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26
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Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 13+ | (5.0)
This is one of the best contests/activities on the site. It offers a fun environment to practice tight writing and the delivery of a punchy point in limited prose; and that is a skill we can take forward as we build larger stories and avoid the risk of wandering off the storyline.

--Jeffrey
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27
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
Bill,

You know, after this story, I almost sent this review via carrier pigeon! This is as creepy as an episode of Black Mirror.

The opening few incidents are interesting, in that they capture the reader's attention. They make the reader ask: "Okay; and...?" Aside from the title, there's nothing apparent to tie these little vignettes together. However, I feel like that is a strength here. It keeps the reader wondering. Well...this reader, anyway.

This story is arranged in a non-linear chronology. We see the effects before we know the cause. As I noted, that draws the reader in deeper so the beginning can be told. I did that once, but as I reread the story, I realized it was just confusing. Yours, however, is very clear at the end.

I particularly liked this line: "Portfolio value: zero dollars" The basic portfolio of life nets out to zero if you base your fulfillment in dollars and cents. So what if you lose it, in that case, perhaps.

I think the analogy is clear here that the phones themselves are a trap for us. The phones are the virus. They may not actually be leading to our physical deaths, but they are leading to social detriment (the friends going off the cliff), health issues (symbolized through the insulin overdose), and even financial problems (the investor's plummet). And we are spreading the virus with each new phone, each time we download a new widget or hook up a new gadget. We're showing our friends, supplying them to our children, making them more and more a ubiquitous part of our days, like pants and shoes. It's a spooky thought when one stops to ponder it...but it's easy to drive the thought away by simply swiping left and watching another cat video, patiently awaiting our own turn to fall into a proverbial tar pit.

I really don’t see any areas I would recommend changing or adding to in order to improve this story. It’s tightly written, grammatically sound, and punctuated with precision. The theme is delivered convolutedly, but it becomes deadly clear in the end; I think that is great thematic presentation. The conclusion is sound, both wrapping up this story, and leaving a forward-looking picture for the reader to extrapolate for themselves.

I just reviewed another piece about a young woman scrolling on her phone in almost complete depressed apathy. It could have been a lost vignette from this story! The fact that this can be tied to a lot of other stories about phones being the root or the catalyst to problems might or might not be intentional, but the reader is able to —and perhaps helpless not to—apply that. For that reason, this story will stay i the back of my mind. That's a huge part of great writing—the reader will remember your work no matter what other piece he reads.

Write on! (but...maybe use a regular computer to do so... *Wink*)


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28
28
for entry "A Day in the LifeOpen in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: 13+ | (5.0)
iKïyå§ama,

What a wonderful blog about the apathetic state brought on by world-weariness. I never watch the news, because only about 8% is germane to me anyway. It's just a who's who of killings and ravings.

Opening this by ignoring the spider on the wall calls to our atavistic disgust and fear of the totally alien spider. It freaks a lot of us out and sends some of us screaming. The speaker here isn't fond of them but is simply too exhausted to do anything about it. It is implied that this exhaustion is not a physical thing, but a mental thing.

The addiction to virtual connection is frighteningly demonstrated. Using the ubiquitous cat videos as an example of this fixation was perfect because they are representative of the useless garbage we focus our attention on these days. (For me is chihuahua videos, all of them saying the same thing, but all of them reminding me of my own little guy—who's sitting right next to me anyway!)

But let us take a closer look at that sneaky webslinger on the wall. Whether intentional or not, Spidey is representative of the insidiousness of this scroll-ful culture: it spins webs and ensnares us in mind-numbing, fearmongering, echo chamber-like content, stealing our active social lives and sucking the blood from our joie de vivre.

And when we've read the last news story and the cats' balls of yarn are all unraveled, what is left of us? Why, nothing, really. We are exhausted from the baffling bull**** on our screens, and we are left unfulfilled, apathetic, and just plain tired.

You packed one helluva punch in just a few words, my friend. Very well done indeed!


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29
29
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.0)
Mriana,

This was a lovely tale of misunderstanding and misinterpretation. I'll admit that I saw it coming a mile away, but that did not lessen the enjoyment of how the characters interacted in the situation. I was reminded of TOS's episode "The Naked Time," where Riley hijacks the intercom makes the entire ship listen to him sing "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen" one...more...time!

