummingbird printed, reach out to me; I'd be quite enthusiastic to matte, fram, and hang this wonderful, cheerful picture in my home. - JAM

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Review of Work  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
Another short piece that captures something very specific but very completely. It is so relatable, losing focus at work. I am constantly refocusing—it's exhausting!

The way you pepper in style humor and some drama is impressive in a piece this short.

"...not a normal pinprick, but a tiny one." Not only is this a cute comment on how downright goofy grammar and usage can be, but it demonstrates how easy it is to follow random thoughts away from work again.

And immediately on the heels of that: "There’s a gulf between me and my work." The sense of futility, that what you're working on is just busy-work— and a dozen other things. They all separate us from the desire to do the work, creating a feeling of isolation, even if it's temporary.

Switching to a humorously ironic mood with the last comment was, of course, a great ending.

This was smooth, short, and satisfying. I hope you really do write on; I'm hungry for more of these!

--Jeffrey


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Review of Love the Ocean  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (4.0)
Personally, Jacky, I share your opinion. I was in the Marines, and I have seen more than enough sand in my life. I have never liked the ocean. Or the lake. Or even the swimming pool for that matter. Give me a shovel and an open field, and I turn into Gimli the Dwarf. Get me by water, I turn into a rabid cat.

I got a little lost at the end of the last paragraph, about the trees part or no "trees" part...not sure. Just an observation.

I like the ironic lead out at the end. "I like it a lot. But I really like that we don't have to go there very often!"

Nice! *Cool*

--Jeffrey


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Review of Unfurling  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (5.0)
Enthusiasm,

I'm not entirely convinced it was coffee you were drinking when you wrote this gem! This is an incredible collection of images and dances. Sometimes, I find stories and poems that have incredibly picturesque phrases...yet no real picture can be divined. I think it is the definition of ethereal, for me.

The theme here is not quite ethereal, but almost. In the rude tones of this awkward and ugly existence we lead, Bruce Springsteen used more common language when he sang: "Better days are shinin' through..."1 (He also sang about guy poking a dead dog with a stick. Weird, but true.) Whoever writes it, it's true. Things will get better; we will reach the stars we need; better days are shining through. Meantime: almost.

What a heartbreak "almost" has become for me, after reading your stories. Excellent writing, leaving such a simple, small splinter in my mind to prick me every time I don do something all the way, don't quite commit, hedge my bets. My mind whispers: "You're feeding the almost; it will love you for it, love you so much it will eat you up." (My mind is unsettling sometimes, but usually harmless.) Very effective writing.

Some of the juiciest lines:

We named this falling,/ but it’s really the sky/ learning to kneel.
Again, Bruce & Co. sang "Cain slew Abel 'neath the black rain/ At night he couldn't stand the guilt or the blame/ So he gave it a name."2 When we name something, we name it for our own uses, not for the actuality that it is. "It isn't murder, it's self-defense. It isn't revenge, it's justice. It isn't falling..." I like how this is positioned. It may not be the author's intent, but I interpret an ironic barb there. "The ship's not sinking; we're all just very thirsty!"

"One day, these knuckles/ will split into feathers."
I white-knuckle it a lot of the time. Holding back anger, holding back frustration, holding back in intolerant ignorance that wants to scream that if everyone would just act like me...!!! That there are feathers underneath is so soothing, that I might one day flew my hand in anger and find myself suddenly gliding above it all, the people, the problems, my anger. That I might, indeed, metamorphose.

Even silence, pressed to light,/ becomes a psalm.
That is so achingly beautiful that it is a poem all by itself. And in the best poetic way, I can't even articulate or enumerate the wonderful things about it. Gorgeous!


There are many more—nearly all of them, in fact. That's another feature of a really good poem, in my opinion: you can't pick out your favorite part.

I only have one tiny thing about it that bugs me: "bugs." There's got to be a better word, something whispier, something less banal... I don't have any suggestions, but I know it doesn't feel like a good fit for me.

But that's the only tiny niot I can pick. I want to read this poem out loud in the darkness and feel every juicy little but of its nectar spill down my chin. That's not an exaggeration, brother. This is so beautiful.

A++, sir. Take another bow; you earned it.

--Jeffrey




1 "Better Days" from Lucky Town - Bruce Springsteen - 1992
2 "Gave It a Name" from Tracks - Bruce Sprinksteen - 1998

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PS: I said STOP taking all the wonderful lines!!! *Wink*

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Review of Promptly Poetry  Open in new Window.
for entry "KimoOpen in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
Amethyst,

Well, God knows I'm late to this party! But I'm glad I made it here all the same. These images are wonderful!

Fro-Yo
While I love frozen yogurt (which I've been craving like an addict for about a week now!), I was personally not able to connect with the first one; I can't do sweets on a hot day. I also have a slight nit on this one. Four adjectives in one line seem to be filler for syllables instead of real content. II know, I'm starting off a real ray of sunshine, ain't I?

