Ramble's Folly (Book) - 11/28/2024 8:55:06 AM
Lovely cover and intriguing plot.
Naturally Speaking (Book) - 4/26/2024 8:42:57 AM
If this is typical of the offering in this poetry collection, then the reader is in for a real treat. Nature never disappoints.
The Heart's Way (Book) - 6/25/2022 7:49:16 AM
Congratulations and good luck for the success it deserves. I have always found the narratives you have posted so well written and engaging.
Lulabelle Lowers the Boom (Short Story) - 7/8/2026 1:43:11 PM
Hi! I just read your story, and I’m obsessed! Your writing is incredible, and I kept imagining how cool it would be as a comic. I’m a professional commissioned artist, and I’d love to work with you to turn it into one, if you’re into the idea, of course! I think it would look absolutely stunning. Feel free to message me on Discord (laurendoesitall) Instagram (elsaa.uwu). Can’t wait to hear from you!
Best,
lauren
She's Done Over It (Short Story) - 3/30/2026 12:35:57 PM
You always have a way of making your stories turn out nice. But the reality of those stories was often wifebeating, looked away at by police until it was very serious or church members got involved.
You described my mother and father perfectly. She started out at 17 with two boys and a five year-later, girl. With a 21 year-old husband high school dropout who never lost a job until he had a DUI wreck and lost his chauffeurs license for a month. We lost a new house, unable to make the payment.
There were always arguments about spending money, although my mother was very frugal. We always had good food on the table, breakfast and dinner on time. The house was always clean even though my mom worked most of the time, sometimes full-time and still did all the housework.
When they retired when she was only 57, she laid down the law and he started having to do household chores as well as the outdoor chores and car like you always did. All the cars cost a lot of money and kept us poor until I told him to start buying used cars and he did.
Ron
The Pink Toolbox (Short Story) - 3/28/2026 12:13:52 PM
Yes, touching. And so thoughtful for Danny, knowing that he was going to die from cancer, to obtain the necklace and write the note that he knew she would find.
You have a way of coming up with unique love stories. My household tools were a combination of some tools my grandfather gave me and ones I picked up that were essential around the house. Placed in a drawer on our kitchen island.
When I no longer could use them, Beh has often gone to that drawer and used them to fix little things around the house. She is getting quite handy and has acquired lots more tools both for the house and her shop.
Ron
She's Done Over It (Short Story) - 3/26/2026 3:53:39 AM
Maybe Darrell needed some sense knocked into him. One can only hope Maizie did that.
The Pink Toolbox (Short Story) - 3/25/2026 3:54:59 AM
A touching story!
Lulabelle Lowers the Boom (Short Story) - 3/15/2026 11:51:56 AM
Once again, you brought a lot of your story into this story. And I found it rather long falling into place like the usual romance story where everything is perfect drawing a couple together, even if at first seem mismatched.
But the divorce case was not only a way for Kyle and Belle to get to know one another, but a way for you to turn the tables on the reader and put Belle in charge. A nice twist.
Ron
Lulabelle Lowers the Boom (Short Story) - 3/14/2026 4:23:28 AM
A beautiful, gratifying story. Kyle brought out the best in Belle: what had always been there.
Burn (Short Story) - 2/24/2026 11:56:06 AM
A wonderful story of women's liberation. Kudos.
Coincidentally, Daisey worked for me as a caregiver for 10 years. Rose worked six years, and is back working for me again. At work, a good friend and helper, Howard Greene, who directed landscaping at the university, retired. Doing what he loved the best, fishing, with a friend who had just returned from heart surgery, both mysteriously drowned when Greene was an excellent swimmer. The mystery of what happened was never learned.
From my recollection, women who lost their husbands of some standing like that, often turned their house into a rooming house for money in their retirement and to help pay for upkeep of the place.
Ron
Burn (Short Story) - 2/22/2026 8:30:00 AM
A powerful and deeply satisfying story you’ve captured, with remarkable clarity, the suffocating world Daisy has endured and the quiet, disciplined strength that allowed her to survive it. The historical setting feels authentic without ever weighing the narrative down; instead, it sharpens the injustice she has lived under and makes her moment of freedom all the more luminous.
The bond between Daisy, Finola, and Mavis is beautifully drawn — a sisterhood forged in hardship, loyalty, and shared courage. Their late‑night destruction of the portrait is not just an act of rebellion but a ritual of release. You render that scene with such vivid emotional truth that the reader feels the heat of the flames and the weight lifting from Daisy’s life.
The final line lands perfectly a triumph that breathes rather than shouts, the kind that comes after years of silence.
Burn (Short Story) - 2/22/2026 4:07:33 AM
May Daisy enjoy her liberation after years of suffering. Your story is a painful reminder of what many women endured. Whether a betrothal is arranged or not, choice can bring on the same.
Giving Love A Chance (Short Story) - 2/3/2026 12:55:14 PM
You really pulled this one from your current circumstance. You made me wonder if it is really happening. If so, I'm glad for you. If not, it's a good story of what you desire.
