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2,874 Public Reviews Given
3,547 Total Reviews Given
Review Style
Logic: the more accredited as reviewer, the more associations I make, thus more integrated with like minded writers, thus a sense of community. Good intentions? Yes. Misunderstood? I don't even get me thinking I could break the log jam ongoing ---------------------- Style? Read my reviews. Look at any member's other review. ---------------------- I see the good, with an eye toward potential. Will never be/play authority of someone else’s words, leave to the master of the work. I just reflect/react/review, a fuller perspective. Responses of my reviews are affirming. --------------------------------- Do not credit me. Pay it forward. (if just to appease the logger heads) *shrug* ------------------------------- I'm approachable and available for questions, if you appear open and objective. No snow in here. ***************************************** just a flake. (Ha...no, heh?) ------------------ Weigh how heavy on your scale: inale-*SIGH*-exhale
I'm good at...
Poetry, shorter stuff. I'm mostly blind. I react and encourage with my reviews, suggest direction to make something better. I can be a friend. Trust went out the window. I break the conventional fourth wall. Not sure what it means? Ask.
Favorite Genres
nature, love, psychological, spiritual, inspirational, epiphany, emotional, drama, human interest, science, conspiracy, dystopian, fatalistic, speculative. Not cookie cutter fantasy realms or choose your adventure. Action/adventure. Unique, surprise.
Least Favorite Genres
Horror, fan fiction, some fantasy and sci-fi, or anything Lord of the Rings/Game of Thrones-ish.
Favorite Item Types
poetry, short story, essay/opinion/blog
Least Favorite Item Types
fantasy, horror
Public Reviews
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1351
1351
Review of Poetry Forms  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: 13+ | N/A (Unratable.)
I am very excited, having discovered this style of poetry today. I visited this page after reviewing a poem by Emerald Enchantress.

This form is a nice platform for me, since I aspire to write a sestina one day. This short form will help me work on the construct and get the mind set for this type of poetry.

I find the style compelling through its use of repetition driving a theme, as if reflective thought that finishes with a brief summation. Gives the opportunity to create something profound and insightful and look forward to honing my skills with this one.

thank you for posting this,
Brian
1352
1352
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.5)
Oh this is clever and funny. At first, reading those lines with the speech impediment, I was thinking is this kid slamming the door to pull out tooth out and wants to show everyone. But, that thought was brief.

I feel the energy of a child like this in this poem. The celebration of one of the simplest things, learning to turn a knob that opens and shuts a door.

The repetition of the lines, and the call to action to have the elders respond if they are watching, is all so relatable. I especially like Pawpo and Damaw, very endearing.

thanks for sharing this,
Brian
1353
1353
Review of At three  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.5)
This is a very touching, sentimental look into childhood and stirs up memories for this reader.

I am a firm believer that listing items, events, etc. is a great tool for building an effective poem and this proves it. Going through all the experiences through a child's eyes thought to be lost at three is well remembered here. Of course, we probably couldn't go into any great deal. it's like those snapshots you see in a photo album, emblazoned in your mind.

I also had a dog named Brownie, which brought back special memories.

Very nicely dond!
Brian
1354
1354
Review of Brain Lock  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.0)
Unlock the door and let me in brain! It's cold out here!

I like this interpretation of writer's block. It's the sort of thing I doodle on a page that has been laid bare for too long.

This poem is kind of catchy with lines three and four...the 'creativity' and 'mediocrity' seem to be the lynch-pin for this entire piece.

Nicely Done!
1355
1355
Review of Fly Fishing  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.5)
Sort of a prelude to the dream of catching that big one.

This poem is well crafted and gives great detail and insight into what goes into preparing for a fishing trip. This makes for a nice read, not forced, just the way a fisherman should.

You reeled me in with the pace of your lines and that first stanza was a great hook with the reference to 'pretend insects appear ready to fly.'

This poem progresses in the natural order from the night before to the visit to the water. Your poem has a nice careful spoken feel to it. Very fitting for the character of this poem.

Now I must cast off!
Brian
1356
1356
Review of Abyss  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: 13+ | (3.5)
Very conversational tone with this poem making the narration enjoyable. The abyss is dark and mysterious, almost as elusive as the meaning to this poem.