The Eyes of a Dreamer
Holy cow. This hit directly home. First, this is exactly what happens to me much of the time. I can't remember the stories I dreamt come morning most of the time, sadly. This section works as Kimo, of course, but the phrasing and the vocabulary make it accessible for a reader no matter what style they're looking for.

Success Is In the Stars
When we focus on success, we can see the timeclock. When we truly reflect on ourselves, we see the universe. Gorgeous.

In Silence
I was immediately reminded of e.e. cummings' A Leaf Falls On Loneliness. Autumn is kind of a melancholy lonely time, I think. For me, the carpet fading beneath the speaker's feet represents a call back to the second section, the carpet fading, the dream state returning, the stories fading softly into dreams.

This was a beautiful set of poems. As I said, I know I am late to see them, but I am lucky to have found them in any case.

--Jeffrey


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11
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Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (4.0)
Saxe,

I was chummy with a fella named Tim while I was in high school. Very nice guy, weird sense of humor, which I really enjoy. He sighed my final yearbook: "Have a good life; I probably won't. / I'll try though." Tim was not a dark guy, which made this all the funnier.

The matter-of-fact delivery of your statements, some of which come wonderfully close to nonsequiter, remind me of that not from my friend.

"I’m very glad to be alive at a time when there are salt and vinegar crisps in the world."


It's just so deliciously over-the top, so grandiose about a thing so small. Juxtaposed against feeding the starving children in Sudan and stuff like that.

This was a great example of deadpan humor in print, which is incredibly difficult to do. I believe I've read your whole portfolio now. I hope there's more to read, soon.

Write on!

--Jeffrey


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12
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Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (5.0)
E,

I am almost speechless. Or... Letterless?

Cancer eats a hell of a lot more than one person. It eats entire families, and it vomits out grief in great clouds of static.

I get the impression Kevin and the speaker were boyhood friends, sharing risk and joy alike: "...the boy who’d stolen a tractor joyride at 16, who’d convinced me purple was just blue grieving red." The thought of purple actually being another color feeling an emotion for yet a third—it's hard to even put it into concrete language; it's so wonderfully abstract and poetic that one cannot put his finger on why it is so perfect. And these boys would have done everything together, including learning and enjoying to smoke. The scars on the speaker's chest and Kevin's implied demise link them both through horrible lung cancers—as if mentioning "the diagnosis" wasn't enough.

I was impressed by the use of the "baked" potato—an immobile man in hospice, "baked" by radiation, a "vegetable..." These two men share a wry, dark sense of humor, demonstrated with the birthday card and dandelion seeds, and the potato is both a very clever demonstration of their companionship and a surreptitious nod to the reader.

I sense the speaker in this story moving toward his own end, toward a new beginning with Kevin. This plant is not a creeper or a parasite; it's a guide. The tendrils of purple grief are surrounding the speaker in security and familiarity. Nurses can no longer help the cancer that remains in the speaker, even after an apparent lobectomy. The only surcease left is the embrace of an old friend.

Your ability to find just the right phrases holds as strong as ever:

~ The everyday-ness of these lines are anchors the reader can hang onto. "Yeah, that's how my smartass buddy talks. I get this. This is real." Could the writer want anything more from the reader?

     ...a crayon—periwinkle, the label said... “You were right,” he said. “It is a bulls*** color.”

      ...dandelion seeds...“Plant these,” he’d written. “They’re assholes. They’ll outlive us all.”

~ "a town I’d buried a decade ago." I originally read this and was excited (talk about dark!) that there might be another Land to be explored. But as I thought about it, I recognized that the town referred to was a survivor guilt that had been accommodated long ago: the loss of Kevin and the speaker's own subsequent survival.

My mother passed from COPD and complications thereof in 2009. She passed peacefully, in hospice. I was there, watching as she let her last breath go. (An aside: why do we always speak of someone "taking their last breath?" Is it because we are projecting our own desire for them to cling to life, to take and hoard every last vestige of existence in our own plane? Why not say "letting out their last breath?" They are moving on; we would do them a service by wishing them a safe journey as their energies are released outward toward the next whatever. Okay, I'm done. You may now resume reading this review.) My wife being lucky/cursed enough to be sensitive enough to see such things, my grandmother (dead since the early nineties) was appearing in my wife's dreams, ready to guide Mom forward. The dream of Kevin beneath his own wry avatar of the potato plant was incredibly moving to me. Death hurts sometimes, and I reckon it can be painful. But it can be beautiful in some ways, too.

Well, now that I'm on the subject of avatars, icons, and symbols...

~ The telephone. The ubiquitous telephone. Nurses left voicemails; the vines drank those too. In this context, the speaker is withdrawing into himself getting ready for his own outward journey. The nurses trying to talk to him in his hospice bed no longer reach him; he is busy with more important things. He doesn't even try to keep their words in mind, because he knows they no longer have anything that will help.