As I read, there were some character interpretations I'd like to note—although, it should be noted that I am not a watcher of this spin-off:

~ In your story, the innocence of Naomi is nicely contrasted against the crew's rather less-than-innocent interpretations of the scene. We find ourselves eager to eavesdrop on the officers, as well.

~ The Vulcans behaved more passively than one would expect. Their lines seemed to be inconsequential, just a way to throw some Vulcan lingo into the mix.

~ The crew outside the door was borderline insubordinate in their behavior. I know it was for effect, but accidental eavesdropping might have been a better fit a starship crew.

~ Janeway's ire was very well played. A good commander will show her emotions, but will not inflict them on others.

With regard to the writing itself, I liked how it was driven by dialog. I recently did a flash fiction that way, and I found it a little difficult to stay away from narration. Quite the skill, and well deployed here.

The innuendo, while predictable, was fun to play along with. I enjoy playing that game, seeing how close I can walk that line before backing off or stepping over. You did well promulgating and navigating the double entenrdes.

Overall, this was a humorous story that demonstrates minding one's own business is the best policy.



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30
30
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: 18+ | (5.0)
Carly,

Careful, Mr. Tumnus is on the way! Hopefully there's some nice Turkish Delight waiting for you up ahead.

I haven't been to Narnia in decades, and even then I only got through a few books. But I loved them! This trip back through the wardrobe was a pleasant visit back to fourth grade.

I do have one question, though: why in the world did Sam want to meet you inside a closet, for heaven's sake? Unless he's already on the other side and waiting for you. But did the door you came through open to the same place?

Dammit! Now I have questions! I need more! I could see this becoming a series of flashes. Well, looks like you've got me at "Hello." *Wink*


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31
31
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.0)
R,

This rings so true with me! The third line, "A God to the man who sculpted him," that cuts so close to the bone. I believe that if there is a god-figure it is in the heart of each of us, displayed only int eh good we do; and the devil, so to speak, is manifested by the evil we do. "God" and "devil" are just shorthand for stated of being and ways of behaving. Therefore, we have sculpted God for ourselves!

Now it should be understood that I find no fault with faith. Each person believing in their own version of the god-figure is beautiful, in fact. It is the imposed theocratic efforts "to keep them shackled in the chains of religion" that I can't tolerate.

Let me comment on the writing briefly.

~ The middle part, which is certainly prose rather than poetry, is begging to be reworked to fit the rest of the poem. It's where the turn is, where the absolute most important part of the poem is (except for that wonderful third line).

~ You might also consider letting the second to last line go away. "Stupid" just doesn't fit the rest of the vocabulary in the poem. It sounds argumentative and petulant compared to the rest of the pointed, deliberate verbiage.

~ This is totally this reader's opinion, right here. Consider single-spacing some of your lines together, like stanzas. Let them capture complete thoughts—not terribly unlike that middle paragraph, only grouped as lines.

This is an angry, direct commentary about religion and the fallacy of the origin of God vs Man. I strongly identify with it (having just published a book of poetry called God and Man), and I commend the construction of the argument/statement.


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32
32
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: 18+ | (4.5)
Very nice! I like the uncertainty of the boys' demise. I always love stories that start in the middle of the action. Making my own backstory is half the fun for me.

This is a mostly dialog-driven piece, which really makes it impressive. Driving action using mostly just talking is a skill I DO NOT have; I love to see it used well by others.

Good job fitting a tightly-written scene into such short parameters.

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33
33
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (2.5)
Derrick,

This is a horse of several colors! Part essay, part blog, part poem, it reads with a thoughtfulness that tends toward a sad imagistic outlook at the end.

This line: "we have good times by wasting good times" stood out to me as particularly profound. Money is made to be spent; food is made to be eaten. Are not good times meant to be wasted? Or are we using the wrong vocabulary in this conversation? Perhaps the only waste of a good time is not to have, not to spend like emotional currency. As one singer put it: "Hold on loosely, but don't let go."

Your sly use of the quote by Queen was nice, and it touched on a different topic—living forever. I would advance, however, that that discussion could be pared out of this poem. It is not germane to the discussion of intuition.