I did find this to be comical and hope that was the intention. I saw the irony in thinking you're dead but you're not. I could imagine this person suggests that you cannot run away from your problems because they will always be with you, kind of like hell on earth or purgatory.

Yes darkly funny poem is my assumption here.
1357
1357
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | N/A (Review only item.)
I'm really drawn to this one, Susan. I just can't put my finger on it yet. You have some excellent descriptive scenes here.

That first stanza and the first two lines really did hook me. And I got the contrast between the lines, which worked well. Winter vs. Summer. Morning vs. Night.

I'm not attuned to Native American culture, but there is such beauty and pride in this poem that I'm sure any reader can appreciate its value.

Nicely done, once again,
Brian
1358
1358
Review of The Buck  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | N/A (Review only item.)
Hi Susan,

I love this feel for nature and connection with deer. I can see myself there, knowing the way these animals behave with such grace and guarded poise.

I think you could have done more to capture this experience. The habits of the Buck, the description of the features that stand out, etc. could really lend to this piece.

I was thrown off by the color choice, too. Mango does not set the scene you are trying to convey here. Maybe, suggest the sun's arrival and the readers can imagine it themselves.

Overall, I appreciate this type of poetry and is the reason I return to read your work.

Brian
1359
1359
Review of Wind  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.0)
You do have some good notions with this poem and found some parts that I liked in particular.

To start with, wind ruffling the senses makes me think of fresh air on a bay that moistens the eyes and makes one feel alive. You give the air life, almost personifying it, giving you a connection with your environment.

When you start with..."Calls to me..." you lack a subject. But as I read further down, I can see what it relates to and would suggest introducing Fate sooner, or Destiny. Such as...

"Destiny calls to me..."

and then the rest...One misspell...await.
This is some pretty poignant stuff for a 16-year-old.

Keep up the writing and hope to see more,
Brian
1360
1360
Review of Life is motion  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.0)
I enjoyed the concept of this poem and the idea of how one would like to imagine freezing the hands of time.

The last line is an apt summation for this work. The progression of the poem works well, too, as we can visualize these things described.

You chose the middle of the day to start off. Depending on where this person is, I can see the opportunity for a still moment. To me, this moment might occur just before the birds arrive to sing the sunrise. I think getting a clearer sense of place and how the still moment can be achieved might be found in that affected environment.

You start off with a lull in traffic, which works well, and move to the grass and trees and no bugs and the quiet inside the room. The viewer seems to be retracting from the street to the yard to the window pane and back into the room. This shows progression of thought quite well.

But it doesn't stop there. You look inside the self, and that is where the sense of reality arrives and the deeper feeling and connection to the world around, with the fitting line 'carrying all the ages of man.' It's in the blood.

This is very introspective and works on several levels to get a deeper understanding of life and man.

Well done,
Brian
1361
1361
Review of Like A Flower  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.5)
I guess the repetition of that line makes it near impossible to get another title up there without changing that mantra.

This poem really works well, Nancy. I like the listing of fellings and the tag line at the end of each. The final summation in the last stanza is a nice call to action, which inspires the will to reach for what it needs.

You did a fine job with this one!
Brian
1362
1362
Review of At Writing.Com  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (5.0)
This is brilliant! I loved it from beginning to end. In a way, it pokes fun, tongue-in-cheek. But it also pays tribute to this site that has helped so many.

My favorite part is about how people make you feel like a celeb, the hunt for adulation through high ratings, gift points and contests, and best of all, how we must not have lives.

That says it all.
Great Job!!
1363
1363
Review of I Might Be a Dog  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.5)
I like the four stanzas the way they come together and show the attributes of these animals in such description that they can be visualized in my mind as I read.

I saw the tease under the title and realized this would be descriptions of people related to these animals. I think highlighting more of the commanalties between these creatures and humans could make for an even more effective poem.

Good job,
Brian
1364
1364
Review of Chills I Desire  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: 18+ | (4.0)
Odes to Autumn abound and are such a celebration of the season and you capture some of that with this poem and using color adds a bit more spice.

I liked the repetition of autumn to drive the poem from the start and it turns to sharing this with a special someone to give a fuller appreciation of the season.

Your poem could use some editing to boil it down to its truest essence to give the reader the fullest flavor of some of the best elements your poem has to offer.

Nicely done.
1365
1365
Review of poetry contest  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (5.0)
Yahoo! Yes, TeddyBear has a contest!! Way to go!