~ Resin. I'm rather glad to see this one, although it goes by the name of "oil" here. Oil, resin, viscous phlegm filling the lungs. This having been such a prevalent icon in Relic, I feel validated that some of my interpretations of the symbology of that story were accurate.

~ Vines. The vines of orchids bind and clutch, as in Noctuary; these vines caress and protect. I'll admit, I think I'm a little late to the party in realizing that, in your writing, vines represent the reach of emotions post mortem. Again, the tying together of other stories is giddily exciting for artsy-fartsy old farts like me! *Wink**Laugh*

~ Mother. Her sachet, the somehow uncomfortable perspective of her belief in omens and such. She may not be as direct an agent in this story as she is in others, but there is a tinge of darkness to her. One must wonder if it was Mother's cigarettes the boys began smoking in the first place.

~ Dandelion seeds. This is such a complex and touching metaphor. They are inconvenient, a weed—much as the sick and dying often seem to those who are well. And the seeds themselves are dead, the color gone from the flower. But a slight wind will carry them away—a beautifully subtle reference to the frailty of cancer patients, many of whom look like a stiff wind really will blow them over. Let the wind blow; these seeds will make new lives just as the seeds of these men may likely have grown the new lives of children or grandchildren themselves. Yes, it is true that they will outlive us, these flowers from our own seeds. And yet, you slip the jab one last time, revealing some lingering bitterness that even the most sanguine of terminal patients must feel toward the active, vital, living individuals around them: "They're assholes."

This short story was not only evocative and touching, my friend. It was also written quite well. The pacing and flow is smooth and slow, as the subject matter would suggest. The memories fit evenly against the edges of the "action," allowing different scenes to occur without demanding that the reader change mental gears. Your economy of words must be noted, as well. You layer metaphors upon other metaphors and wring as many meanings out of a word or phrase as possible. You say what needs to be said, and you leave us enough tools to open up the metaphorical riddle and unpack all the incredible poetically psychological goodies inside. I've also noted in the past that in my reviews, I'll point out warts as well as beauty marks. This time, my gifted friend, I see not a single wart in evidence.

I am gratified by this story, and I continue to look forward to more of your writing. So... (here it comes...wait for it........) write on!

--Jeffrey


PS: By the way, top marks for being an overachiever and including a different title in this story—perfectly within the rules. *Wink*
PPS: No gift points yet until you win or come in second. *Devilish*
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Review of "Beware of Dog"  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: 18+ | (5.0)
Nick,

"Southern hospitality" doesn't seem to be what it once was!

This is grisly, man. I have to say that about two thirds of the way through—as she began to process her latest victim—I almost lost interest, thinking "This is just gory to be gory." At that precise point, of course, the story turned the corner. The ending was nothing short of WTF?!

Your pacing was excellent. After finishing the story, I could tell how well you had planned the ebb and flow. "Let's see, the reader needs to be shaken up ... here! And turned round ... there!"

The length of the story was well-managed, also. A piece this gross would quickly overwhelm many readers. And many writers would simply run out of engaging ways to describe the carnage. Keeping the story compact, as you did, was perfect for the reader.

The mechanics are solid throughout, and I think the vocabulary you chose was perfectly appropriate for the story.

The ending was as wonderfully horrifically messed up as it could be. THIS is where writing has an advantage over visual media. In print, the writer can hold his last card to his chest as long as he sees fit, whereas visual media exposes everything right away. And revealing the kid-dog the way you did was precisely the way it needed to be done.

This is a very good piece, indeed, Nick. Thanks for letting take a look into the dark corners with you.

--Jeffrey


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14
14
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (4.5)
Samantha,

Your grandmother looks like Tommy's mother in Goodfellas, in my head. From the moment I saw her dialog, she had a specific voice and accent, too. The scene was set exquisitely. My mind wanted to keep making the place bigger than you described it. I think that's because the love is so big, truly.

When your grandmother died, that hurt; when your mother died soon after, I muttered out loud how horrible it must have been. Getting someone to react out loud to your writing means your writing is really doing it's job!

I wanted to feed your Aunt some Five-Finger Bouillabaisse when she gave the notebook to her kid. Bitch. It shows how I really was quite attached to the characters in this. I'm not Italian. (There's more German in me than anything else, but mostly I'm a mutt.) So I'm not sure why the connection with your characters was so instant and enduring through the whole piece. Well... in my opinion, when I can't put my finger on "why," it's because it's just plain great.

The serendipity of the restaurant at the end is so freaky that I believe it, whether it's actually true or made up. Too much weird stuff happens for me to roll my eyes at more weird stuff. This re-link to the past brings the family circle around and closes the loop—which, one is led to extrapolate, helps the writer find personal closure to her loss and anger.

I have two suggestions that you might want to take a look at.
1) "...but two matriarchs, in a one weak span,..." should probably use "week" instead of "weak."
2) Some of your dialog fails to break to a new paragraph.