I am going to challenge you: adjust this somewhat. Adapt it into the editorial that it wants to be. Give us your thoughts in a narrative format so that we are not distracted by looking for meter or rhyme. It is perfectly "acceptable" to end an article with a bit of verse for a powerful close, and I think the end of this piece would do just that.

As a poem, I think there is a lot of massaging that needs to be done; but as a conversation or collective statement, I think you are well on your way to making a good point. (One other thing, though, make sure you're trying to make just one point; save immortality for another piece where you can focus exclusively on it.)

You propose an interesting topic, here, to which I don't have a ready answer. Intuition allows us to borrow trouble from tomorrow so we can add it to the worry of today; but lack of intuition leaves us to step into quicksand without ever having suspected it was there. I suppose every gift has a b-side of curse with it. Perhaps the summation to the point is that what we do with our intuition is what makes it a curse or a gift. I'm no philosopher, but that sounds right to me. At least...that's what my intuition tells me. *Smile*



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34
34
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (4.0)
Dan,

Absolutely it's a threat. It's the only form of legal extortion left: do what I want or I'll do what I can to ruin your life by ending your days in office, Mr. Mayor! *Wink*

This was fun—well, for me anyway. The writer almost getting brained and then almost breaking a leg to avoid it, that was funny.

There's something about this lighthearted piece that is not so lighthearted, though. That's the reminder to the reader that community action is not someone else's job, it's all of our job. And rather than ranting across the dinner table, we need to speak directly to power about the issues we feel they need to address. Shame on me for complaining about the unsafe corner outside my house, because I've never written to the street department to fix it. (True story.) So there's a pill of reality and seriousness in this piece, and I respect that.

Nice piece, Dan!

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35
35
Review of Pay Attention  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)
Alexis,

Wow, I am immediately reminded on e. e. cummings by this. This poem is not a giver—that is, it doesn't give its meaning away plainly. One has to think through this one for a moment. Well...I did, at least. And what I take away is a very interest message, quite counterintuitive to what we are often led to think: don't hold onto this moment. Embrace the moment as it comes, experience it as much as you can, and then let it go so that the next moment is fresh.

The use of the word "vanity" is interesting in this poem. It could represent the gloating graspiness we all seem to share, that urge to hoard things and say, "This is my memory!" Poetry is not always just a painting, though; sometimes it is a sharp tool. I would not be entirely surprised to find that the "vanity" spoken of in this poem is aimed at an individual of whom the casual reader is unaware.

I particularly like your use of negative space in the presentation of the poem. It has a fleeting feeling, a flowing feeling. The end seems to want to be let go, as though it's slipping downward like sand in an hourglass. Catching the eye is as important as catching the mind, as you demonstrate so well here.

The message I take from this is very intuitive and very true: don't try holding on too tightly to something you are enjoying right now, because you risk missing the enjoyment of things to come.

Very well done, Alexis.


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36
36
Review of Haiku  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (4.0)
Vera,

You present two very different poems here, both of them nice.

The first much more closely follows the Japanese "rules" of haiku, juxtaposing two images to create a statement. The rising of the sun symbolizing emerging life contrasts against the falling leaves, yet there is beauty in it. Very nice.

The second haiku less closely follows that pattern. In fact, one might question of this is really haiku at all, due to the repetition of an entire line. You may want to be careful there; that really does transgress the rules of the form.

This is a very enjoyable couplet of haiku. Enjoy the summer. And while you're at it—Write On!

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37
37
Review of Changing Tunes  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (4.5)
I've an odd sense of humor. Along with "see ya later," amd "love you," I'll often tell my kids: "Wear clean underwear!" Hey—at least it entertains me! *Laugh*

I like this little conversation, particularly because it reminds me of the goofy little repartee we each have with our folks. It also reminds us that sometimes the things that don't matter actually DO.

--Jeffrey
38
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Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: ASR | (4.0)
Angelica,

Well, I reckon this charachter is 25 now. I wonder if the birthday virus will find her this year?

