Brian Oarr

2015-11-03
Without question the *best* poem you've ever penned, Rache. I genuinely enjoyed reading this piece.

Ya done yourself proud, Kid!

Brian

2015-10-17
A lovely poem, CF, one which has a subtle calming effect upon my subconscious.

I do have one tiny criticism ... I find that starting each line with a capital letter cause breakups in the reading of your piece. I question ... do the caps really serve a purpose?

2015-09-30
An astonishingly brilliant poem, CF!

Love the word muzzling. :-)

2015-08-03
I've always felt the August sun owed us all an apology for its warmth. This poem, nevertheless, is much warmer, the poet seeming to conjure warm images at will.

This one is why we want to read poetry!

2015-07-28
Cf, ya don't think? ... nah, couldn't be! :-)

2015-07-28
And when she was good, she was very, very good,
And when she was bad, she was brilliant!

2015-07-28
"a call across the ticking brevity"

A brilliant line of poetry in an equally brilliant poem.

I actually had an inkling of what you were talking about for once, Bob, and I'm still gape-jawed. :-)

2015-02-11
goddamn, bob! This is one of the greatest poems I've ever read!

I can only marvel and wish to write lines like :



" the tell tale of tomorrow" or



"stereotyped in vinyl days"

You are the Gustav Klimt of poets!

2015-01-10
I never understand a single thing you say,
but I'll help you drink your wine!

LOL ... great write, Bob ... good to know some things will never change :-)

... Spill the wine ... dig that girl ...

"she listened to dead sea cod" --- I just can't let go of this incredible imagery.

2014-03-17
I confess I've never heard of Patrick Kavanugh before, CF ... until now ... and I like what I've read ... thnx for the post. :-)

Brian

2014-03-15
I really liked the unrhymed second stanza of this poem, Nick. You really wrapped it up neatly ... with word choices I admire.

Glad I took the time to read this piece all the way through ... it shines!

Brian

2013-09-30
This poem was well worth the read ... striking imagery.! You paint with bold strokes sir!

I should mention ... I like poets who realize the importance of a strong title ... this one drew me in with intensity.

Brian

2013-01-31
Even when it's sorrowful, your writing is always a joy to read, Elle.

I wish those shoes could have been Louboutin's ... you surely deserved them. :-)

Brian

2012-08-10
... I can hardly wait
to be your friend
It has been so hard
to be your
keeper --- Merrit Malloy, "The People Who Didn't Say Good-bye"

The Rache returns with a wonderful poem!

2012-06-15
This is a very fine poem, Elle. The way you pull your locale into the verses impressive, as is your choice of wording, certainly highly placed above the "patois" mentioned in your piece.

For me personally, this is your finest piece. Well crafted, Poet!

Brian

2012-06-06
Very nice!

Of you others neither know nor have missed,

Almost an echo of Thomas Hardy in the way you shaped these words.

Brian

2012-06-04
[ smile ] Don't be too hard on her, Mom ... remember she has your eyes.

Brian

2012-05-29
What a beautiful poetic voice you have! It is a pleasure to read your mature work.

Brian

2012-05-29
I like the attitude of this poem, Katarina. But more I like its intelligence ... words like "axial" fly off the page, shine in that different hue you describe.

Brian

2012-02-21
Almost Frost-like, this piece. I wrote once, "perception dithers at a span of years". I know you have this sense also, CF.

Brian

2012-02-21
here's a meaty piece with a strong central metaphor.

"Down goes Carthage! Down goes Rome!"

Brian

2012-02-21
Very unique ... very good ... laden with metaphor!

"Funny, the point when a man becomes a husband" --- this line the conerstone of your poem ... it bites, and that's always a good thing!

Brian

2012-02-19
"Honest desire without shame" ... that's the crux of the matter, isn't it, cf? Be it physical or intellectual, it is something that only a lover can bring and men so desparately need.

I smile at the concept of a "heart its voice" ... personification of that which is already human ... an intelectual Russian doll.

Brian

2012-02-19
There is something oymoronic and therefore quite intellectually appealling about the concept of a "nursery of my future", Gunnel.

Your poem is brave, embrassing your future ... I must learn from this.

Brian

2012-02-19
I never quite get these evangelical poems. You do know that whatever moves you spiritually is quite unique to yourself, don't you?

Especially troublesome on a pluralistic board like this where there are Hindu, Moslem, Wiccan, Atheist, Agnostic posters.

Perhaps, this poem might not be so offensive, if there were anything truly *poetic* about it to redeem it ... alas it is merely unrhymed doggerel, which lacks the redeeming humor.

When all is said and done, this piece is a bore, best kept to one's own primacy.

Brian

2012-02-19
I'm going to have a devil of a time getting this image out of my head. You know just how to entice and yet leave the moment hanging, Linda.