Example: "Then she said... 'The soup du jour is Bouillabaisse.' I handed her the menu and said, 'Great! I'll take it!...'"

It's habit to watch out for, because it can get confusing—to the likes of me, at least.

This is a very well written story. It's simple, without devices and tricks, and that gives it an honesty that is very refreshing. For however much of true and the parts that are augmented, thank you for sharing this wonderful family dish with us, my friend.

--Jeffrey

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15
15
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (5.0)
Enthusiasm,

A poem, for a change of pace! Very nice! Again, I want to comment on how the different styles of your writing—before a single word is read—keeps your readers intrigued. Very smart choices (as though that's a surprise!)

Some of us have lost fellow Marines in wars; some have lost family. Some have lost faith, and some have lost touch with reality. But there's two things all of them seem to never lose: guilt and grief. One often think of survivors' guilt as being confined to those who were there: "Why did Jones die, but the shrapnel missed me? How is that fair, what did I do to deserve to still be here?" But the fact is that it has a much longer reach. "Why did Father die over there? Why was he taken from me? What did I fail to do to keep him home, keep him safe, keep him away from death? Why wasn't it me, why couldn't I have been closer, been there?! What if I... or maybe if... " That aspect of survivors' guilt is seldom spoken of, and therefore it is important in this poem.

I find the structure of the poem itself gratifying for the theme. There is no rhyme, almost conspicuously so. What is rhyme in the face of loss? Useless, meaningless Fly in the face of the uselessness of loss and war—nothing rhymes with grief, so nothing rhymes AT ALL! It's a powerful statement in and of itself.

The first line sets up the rest of the images and thoughts quite effectively: remains. That's all there is, is what remains, and what remains isn't enough. See? This is all there is I have left, all that remains...

A collection of firm, familiar physical settings supports your trademark skill for spectacular metaphor brilliantly.

~ "We chew the silence he left." I felt that. We had Dad, but the dining room table was often silent, tense. I so often tasted and swallowed that terrible absence of communication. Your metaphor is inspiringly universal while remaining unique to you.

~ "...the war ate his vowels..." Nothing but static, nothing but hissing and roaring. No one could hear the vowels of his screams, only the consonant force of the bomb. This, too, remains; every reminder of Father is a reminder of the explosion that took Father away. This absence of vowels speaks, too, to a certain white noise that grief can bring to a person's ears, similar to tinnitus, but low and harsh—like the auditory version of shock, blotting out, insulating, protecting.

~ "...a river of black cursive./ I drink it. Let his joy rot me from within." Oh, how beautiful! So many ways to read this.

            +  "Cursive." "Curse-ive." Who is cursed, who is cursing? Death a curse, loss is a curse, survival, remaining, lingering is a curse.

            +  But then: "cursive"—a complex intaglio of communication, unique to each individual. This grief is twisted and complicated, and it is mine and mine alone! It's all that remains, so let me consume it as it consumes me.

            +  Or "cursive:" a signature. Father's signature. The grief on this tape is my signature on a goodbye note to Father, but I am not ready to say goodbye, so I take it back, I won't sign off on his loss!

            +  The contrast of joy causing rot is a dull, dim, ugly palette for guilt, the perfect colors. I couldn't bring him home, couldn't keep home, wasn't enough for him to choose over war; so I don't deserve the memory of his happiness, and I will—can—only accept it as self-consuming blame.

            +  And last is the silence implied with the whole metaphor. Because silence is all that remains, not laughter, and to break it is to break the only bond that is keeping Father here, to hear his laughter is to profane his absence.

Of course, not all of the impactful images are metaphorical. Some are crushingly realistic:

~ Mother shining his boots—that choked me up, man. Too real.

~ Staring numbly at an untuned TV: the numb, crackling, aimlessness of shock and grief, physically manifested. This is a real reaction, so we can really sink our emotional and analytical teeth into it.

~ "His face...is the roadside bomb’s/ white flash." ****ing genius. The face is always empty, always black in our dreams, it seems: the blackness of nothing, of missing, of absent. But here...oh, here! Father's face is the face of tragedy, and the tragedy was explosion and shrapnel; the memory is explosion and shrapnel. Seeing the face as presence of negativity instead of absence of positivity is such an incredible choice. That's my favorite line from the whole poem.

The last two lines sum things up with a subtle connection. "Wounds" are mentioned first; but then, almost like a so-called Freudian Slip, "wars" is substituted in the very next sentence. We war with our wounds, and they linger—as war itself lingers, whether it's the actual fighting, the recovery, or the overall willingness of humankind to continue the wasteful woundings of war.

The frustration and anger and grief stays with the reader long after the screen is turned off. And what petter testament to fine writing can there be? Another great job, my friend.