This virus strikes us all when we're young. We talk about our birthdays and think about our birthdays and prepare for our birthdays incessantly. Yes! I can seem like a virus at times! Sometimes, we also look for signs (which may or may not be there) that we can read to portent success and tidings. I think the dialog this character holds with herself is very healthy, and the way she subconsciously unlocks her creativity through pseudo-numerology is a very clever ploy on the writer's part!

I love that the voice can be silenced with sweets. "There's a skinny guy inside me, screaming to get out...but I can usually shut him up with a handful of cookies!" I think that's my motto. *Shock*

Excellent work using nothing but dialog. I find this to be a challenge, so I recognize the effort you put in to keep it a smooth journey for the reader.

Even though I'm a year late to the party: Happy Birthday! *Wink*


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39
39
Review of Paradise Awaits?  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: 13+ | (3.0)
Sci,

This is another admonishment to us individuals that the harder the work is, the greater the reward usually is. You have gone one step further, though, and I appreciate this: in the last line of the story, you use the character of Vivian to point out that, even though the trek was indeed very arduous, and the city is very beautiful, is not paradise. Just because the work is hard does not mean the prize will be perfect. I think we tend to fool ourselves into believing we will get more than what we want when we work for something. And as you demonstrate here, that just isn't the case.

There are some elements of your writing I encourage you to review and potentially edit, toward the goal of improving.

~ While I frequently advise writers to use a larger font, this choice may be a little over the top. Pear in mind that this is opinion; there's no rulebook anywhere saying what font you should use. But Size 5 Courier Bold makes the letters so big that the user has to scroll a lot to read the piece. I will admit, on the other hand, that it is easier to see. Again, this is an opinion.

~ More important than anything, the dialog is very stilted, very stiff. It reads as though English is not one's first language? Specifically, there are far too few contractions and pronouns. For instance:

“We’re going to continue toward our next destination,” answers Harold. “We should have enough gas to get to our next destination. After that, we don’t know how long it will take us to find more gas. It depends on how advanced this city is now.”

      Would read more smoothly as

“We’re going to continue the journey; we have to,” answers Harold. “We should have enough gas to get there, but after that, I don’t know how long it will take to find more. It depends on how modern this city is.”

I suggest using contractions more frequently, such as we're instead of we are, for example.

~ There was a part of the conversation with the family that seemed very odd to me. The conversation centering around the children's puberty and potential for sexual activity and parenthood seemed very, very far from a) any conversation that children that age would initiate, and b) so unrelated to the main story that it felt awkward and forced. I'm not advising that one censor this kind of conversation; there's nothing wrong with the topic at all. This conversation simply doesn't feel like it belongs here.

Sometimes writing itself can be just as much of a journey as the one Tracy and her family took, but in the end, I hope you will achieve the goal your reaching for, whatever it may be. To reach that goal, my friend: Write On!


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40
40
Review of Giffy  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (5.0)
Ooo, nice, Jacky! I was reminded by the hand snaking out of the television after Carol Anne sat there talking to it in Poltergeist. You built this up really well. There was tension throughout, but you let us sigh it out when Mom realized it was just a game, all is well, happy ending, noth—wait, what? What was that last line...?!

Great creepy ending. I loved it!


(The character in my submission was named Jimmy, as well. How's that for a creepy coincidence!)

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41
41
Review of Empty Chair  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (4.0)
Black Swan,

The need to be seen is universal; Maslow identifies it as one of the psychological needs of our species. However, as you demonstrate here, we are too often more concerned with our own need to be seen and recognized than others around us.

Using the metaphor of a chair is very apt—nice choice. A chair supports, offers rest, offers reach, takes up space but doesn't waste space. People use a chair without thinking about it—until it breaks. At that point, many people discard the chair; others try to fix it in the image they think the chair should exist. They take advantage of the chair. Being taken for granted for one's strengths when needed, ignored when not needed, and discarded when broken is borderline abusive.

Your poem doesn't dwell overmuch on the consequences, however. It is more an admonition to the reader that human beings are individuals, not chairs. It's more of a reminder than a cry for help.

I thought you repetition of the word "square" was interesting, as well. It seems to indicate we are all pawns in a massive game—a game none of us really understand. And you, as a chair, cannot move through this worldgame of your own volition; you must wait to be acted upon, to be used. You have come to define yourself (in this poem) as inanimate, dehumanized, useful only to others as and object, not an agent.