What made you decide to do this, and do you plan on posting rules or have some sort of format. Some crazy people are going to dump all kinds of stuff you want to read.

Looks like the award could use some boosting. Do you think if the other members of this group took a collection we could get a better selection of poetry to rate.

Also, contests like this could use more than a few judges to rate these works. I'll volunteer my services to help and forgo entering to win a prize.

Everybody who sees this, please support tiara and this contest so we can get it up and running.

Hopefully, you are open to input and ideas to really make for a smashing success!

Good Luck!!
Brian
1366
1366
Review of LAKOTA  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.5)
Hi Sherri,

this is the first time visiting your poetry about the native americans. This short piece serves as an encapsulated history lesson about something a lot of people are ignorant of, or choose to ignore.

I took a course in Native American history, but I'm a little rusty on the subject since that's over 14 years ago.

The final line of this poem to me says the fight still isn't over, even though we do not war with the tribes anymore. Instead, we have sufficated their world and tromped on everything they believed so we can live in a manner to which we have grown accustomed.

I think more light should be shed on their plight and the depressing lifestyle that has ensued and how the fabric of their history has been eroded over time.

Thanks for this poem,
Brian
1367
1367
Review of Tea Kettle In Awe  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.0)
Hey Nancy,

I'm back and saw this post in your port that needed a rate and review.

I like your attempt to personify the tea kettle in this poem. There is a very effective structure and rhyme to the poem, but I think it lacks more of the qualities needed to really bring this tea kettle to life.

Wonder if describing it's shape, color or other attributes could breath more life into the kettle.

First line using word sat sounds flat, pardon my rhyme. I would like something like settle(d) or something decribing how it nestles to the coils that heat.

I wondered about third stanza...I liked how this operates and wondered if opening with action sooner we would get a greater appreciation of what's going on...Like this:

"Bustling around the room,
whistling a happy tune,
she got herself a cup
and a coconut macaroon."

Next stanza, you have opportunity to personify more by showing the tea kettle warming to her happy tune, perhaps the heat making her blush and wheeze a little, suggesting that she tries to imitate the woman but still restrained.

Opportunity in fifth stanza to make less passive and get into present...make that water boil quicker rather than reference the past, building up to what the reader expects in the last stanza and the resulting finish.

Nice poem. I like this concept. Very well done, Nancy.

Brian
1368
1368
Review of The Rapids  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | N/A (Review only item.)
Hi Susan,

Ah, the ponderings of a poet who is communing in nature and the wondrous visions of rapids. I can envision a place like this, though I think it could be developed more fully developed.

There is so much more to be exposed here, from the banks to the trees and sky, while still keeping the focus on those waters and their impact on the surrounding land -- ultimately, the lifegiver of everything that abounds, even man.

In the first stanza,
Water singing is a great device to give a personifying quality to the rapids.

In the second stanza, you connect with the waters through your soul giving more beauty to this element. But I think it would sound better in that first line read "Waves, rushing, roaring..."

Overall, I think you have the makings of a very fine poem here.

Brian
1369
1369
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.5)
This is an incredible description of an electrical storm and the mayhem that this person choses to stand amid with little fear. There is beauty even in the most threatening things and this poem conveys that energy or excitement or being caught in a place like this.

I could get a feel for this storm that you set up as a work of art, which was a nice touch...particularly like raindrops beating a rhythm...the person in this poem has connected with the surroundings...despite the eerieness.

That quiver in the heart was the telling part of this entire piece. We could think this person to be mad or daring, but this is an act of being absorbed in this moment and its beauty, and you give a good sense in this poem of what it feels like to do that.

Nice work!
Brian
1370
1370
Review of Angels Listened  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: ASR | (4.5)
Hi Nancy,

Stopped by to see what you had to review and found this beautiful poem that reads well and aptly tells a story without feeling forced anywhere.

I like the depictions of Jesus as a child and we can only assume what those years were like since there is very little documentation of that.

I like the vehicle for this poem, putting the angels in the position to be the eyes for the story that unfolds. We can assume how helpless they feel just standing by, while Jesus saves mankind by dying for our sins.

One line that I have always remembered is "...why hast thou forsaken me.." and you've used turn on me. I'm not sure if that's a different interpretation or another line that Jesus uttered. But 'forsaken' seems more poetic.