LOL

Brian

2012-02-08
I don't understand how this poem could have been read 59 times without comment ... I believe it worthy of such. The first stanza is very strong and I think your best. The 5th stanza ain't half bad either. I can think of just one thing that may have put folks off, as it is a bit disconserting and that is the constantly changing rhyme schemes. A trifle IMO.

I liked this poem, Princess. I shows your talent strongly and derserved more attention.

Brian

2012-02-07
It is from the hours before dawn that great writing like this emerge from the half state between dreams and conscious thought, between yesterday and tomorrow, when only now is today.

Your poetry is at high tide of late, Linda, the piece but an example. clearly, you purred at just the right vibration in writing such a marvelous poem.

Brian

2012-02-02
You'll find a way, Linda ... Life will always out. For now justorder those fears back to their corners.

Brian

2012-02-01
a quirky piece, which I LIKE A LOT

sort of Becht mis en vers

I'll be reading, Anton

Brian

2012-01-30
What a rougish pun, cf. And you set us up for it so stylishly ... shame, shame shame. LOL

Brian

2012-01-28
Balk Beck?!?

2012-01-28
Ah, Linda, you've outdone yourself with this peice. Straight from your mind to the page ... sticklebacks and all.

I hope you had as much fun writing this, as I did reading it.

Brian

2012-01-19
"Simply" wonderful. It's a funny thing about aging ... I always figured that folks our age had wisdom as compensation. Boy were we sold a bill of goods, eh?

And yet, perhaps there was some wisdom to be found in thsi simple piece. :-)

Brian

2012-01-18
Probably just my perverted mind, but this poem sounds delightfully kinky. :-)

Brian

2012-01-17
Simple, and yet, poetically strong! Like being invited for mental tea.

Very nice, Gunnel.

Brian

2012-01-17
I'm grinning at your poetic prowess. A poem with just the correct amount of metaphor.

Just a thought ... poetry no longer requires that the start of each line be capitalised ... and here I thought it quite unnecessary.

Otherwise ... I dug it!

Brian

2012-01-15
I very much enjoyed this vignette poem. You definitely have a poet's mind, Katherine. I especially liked the way you ended the piece, sticking the landing.

I want to see your obvious talent grow ... in your next piece try to work in some metaphor. Remember, poetry must always strive to ascend to a higher plane of language and visualzation.

I'll be reading,
Brian

2012-01-15
I find this a very uneven poem, Liz, which has sufficeint merit to warrant a re-write one of these days.

Lines like "'friends' like a trend" and "The spirit of Karma is something to fear, for it keeps a list" are wonderful, but the metaphor of "bitter fruit of betrayal" strikes me as cliched.

Excellent to turn an overheard conversation into verse ... something I need to consider in my own work.

Seriously, re-write this. You owe it to your art.

Brian

2011-10-21
Ghaddafi does not deserve your tears, Jenks. We need to save them for the children of this world. This poem is such an understatement ... I am in awe of the ability to pull that off effectively. :-)

Brian

2011-10-11
An arrant jewel singing from her crown. This poem peers at us through chinks in the forest of life, leaves us somehow unspoiled
despite a voyeurism.

2011-06-24
A year or so ago I brought you to the Nevada desert. Today you repaid the debt and took me to Fryslan.

This was clearly an effort of love, Peter. Though simplistic in its form there is an understated power in this piece. A pleasure to read.

Brian

2011-04-29
This poem is so beautiful you'll want to correct that typo in the last line. There was much to admire in your crafting of this piece.

Brian

2010-12-26
A mind that ponders the lonliness of stars dying in the dark knows poetry from the inside out --- and that's the way of good verse.

Very enjoyable read, sir!

Brian

2010-12-26
I nominate this piece for "Poem of the Year". I've tried to write this theme numerous times, but never succeeded in pulling it off. You not only pulled it off, you stuck the landing!

Kudos to the poet!

Brian

2010-11-11
Your best poems, Bob, always have the surreal quality of a Gustav Klimt canvas, but in print. This is one of those pieces which has me standing on my head attempting to feret the meaning of each line. It is delicious exercise! :-)

Brian

2010-11-11
All that is has been fashioned in the stars. And that includes poetry, Linda.

"We are stardust
Billion year old carbon
We are golden
Caught in the devils bargain
And weve got to get ourselves
Back to the garden"
--- Joni Mitchell

Brian

2010-11-11
"He is not mine, I was a bandage
The sound of changing gears...."

These two lines are like a verbal kick in the shin! You do realize your poetic voice is attaining an accomplished timbre, as you delve deeper into free verse, dont'cha Rache? Don't freak, but you're becoming interesting.

LOL ... and that's a good thing!

Brian

2010-11-05
Sheesh this is really good, Rache. I'd like to see you in this free verse garb more often ... your thoughts look stunning in it!

Brian

2010-09-22
This is far and away the most brilliant poem I've read this year, Peter. I hope you've submitted it somewhere for publication because it needs to be shared widely.

I'll say it again ... effing brilliant!

Brian