PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

I, too, am in an atmosphere: I, too, am in an atmosphere that can be exhausting, and that respects neither my faith nor the writing of poetry nor the pursuit of some sense of excellence above the hoi polloi.  However, I am dependent here for my care, and must put up with it.  But, John the Forerunner did not let the locusts aggravate him:  he added honey to them, and made a mighty fine meal, along with a cold cup of fresh springwater.  I try to do likewise.

A blessing to hear the: A blessing to hear the quality of your days and nights have improved, dear poet!

The atmosphere I am in is a: The atmosphere I am in is a bit tiring. So I vented creatively so sort of rise above rather than stay in and become part of it. Thank you for your encouraging enthusiasm, dear poet.

Wow!  What a poem.  And I say: Wow!  What a poem.  And I say again . . . what a poem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  To me, this is a textbook example of the very best kind of poetry of which English is capable.  Your coy rhymes and strategically placed alliterations create a sound---to either the mind or the ear---that approaches the musicality of verse that both the English poet, T. S. Eliot, and the French Poet, Paul Valery, said was the highest quality of poetry in either language.  And don't forget Dante, whose Divine Comedy (they tell me; I cannot read the original) is overflowing with such music.    The center of gravity in your poem is the last five lines---underscored by rhyme, dignified by the simplicity of the words, they bear witness to an awareness too many of us have lost.  We have preferred in this day and age to become jaded rather than awestruck---and we are the losers in the bargain.  And you have reminded us not only of this, but that, at least for now, we still have that small sliver of time called "not yet too late" to, perhaps, recover for ourselves the vision you preserve in this poem.

This gives a unique: This gives a unique expression to what is, I suspect, a process of change experienced by multitudes of people who may not even be able to notice it---let alone articulate it in metaphor as well as you have done here.

That Senryu works so well on: That Senryu works so well on several different levels---form, content, the sense of the given moment and yet the anticipation of a future moment.  You have compressed so much resonance into that small space, and I applaud your verbal artistry.

The splendor of this prayer: The splendor of this prayer goes beyond its literary prowess, which is considerable as always; what makes this monumental is how it was answered in such an inspiring way.   And so it now beams as a landmark on your spiritual path and a testimony of faith's power. Whenever I read your heartfelt devotions, I often feel that King David has met his contemporary match.   Divine art.