A couple of notes about the writing itself:

You might want to look for better wording in some spots. For example: "When feet are tired / Or the sun gets hired..." "Hired" means engaged in an activity for material or monetary compensation—the sun is free! While not a technical rhyme, the word "higher" would work just fine here, not sacrificing rhythm or rhyme to any significance.

Although punctuation in poetry is loosely governed, I would still suggest you add some punctuation so the readers knows when your thoughts and images stop. Remember, there's a big difference between: "I like cooking, my pets, and my family." vs "I like cooking my pets and my family." A little punctuation can go a long way!

This serves as a reminder to the reader very effectively, and it also calls one to think of how we move about in the world and how we define ourselves: passive (like a chair) or active (as someone whop sits in a chair). Nice writing, my friend. Continue to explore your role in the world: Write On!


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42
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Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (4.5)
Basken,

It sounds to me like you have a good grasp on today’s world view: who do I believe?!

I've heard the same story as you, although I heard it months ago. Fear mongering? Maybe a little, but I don't know that it was meant that way. She could have simply been doing what you are suggesting: talking about it.

As for news outlets, they have only ever been semi-trustworthy. Look how bad Greely smeared Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War! I will opine that social media news is even less reliable than network news. A big reason for that is lack of context. It' like sound bites - You could hear the pope say "The sky is falling." However, that could be a bigger part of a conversation where he says: "Some people think the sky is falling; but God won't let that happen." Reels are the same way—one snippet taken out of context (or deliberately skewed for likes and followers).

To get to the real story (not the reel story *Wink*), I suggest scouring as many sources as you can for the same topic. You'll get a more holistic view that way. And you should do that. That's how you're going to inherit this country and world—by keeping yourself informed enough to keep others informed.

There's a couple quick notes on the writing itself here. Here's a couple of examples. Moving forward, proofread yourself. Let spell-check help you. I always run everything through Microsoft Word before posting.

~ That first section could be broken into a couple or few paragraphs. It's pretty dense.

~ You've got some capitalization and punctuation issues, too. Example: "...media. just 30 minutes ago i saw..."

Identifying and correcting these kinds of mistakes is important because it can make or break the validity of your communication. If you write a letter to your Congressman that is misspelled, badly punctuated, and uses "U" instead of "you," for instance, that letter would be dismissed out of hand. But a well-written, thought-out letter that is organized and grammatically correct will at least get read.

You've got a good on you for just sixteen. You're already asking the right questions: Who do I believe and who can be trusted. Keep asking, keep looking...and keep writing!



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43
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Review of Bus Stop  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (5.0)
Jacky,

I gotta say, I had this one earmarked as the winner. Having commuted in and out of Cincinnati from an outlying suburb for a few years, I was really able to identify with those first two paragraphs. (The rudest guy I met was a guy not just preaching but foisting his faith—not quietly—on everyone on the bus for a good twenty minutes. It was exhausting not turning into an A. H. myself! Alas! The bus!)

The way the speaker interacted with the con man was entertaining. Sometimes someone will tell a joke I've heard, but I play along so they can get the enjoyment of the punchline. That's how I saw "her" act with Not-So-Slick Rick. Setting him up at the end was keenly ironic.

Her silver-lining rationalization for continuing to ride the bus and save on car expenses was a great rounded, final ending.

Just a thoroughly written and entertaining piece, my friend. No offense to any of the other writers, but I think you won this one.



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Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (4.5)
"...The end is just the beginning..."

So sang Ronnie Dio & Co. And I think it's true. "There's got to be just more to it than this; / or tell me: why do we exist?" (Thanks to Messrs. Dickinson and Harris for that one.") It's so true, in fact, that we see it explored "in the boundless mosaic of faiths", each culture's music, paint, poetry.

Your writing, as you explore your concept of death, is comfortable to the reader. You use a lot of poetic phrases to shade the images with nuance, but you avoid metaphor, which can be as confusing as it can be enlightening. I think you made a good choice there: death is already confusing enough without wrapping it in a riddle.

You have a complete thematic arc, too. You begin by stating questions as uncertainties, as well as some observations and thoughts. You move on to a metaphysical contemplation, and then round it out with your own feelings—not just about death, but about dwelling on death. And in not dwelling on death, you remind us, we are free to dwell on the life God gave us, each according to his or her faith.