Your poem ties up the way it should, to give hope to all those who wait for judgment day, knowing God will return.

Thanks for this poem,
Brian
1371
1371
Review of The Life-Giver  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (3.5)
I'm a bit of a gardener myself and have written a few poems related to flowers and their habitat, so this poem intrigued me.

The life-giver could be God looking down upon his creation but some parts of the poem would suggest that this life-giver is not loyal via conception. So, I'm thrown off the scent of that trail.

So, I must turn to the marigolds. Yes, they can breed quite quickly and spread. But they are annuals. Do they return the following season? Possibly, but less likely that they will be cyclical and thrive in this way.

So now I turn to the gardener. Is this the person who makes all of this life arrive and persist? But it says the life-giver never dies.

Maybe it's me, but I'm dumb-founded. Who is bathing them in sustenance? Nature or the light, the marigolds, something else? I did not connect with the message this poem attempts to deliver.

What I did find were some striking passages that gave me pause for thought. And the rhythm and read of the piece is smooth. If I have a better idea of the conception of this work, I might be able to give you further insight to see if reader and writer can get on the same page.

Thank You,
Brian
1372
1372
Review of 'Fat Cat'  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.5)
What a horribly funny tribute to a dead fat cat. Your handle even rhymes with the end of the poem!

You capture some of the common natures of the animal that some adore and can relate to while it also might be understood by those who could just bag that cat in a cinched gunny sack to toss in a river.

Short but sweet tribute adds to the comical nature of the poem. The way you introduce the cat and end the story with the same lines is almost like saying the Hawaain greeting "Aloha," good both coming and going.

The short eulogy shows how uneventful the cat's passing is to the narrator. No sappy, long drawn out reflections of times with a tabby. Nope, just dead cat, bury it out back!

Well done,
Brian
1373
1373
Review of A Single Tear  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: 13+ | (4.0)
Sad poem about the slow motion progression of a tear and what it represents to the person who lets loose that lone lachrymal liquid drop.

Nice form, breaking stanzas into two lines with each motion of the tear drop representing part of the progression of the feelings of the person emoting.

Perhaps, a slight flaw in the opening, as the tear is loosed in the second line but has wound up to rest on the cheek in the first stanza. And a single tear might not necessarily purge the soul, but it could get the ball rolling for a chain of tears to urge on the purging process.

Just one tear. That in itself is a statement about this person, who is holding back the rest. And the only tear that manages to escape challenges them to accept their lost love, to deal with the emotion otherwise denied by holding in tears.

Very nice piece of writing. I checked it out after seeing the link in one of the newbie's newsletters.


Brian
1374
1374
Review of Going Home  
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.5)
This is a remarkable smooth reading poem with great meter that drives the poem to the very end.

The description of one dying and relieve to realize he will return to the one he loves is a very assuring hope for the after life.

I saw one area where the read hit a little snag and have a suggestion that might help repair.

In stanza three line three if you add 'had' before 'cherished' it would help keep the pace.

I sense the progression of this person dying before seeing the light and ascending to heaven and find no flaws with the structure of the poem.

There is a very calming feel to this poem and a most enjoyable read.

Thank You,
Brian
1375
1375
Review by Brian K Compton
Rated: E | (4.0)
First stanza takes off brilliantly. I get into a nice stride with your deft selection of appealing words. I especially like how the third stanza reads. It allowed me to take in all these aspects of the child in one flowing sentence that did not become overly wordy or confusing.

Your words really bring this child to life. The first two lines of the second stanza especiallly stood out. You have him moving to a different beat, unaltered by the a world that heeds the forces driving it in another direction.

In the first stanza, I was confused by "they warble" and don't know if it is attributed to the boy or to the words or something I missed. And "but one..." made me wonder if you meant "by one..."

In fourth stanza, I caught one line that read awkwardly for me:

"Sense unmade for his is a world unique.
His own."

Might the line sound better if it starts with "His own, a world unique..." and then remove unmade and make a more direction connection to sense?

You seem to work without a net with form as the number of lines don't match and was distracted a bit by that.

I felt a bit of a visceral connection with your boy and the poem seems insightful for one who is not the parent of an autistic child. I felt after getting half-way into this poem that you had a deeper connection with what you envisioned stirring you to write this poem. It is a commendable effort.

Brian
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