--Jeffrey


PS: If you've not heard it, Pink Floyd's "When the Tigers Broke Free" is reminiscent of this poem. You may enjoy it: https://youtu.be/9KUSl4-GKwQ?si=Gymp9uWtlPkpQSWu

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16
16
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (4.5)
Janet,

One critique only: "The fighter your built in me long ago..." I think you meant "you."

Otherwise, what can I say? How could I begin? This poem carries the weight of a train, but it manages to do so without the implacability, the endlessness of a train. There are facts—some of which are brutal, some of which are beautiful. There are emotions, "silence that screamed in my mind." There is survival, and there is resurrection. (The husband dying on Easter after having given the speaker her own form of emotional resurrection was either incredible true coincidence, or brilliant literary device.)

But there is also something I cannot fathom: forgiveness. I don't think I am strong enough to forgive something like that, so reading of someone else that was is almost awe-inspiring.

The gentle bookend ending is nicely performed—not only because it's a common poetic device, but because it still leaves the speaker asking "why?" THe circle is complete...but it's never over.

Top marks for a painful poem.

--Jeffrey


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17
17
Review of bloody  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: 13+ | (3.0)
Starlight,

Coulda, shoulda, woulda—the ingredients for some if the best poetry ever written! I once wrote a poem called "That Man," very much in this vein. I was ashamed for having become the type of man I despised and sorry for the impact it had on my wife. But I noticed something over the years when I revisited it: it's not really an apology. It's a self-serving note to myself in an attempt to absolve myself of something. Well...I guess that's what any apology really is, though, right?

Your repetition of "sorry" and "I wish" clearly demonstrate regret. But there is still an element of dominance in this:

i’m sorry you ripped it from your chest,
i know you didn’t want to
.
This seems to represent that the speaker is in charge of the actions of the other party. I don't know if that was intentional, but it's something I get from the poem.

I think the only thing I can offer by way of constructive criticism is to be careful of how many repetitions of a word or phrase you use, especially close together. It works in this poem, but it can get to be a bad habit.

This was an interesting reminder of how even letting someone go can be an exercise in selfishness and ego.

--Jeffrey
18
18
Review of The Midnight Page  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (4.0)
Janney,

I think when people pray for strength, they are actually praying for the courage to use the strength they already have...and the courage to start.

Inspiration comes from "always"—past, present, and future. The vibrant memory of our childhood stories is always inspiring, but the magic you mention comes from your truly loving grandmother.

Love gives us safety; love gives us courage. Love gives us wonderful vignettes like this one.

One mechanical note, though. Consider replacing your en-dashes (-) with em-dashes (—). It's the more appropriate character for setting off bits of a sentence—like this! The Writing ML code is { emdash }.

This was a very nice glimpse at why we write and what gives us the most encouragement. Write On, Janney.

--Jeffrey


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19
19
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (3.0)
Axel,

This isn't finished; let's start off by acknowledging that. So none of my comments will touch on that.

I like that opening line. It identifies the setting quickly: summer. But it establishes "summer" with context—the context of the character: a man who doesn't like summer. It's not much, but that's why I like it—in just a few words, you've given me a good picture of a person I can identify with. As you progress, you make me feel that summer heat very well with your choice of phrasing.

There's a couple things you want to be careful of, though. I'm glad you stopped to take a look at this before you got too far into these issues.

~ Tense Agreement. You start and finish in the past tense. "He climbed..." "...chugged his water bottle..." "Frank asked." However, in the middle you switch over to present tense: "Frank climbs..." You have to be careful with that, because it can both confuse and frustrate the reader. Choose the tense in which you're going to tell the story, and maintain it.

~ Vocabulary. I'm not talking about big words or rare words. I mean the right words. For instance, "he suddenly got a call." Is there a way to gradually get a call? "Suddenly" is extraneous in this context, and it makes the sentence a little awkward. Make every effort to use the right words—or no words—in each line you you write.

~ Repetition. A great tool in writing is referring back to something that happened before, like an event or even a quote. However, using the same phrase twice very close together is something to be wary of. You use "swishing his paint brush" twice in just 91 words.

~Presentation. The font you have chosen is very small, and the line spacing is tight. Consider making things a little bigger for old dopes like me to be able to read! *Wink* On a very positive note, I do appreciate the indentation for each paragraph. (I should really get better at that myself!)

You're definitely onto something here. With just a few brief lines, you've set up a great, interesting introduction to Frank and his unfortunate mother.

Write on, Axel. Write on!

--Jeffrey

20
20
Review of Light and Fire  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (4.0)
Layla,

Xenophobia, in its instinctive form, is a species-preservation reaction. "Other" is threatening, because it does not contribute to promulgation of the prime strain of the species. That's on the instinctive level. But fearing that which is different exists on subconscious and conscious levels, too, as you demonstrate here.