This is a unique take on a widely accessible topic of humanity. You've navigated me on a stable trip, and I'm happy to have arrived back on this side of the Styx with you. *Wink*


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Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: 13+ | (3.0)
Warisha,

First off, let me tell you: this has inspired me to write my own poem of complaints—perhaps a list poem, as was mentioned in a recent newsletter ("Poetry Newsletter (May 28, 2025)Open in new Window.). It's always a compliment, I think, when you inspire someone else's writing with your own. *Smile*

Let's talk about your poem.

I like the way you organized it, with variations on the fact that the poem itself a list of complaints, reminding the reader that the theme is not the specific scenarios, but the list of them as a whole, which demonstrates an aspect of your own world view.

Your aaaa, bbbb, cccc... rhyme scheme is followed consistently throughout. It's not as easy as it looks, I know. Finding 4 words that all rhyme and fit the context of the stanza, without actually sacrificing the intent of the stanza for the rhyme is quite an exercise! While the rhymes are good, however, your rhythm is very uneven.

~ Now, there is a lot to work on with structure and word choice. You have several instances of plurality disagreement—for instance: "All of my perceptions wields the flag of destruction." In this case, the plural subject, perceptions, requires a plural form of the verb, wield. You have used wields, which would apply to a singular noun. The trees wield power; one flower wields power. There's quite a bit of this, but I'm not going to tear the poem apart to point them out; you get the gist.

~ There's problems with tense agreement, also. For instance, So how did my friend gained a victory vote? should read So how did my friend gain a victory vote? Again, several instances of this type of error.

~ Vocabulary. Hmm...this is a tricky one because poetry is so subjective and flexible. Layering multiple uses of a word can make vocabulary seem out of place at first, until the reader gains better understanding through context. In this case, however, much of the vocabulary is stilted, and the sentences don't flow right. Is it safe to observe that English is not your first language?

Again, this is a poem that makes the reader think of we and why we complain, as well as why and when we should not complain. It makes us think, and that is a sign of overall good writing.

Keep making us think, Warisha: Write On!

--Jeffrey


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Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: 18+ | (4.0)
Schnujo,

As Metallica says: "You can do it your own way / if it's done just how I say!"

Who hasn't entertained this fantasy, ruling the world and having everything one's own way. But we never think of the consequences, do we? I don't mean consequences to others, though there are plenty of those. IO mean things like Boredom, frustration, stagnation. God, never having to work for anything would be so boring! Personally, I'd lose my mind. "We’ll all live in peace and in harmony."—and go absolutely bonkers! *Wink*

Okay...so where do we draw the line? Do we allow crime because it is interesting? Because it draws the contrast between good and bad? After all light is just glaring light; it takes a period of darkness to make light a welcome, saving grace.

Or personal property. We are granted permission to keep our rooms in whatever fashion we wish...but they will all have carpeting. One is getting mixed messages!

And what about punishments? Eating from a pouch while my pet lies on the couch...my friend, things ain't real far from that right now! We have twelve dog beds throughout the house plus their nighttime beds, which are directly next to us when we sleep at night. They are already in charge! But seriously, how does a benevolent dictator apply punishment? If we're all to live as a happy family, what happens if one person is punished and begins sowing seeds of dissent? Sounds eerily like the Lucifer effect!

This was a fun write, and surprisingly thought-provoking. While there is a lot of unnecessary evil in the world, one has to evaluate to what extent the sweet sugar of total peace would turn to sand in the belly of boring existence.

--Jeffrey



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

My word, what an ode to PTSD, the wastefulness of war, the loss of a remembered innocence. I am immediately reminded of 3 other works by this poem, in order:

~ Metallica: For Whom the Bell Tolls
~ Eric Maria Remarque: All Quiet on the Western Front
~ Bruce Springsteen: The Nothing Man
~ (Throw in Pink Floyd's Our Possible Pasts for a bonus.)

Now, those are all pieces that speak deeply to me (especially the last one, for reasons we won't discuss). When writing references back to other cutting pieces, it is doubly effective.

