Member: Poemblaze

cool - & congrats; right sentiments too - quite the day. My oldest son is an americorps leader now & had the opportunity to help a bit & see power up close. Change is good! hope your holidays were good too - more soon

posted by bookstopshere at 12:23 am (EST) on Jan 22, 2009

Hi Matt
I rather like Fixed Orbit. I think it begins nicely, grandly, but stanza 2
smalls down without parallel reduction in the language (if that makes sense) - I mean it "seems" to have unneeded words ("who remain," etc) which don't seem to me to add anything. And for some reason "small soil ball" just doesn't ring true (or seems forced.) - and that one line is just tooooo long. cool scott

posted by bookstopshere at 12:09 pm (EST) on Sep 5, 2008

goodbye gruel world

posted by bookstopshere at 4:57 pm (EST) on Aug 6, 2008

Hi Matt

I'd agree "Best of Us" is stronger. The connection in stanza one (soundwise) between "arts" and "dark" makes that work very nicely (while suggesting "dark arts.) And the closure at the end of stanza two (which I will think of as a
matt(e) finish) sums it up nicely. I do find line eight a bit awkward. All in all, it seems very fine!

"Calligraphy" starts awkwardly and (for me) seems to get stronger as it grows more direct. Beginning with "Alone" I think it works effectively. I find the inadequacy of "kind" particulaly poignant - a true and uncommon observation.

Hopefully things there are going well. Here we are dry for the moment, though lake levels are too high for comfort and there is danger of flooding all around

posted by bookstopshere at 1:01 pm (EST) on Jul 16, 2008

The sample poems at the chapbook link are really fine work Matt.
Best,
-Byron

posted by tbyronk at 1:41 am (EST) on Jun 30, 2008

Many thanks for the kind words Matt-
I hope you add me as a friend as well.
Do you have a blog of current poems that I may check out?
Nice to meet you here and greetings from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
Best,
-Byron

posted by tbyronk at 1:38 am (EST) on Jun 30, 2008

LOL, it's a bit nearer bar room than bard room here - and I would hardly bet on the universe to endorse my taste. :)

posted by bookstopshere at 2:49 pm (EST) on Nov 9, 2007

Eureka! got your notes and looking to see when I'd heard from you last found a couple things I hadn't seen before. Apparently 30 or 40 folks found my library "interesting" and filled up my message box telling me about it. More will follow shortly as I catch up. Of course, new chapbook would delight; let me know cost & I'll send money. Busy here preparing for fall and wintering the old homestead - but (really) back soon. best -s

posted by bookstopshere at 5:19 pm (EST) on Oct 13, 2007