But I feel a lot more from this poem than the simple message that difference is okay and should be heralded as such. Much more, in fact. The primary thrust of this seems to be a fear of accumulating differences resulting uselessness, in obsolescence. "I am no longer needed in a world that now has you." This touches on social and familial fears, among other contexts. Some examples of how versatile and far-reaching the concept is: it is representative of "middle child syndrome," spousal repression where one has the "real" income, skillset decline in a constantly modernizing workforce. The comparison of one individual's usefulness against another's is a double-edged sword, just like that old xenophobic instinct. In this case, the disparity and insecurity can drive a person to improve to keep up with the world and those to whom she is comparing herself. At the same time, it can lead to debilitating depression and defeatism.

It is rare and wonderful when "the light bulb goes on," and others see how these silent comparisons can erode our social fabric, begin to see how the articulation of encouragement and recognition knit everything more tightly together..."start thinking about it like that from now on."

This two-pronged exploration of difference, exclusion, depression, and eventual enlightenment was a refreshing extended metaphor. Well done, Layla.

--Jeffrey


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21
21
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (4.0)
Luna,

The potential of love quite possibly might be more difficult than the absence of love. This poem serves to remind one that there is no such thing as a sure thing, especially in the game of hearts.

There is no mistaking the tone or theme of this poem. You have chosen vocabulary that supports the message, and supports the feeling of the writer: tolerant, patient...but not naive. The persona in this poem knows she—I do get a feminine impression from this poem—is perhaps being taken for a ride. She doesn't think so, but she knows it could be. She is waiting for completion—or desertion. She is waiting, and that overall theme is clear.

The finality of the opening lines is an impressive attention-grabbing contradiction. "Your absence./ Your silence." These things are concrete, unlike the abstraction of feeling. Furthermore, they are negatively concrete, emptinesses that are defined. The reader looks at the rest of the lines and wonders, "Then what is there?" —And follows that interesting invitation to read on.

Ostensibly a note to an absent lover, such notes are always internal discussions with oneself. In this case, she considers whether her devotion is true or just a habit ("like saccharine..."). As she evaluates the pros and cons of her actions and contributions to the relationship, she comes to the conclusion that she is not the issue; the issue is the missing partner. And she painfully but healthily recognizes that she cannot control the outcome.

All this is to say that I felt your poem quite effectively, and I appreciate the reminder that self-reflection is different than self-blame, and infinitely more productive.

I have a couple of thoughts I'd like to pass on, hoping not to be so bold as to be offensive. Much of this is advice I've been given over the years in critiques. Perhaps something might be useful to you.

~ Prune. What can the poem do without? Can it do with out some articles? Is every "the" needed? Can lines be concentrated together? For example: "You claimed love./ You promised love." could also be expressed as, "You claimed love, promised love." The second version has a little more immediacy because the full stop is removed, the pace of the emotion unbroken.

~ Conjunctionitis. I'm surprised I haven't been lynched for this yet. Ask yourself if the reader needs every "and," "but," and "so." They usually don't, and removing many of them can make the others more effective. I'm a total hypocrite on this because I loooove me my conjunctions!!! It really is better to use them sparingly, though, especially in poetry.

~ Write, Rinse, Repeat. Do any of your stanzas say essentially the same thing as other stanzas? I'm not sure I see any instances of that here, but you know your poem and your intent. Even if it doesn't apply to this poem, perhaps it's a tool you can use later.

~ Pace Myself. You did a very good job with this, so I wanted to note it. Using punctuation in poetry is as distinct and flexible as the poem itself. However, we are taught to pause, stop, stutter, turn based on punctuation in writing. Peots can control how their readers consume the content by using punctuation like long-dashes, semicolons, periods. You gave me chances to breathe, to consider, to raise my eyebrows in sympathy—all without breaking the flow of the poem. Very nicely done.

This patient, honest message to oneself to be open but wary was a very nice read. I hope distance truly does make the heart grow fonder and that the ocean soon shrinks.

--Jeffrey


PS: This song by Tori Amos, from the mid-nineties might connect with you in this context. Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN-buInCM-4

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22
22
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (5.0)
Enthusiasm,

Alright, grab a big ol' mug of coffee, brother. Maybe make some waffles, too. The sun's going to be well up in the sky by the time I'm done looking at the different facets of this absolute gem.

--------------------


What a fabric of grief, personal exploration, and recovery you have woven here! Very well constructed, it reads like a photo album of a tragedy that most any reader can apply to themselves.

The overall theme being the personal journey from the moment of tragedy, through the murky stages of grief—not so easily identifiable in one's heart or mind as they are on a therapist's chart, by any means— to a place of recovery is brilliantly navigated. It is unclear to the reader, at first, where the story is going—or rather, where Lila is going. I was in the fourth or fifth section when I realized what was happening. By the time I finished the story, I was excited to go back and read it again to find the clues and metaphors I had missed the first time. It's curious, I think, that we are so eager to read and re-read others' tragedies and turmoil. Are we drawn, as they say, like moths to the flame? Or are we reading to find the redemption we all hope for in our own lives, both great and small? These aren't questions about your story; they're questions your story encourages one to ask. That's some fine writing, if it's making someone on a larger scale.