Before I talk more about the writing, let me congratulate you on your choice of presentation. The font is monospaced, uniform, just like the soldier is. By the numbers, all the same width and height. Perfect representation.

Your first line is so intelligent, the following stanza setting up the contrast of the rest of the poem exquisitely. It lulls the reader into a false sense of security—much like a child's.

That third stanza is a punishment the reader has to bear with the soldier in the poem. Such apt observations of the distortion PTSD brings on. "The hush of fields? It holds the ambush dread." For some reason, that's the one that got to me. Probably because I love evening walks. To have them permanently spoiled would be a living damnation.

If there's anything worse than the PTSD, it's knowing one has PTSD. This soldier knows something is wrong with him, knows there is peace that can be found...knows he is locked out from it forever. That would be soul-crushing. Oh, and hey, while we're having some PTSD, let's throw a little survivor's guilt in there, too: "The living soldier bears the bitter cost." It so true! (Nothing Man speaks directly to that.)

This is not one of your layered, emotionally complex stories. This is stark—as stark as battle. This is brutal, glaring, defeating. It hits us with its baldness because it has to. We need to know, we need to be reminded, we—both sides, us and the "enemy"— need to understand the socially rotting futility of feeding our kids into the grinder for economical ideals and boundaries on a map.

Excellent writing, sir.

--Jeffrey


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Review of Saturday  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (3.5)
Jacky,

Well...? What did he make?! Guess we have to wait for the next installment to find out, eh? *Wink*

Stories about the quirks and foibles of our kids never seem to get old. I like the young man's industrious nature!

You've got some tense-agreement issues in the first paragraph you might want to take a look at; just a note.

Fun piece!

--Jeffrey
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Review of Me Vs Me  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (4.5)
Derrick,

This is very intriguing. I wonder what kinds of questions I would ask my older self.

Usually, I have seen such stories or poems based around what the older would say to the younger, almost a monologue. "I would tell myself not to invest in love until his twenties." The questions your younger self asked you almost seemed like an interrogation, like there was a tightly restrained hostility in them. That might be because of the rapid-fire way they were written, so close together. I'm not sure that was your intent, but it came across that way to me.

The almost disjointed answers in the third strophe made it seem like the older self was caught off-guard by the questions. For some reason, that had a realistic feel to it, lending the poem credibility instead of just parable-ness.

Thew second-to-last "stanza" made me tilt my head. Is this to say we should omit the truths if they are about death? Darkness? It almost seemed like the older self was reminding himself to blow sunshine up the kid's—nose. Rather than the truth: "No, Grandpa still thinks I'm a lazy and headed in the wrong direction with my job."

The last 2 lines are very abrupt. Is the speaker insinuating that as one ages, only work matters? Kinda feels that way, and sentiment is certainly true in too many cases.

There are a lot of thoughtful bits in this dialog with yourself. In either direction, go easy on yourself; you deserve it. And once you're at peace—Write On!

--Jeffrey



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Review of I Hate  Open in new Window.
Review by Jeffrey Meyer Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (4.0)
Adonis,

Unrequited love is one of the most painful and hollowing feelings, I think. It is theorized that much of Elton John's work up the late 90's was based on his unrequited love for his longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin. Your poem is one more piece of evidence how strongly this emotion spills into our creativity.

The juxtaposition of hating the need for someone else's love is intriguing. Rather similar to Joan Jett's "Hate Myself for Loving You," it's a great expression for obsession, or even addiction: we know it's bad for us, but we can't seem to live without it.

I also found your descriptions of the love interest to be interesting. In the first two thirds of the poem, the speaker could have been referring to a marble statue, perhaps David. Does this mean he sets the object of his love on a pedestal, unattainable and unreachable, yet uncontrollably desired?

If I may make a suggestion: consider pruning a bit. Find words that can be removed to make it even tighter, less speechy. For example:

"Everyone watches you, like you’re the most amazing thing they’ve ever seen. Yet somehow, you look at me like you understand what I feel"

          could be distilled down to:

"Everyone watches you, the most amazing they’ve ever seen. Yet somehow, your look understands what I feel"

Tightening the text concentrates the punch, often times.

This is a an emotional poem that is charged with thoughtful points and courses. Very nicely done.

--Jeffrey


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