I notice again many of the author's hallmark metaphors. The reader wonders if these objects and concepts hold strong personal meaning in a private capacity: water (the dangerous journey); separation (from spouse and parents); mercury (reflection and impermanence); guilt (the only way to stay connected); a phone (a line of communication that has been cut off). These small brushstrokes that are repeated throughout your works give the reader the opportunity for some metathoughts about the author himself, and about what objects and concepts would define ourselves in writing. (For me, they're ellipses, morning used as mourning and vice-versa, the desert, solitude, among a few others.) Their inclusion here, as in other works, invokes the sense that there is a wholeness to your volumes, that all of these wonderful paintings and worlds and vignettes live within the same universe, on the same gauzy, waterlogged, emotionally crumbling planet. These personal metaphors allow me to enjoy the story on both levels: its own merit, and its membership to this larger environment.

As usual, there are breathtaking lines in each chapter/strophe:

~ "...Almost isn’t a place. It’s a verb." My absolute favorite. This concept blew me away. The inverse of "Give 110%," this admonishes the reader that a lack of 100% commitment is a choice, not a happenstance. So often have I almost-ed... Crushingly accurate.

~ "Regret is a cannibal..." Watch me swoon again! Cannibals eat each other; therefore, we must embody regret (not almost it, but truly be it)in order to recognize it in ourselves in our memories and reflections. At which time, we begin to devour ourselves with guilt and shame and more regret. This is a poetically succinct demonstration of the downward spiral of negative emotions.

~ "- Last breath before the word 'terminal.'" The moment before one act or word changes our lives is always remembered, yes— but here we compound that with the moment before the shock set in, before the numb static started, before Lila's breakdown. "Some remember exactly where they were when Kennedy was shot. Well I remember exactly where I was in the last breath before I began go gently mad." It hit me like a gut-punch.

~ "This is the sound of an almost... 'Why keep it?'...Because someone must." This choked me up for some reason, every time I read it. It touches me personally, sad to say. Among many other mottos that could be applied to me is: "Success is momentary; failures are forever." I must remember my failures—and therefore, I must risk this terrible unstable journey that Lila takes. Touching the reader with shards from your own soul. Wow, and then some!

~"The seam of summa cum laude..." Another almost. Almost the best, almost perfect, almost a lifetime achievement, almost a lifetime of love, almost diagnosed in time, almost survivable. Such a fine line between perfect and fatally flawed. This subtly stated distinction is quite clever.

~ "The sea parts." One of the most ubiquitous and accessible symbols of biblical salvation, this screams that Lira has decided "almost" is not enough for her; she is putting her faith in something better than this dream-cope twilight of grief. Whether it be God or love or life or some compulsion like the Ancient Mariner's—to tell others what not to do, Lira chooses that salvation over slowly wasting away through grief into a shadow of herself that her wife would never have wanted.

There are many notes upon notes in the margin of my notebook from reading this. As a reader, these thoughts stuck out to me. Like some of your recurring symbology, these may be connected very privately to you, as the writer. But from the reader's perspective, they begin to fill in that cohesive picture I mentioned...and also hint at the same growth and forward momentum this entire story is about. They are observations only, not critique of any kind. Just neat stuff I would mention if we were sitting at that table.

~ There is still a history of conflict with mother and comfort from father.

~ Lila is female, as are most of your characters.

~ The spousal relationship around which the story revolves is same-sex again—wives. In fact, even in The Noctuary, the relationship was a close same-sex relationship, albeit sisters. One wonders if this dynamic is symbolic (Eve vs Eve, perhaps, in which no one can ever win?) or if it is a reflection of the writer's real life.

~ This is where I see forward motion in the stories of your "world:" the spouse who has departed is not angry or indifferent this time. She was supportive and loving, contrasting against bitterness, betrayal, and unfairness in other stories. And one infers that this is what enabled Lira to dive down to some sort of serenity at the end.

You know me by now, I bounce around; forgive me. I want to comment on the wonderful connections you created throughout this piece. Phrases and concepts that tie the whole thing together.

~ The dog that was never named from strophe XIII (I simply can't call them chapters; they're too achingly poetic) connects to the dog int he Epilogue. Lira has found a way to close that circle, to move forward, to hurt gently.

~ The use of the word "terminal" throughout the story is semantic symbolism at its best. Terminal disease, the terminal of a journey, the termination of life or the termination of grief (Lila's choice). As the reader progresses through the story, the meanings and shades of "terminal" open like a flower—like an orchid perhaps? *Wink*

~ The mercury in the Parlor (XI) and the mirrors in teh Maze (XV). Our reflections of the past and of ourselves is so often distorted. Both the mercury in the Parlor and the mirror in the Maze liquefy for Lira, distorting her reflections of what was and what could have been. (Or perhaps clarifying them, as blinking a watery eye can sometimes bring things more clearly into focus?)

There are three things that have me bothered, though.

~ Least important first last line in the Parlor: “She’s not your ghost,” the Ferryman warns. “She’s yours.” I'm not sure who owns what or what represent which, here. *QuestionY*

~ Geography. I drew Lira's journey out. It nagged at me as I was reading it, so I had to test it. Her journey is not geographically linear, or even logical.
     ++ For one thing, what the heck is a market doing on a boat? Jarred me a little.
     ++ Once she reaches the old town, she bounces all over the place, even revisiting places. For instance, she visits the Garden, then the lighthouse, chapel, and parlor...then returns to the garden to visit the well. Wouldn't she have seen the well when she was in the garden the first time?
     ++ Where is the parlor in relation to everything else? You have defined a general physical geography, but this parlor has no home. It felt afterthoughtish because of that.
     ++ Was the Archive of Last Breaths (XIII) supposed to be in the basement of the Asylum? Because right now, it seems to be sharing the basement of the Lighthouse with the Archive of Unwritten Letters (VIII). It seems to make more sense for both the psychological journey and the symbolically physical journey.

~ I have this underlined in two different places in my notes. At the end, why does she write?! Writing is not motioned anywhere else int eh story, not in connection with her or with her wife. What is she writing? Why? It's the only loose end, and since it's at the end...well, it feels kind of open-ended.

In this reader's opinion, this is your best work so far. The gallery-like snapshots in each strophe show restraint while not sacrificing impact in the slightest, while providing the photo album of impressions and reactions. The separation into sections surprisingly made the story easier to digest, avoiding any sort of overload at all. The change from static (motionless) to the ferry (hesitant motion) to writing (present tense forward motion) is an extended metaphor or parable that is important. This is not just entertaining, in my opinion: it's important. There's not much writing I can say that about.

I've read this several times, and I guarantee I'll read it several more. This is an incredible bit of writing, sir, and I simply can't put it any better than that. Write on, brutha man, write ON!

--Jeffrey


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23
23
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (4.0)
Mrs. Morgan,

A decade IS a long time. It's not something to scoff at, either. The one vow they DON'T prompt from us during the wedding ceremony is: "do you accept having an annoying roommate FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?!"

Ten years is a long time, but it's plenty of time to build up resentments, pack away hopes and dreams, let bills and bookbags get in the way of growth and exploration. This poem hints at that reality a bit, referring to a fight right on the wedding day. But even then, "it was a good day."

And it seems to have been a good ten years. What a nice reminder that marriage is an opportunity, not a sentence.

--Jeffrey


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24
24
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (4.5)
Marie,

This is a fairly complex and visual set of metaphors.

A bird with clipped wings that can still fly high, happily singing about something precious that out stole: that's an ingenious and apropos paradox describing love and the longing thereof. The gentleness of "Prince Charming" is an important detail; many would cage the bird, or snatch its treasure greedily. But one who loves truly, loves gently.

The conflation of Cupid's arrow with the fairytale hunter turns the analogy nicely and allows "happily ever after" to easily avoid being a cliche ending. Very nicely done.

(Incidentally, this strongly brought to mind "Little Bird" by Emmylou Harris. Give it a listen; you might enjoy it!)

--Jeffrey

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25
25
Review of Time  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (4.5)
Mark,

Mr. Waters & Co. sang about how every year is getting shorter, and that resonates with many of us. But the other extreme—eternity—is perhaps even more frightening! And imagine being stuck doing one set of things forever...

This was a very interesting take on the insistence and persistence of time. Making Time a mechanical thing, giving it a voice, and making it impatient was a brilliant exercise in bringing not only the inanimate to life, but the abstract! I was quite driven, as the reader, as the voice insisted: "what? what? what? what else?!" In this case, time is inverting itself, not rushing itself away, but imposing itself more and more.

The metaphysical nothingness in which the character is trapped could represent many things, but I took it to represent that very abstraction of time I previously mentioned. Time is nothing but eternity in every direction, if you can manifest it into a physicality. Although, it is also tinged with strong suggestions of the hereafter. Well—a lot of us believe the hereafter is eternity, so that fits quite well!

The golden doorknob that is actually something that is poorly decorated and seemingly mundane is quite a fascinating twist. Escaping from time... what does that mean, exactly? What is on the other side of time? More time? Nothing?—but isn't that just another form of eternity, of time? The character's slow slip toward the door, with a cliffhanger "lady-or-the-tiger" type ending, is compelling and thought-provoking. However, I admit that I couldn't quite puzzle it out completely. Maybe it's supposed to be that way! It certainly didn't detract from the read for me; but if the intent was for the reader to really intuit what was happening, I'm afraid I was too dense on this one.

This was a really interesting story, my friend. I'm glad I got to read it as one of the last things before bed. One might say, it's "just in time" to give me haunting dreams.

--Jeffrey


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