I knew a Civil War buff writer. He wrote a novel about his great grandfather who was a member of the West Virginia cavalry because Ohio where he lived was not taking any more enlistments.
I edited the story for my friend and had to rewrite the last chapter because it was too sad. He accepted my by rewrite. Because the way it was going, his great grandfather wouldn't have had any children, just lost his beloved horse. ;-)
Ron
Giving Love A Chance (Short Story) - 2/2/2026 2:35:21 PM
A sweet and gratifying story.
Intrepid Traveler (Short Story) - 1/31/2026 12:36:58 PM
This story is short for you, but certainly does have a twist at the end. Makes me wonder if she will find the publishers of books willing to publish hers without her revealing her all to ego.
Ron
Intrepid Traveler (Short Story) - 1/31/2026 3:57:58 AM
In reader's imagination, I hope Terabitha Sipes is just as successful as
T.A. Sipes, and being taken just as seriously.
David's Touch (Short Story) - 1/13/2026 12:52:29 PM
Yo this story really hits with that whole “marry your best friend” vibe. It’s slow and chill but also super emotional and real. Tansy’s struggle with touch and intimacy hits hard. You can feel how much she wants love but also how scared she is. That inner fight is honestly painful but in a good way. It’s not rushed or “fixed” by love it’s more like she heals with time, trust, and patience.
David is probs the best part. He doesn’t try to save her or rush anything. He just stays. Even after living his own life, getting married, having kids, getting divorced, his love for Tansy never turns weird or creepy. It’s lowkey respectful which makes all the tiny moments like her smile, letting him stand closer, the first touch on her cheek hit way harder. Every little thing feels massive.
The intimacy stuff is done really well too. Her first kiss, first time making love at fifty-nine, then the wedding all feel earned. The final dance isn’t flashy but it’s like a reward for everything they went through. It’s not about passion first it’s about safety, trust, and friendship turning into love.
Future chapters I’m kinda curious about: how does Tansy keep healing now that she’s married? Does being loved this deeply bring up new fears or struggles? What’s David’s life like as a husband after holding back for so long? Also lowkey wanna see how their childhood memories and old wounds keep shaping their relationship.
Overall this story is super gentle, mature, and human. Not loud but it sticks with you
David's Touch (Short Story) - 1/3/2026 3:01:33 PM
A touching story. In their case, words might have spoken louder than tentative gestures.
The Best Present (Short Story) - 12/25/2025 9:03:16 AM
Chills! What better present can Santa give you than your kid's life back?
Christmas Rebirth (Short Story) - 12/25/2025 8:53:38 AM
This is exactly what the Christmas spirit can do to difficult times. Blow them all away if you let it.
Letter From Bobbi Sue (Short Story) - 12/12/2025 4:08:59 AM
A story that cuts to the bone, reminding us of the grim reality for many families during the holiday season. Opportunity knocked for Bobbi Su and Billy's family.
Enough (Short Story) - 12/5/2025 3:06:27 PM
Reminds me of The Burning Bed.
A well planned and hard hitting story of one woman who got out of the psycho of abuse.
I'm pleased that so many women are now finding the courage to go after political figures who have abused them without recourse. The times, they are a changing.
Ron
Unfortunately, the first thing that I was attracted to was the cleavage on the picture. But I'm a man, and it's one of my failings. The last thing I looked at was the gun.
Letter From Bobbi Sue (Short Story) - 12/5/2025 2:52:53 PM
It's a little long for what I've seen children write, but it's also a real tearjerker.
The letter is also a kind of thank you for how things have turned out as a result of Santa's arrival the year before..
Enjoyable to read.
Ron
Enough (Short Story) - 12/5/2025 3:56:36 AM
Abuse doesn't take a holiday. In this case, a holiday marked a turning point for a fitting retribution.
One More Sleep (Short Story) - 12/3/2025 7:39:06 AM
A lovely little tale about coming home for Christmas. Ending war should be what the holidays are about.
Christmas Rebirth (Short Story) - 11/30/2025 11:54:15 AM
A wonderful story for the Christmas season. Showing how real people learn how to become fond of one another even when they don't think so at first.
As a single man, I never decorated. But I might have had my hands worked. When I married, my wife was an avid decorator but we didn't do outdoor lights.
I have toured neighborhoods where people go all out with decorations. They are stunning in appearance and I wonder how much time and money goes into making those displays and then the electric bill for all of those lights. Fortunately, LED lighting cuts the cost to 1/10 of what it once was.
Ron
Flowers (Article) - 6/11/2026 2:01:43 PM
Rebecca, this is a beautiful meditation on a life fully lived, not in the loud, headline moments, but in the quiet, unexpected graces that accumulate like wildflowers along the road. You honor both the turbulence and the tenderness of your journey. You don’t shy away from the darker stretches, yet you show how even then, beauty kept finding you — a sunrise, a lifted cloud, a kitten’s nuzzle, a child’s unfiltered honesty.
Your metaphor of the gravel road lined with flowers seems the right choice. The milestones matter, of course, but it’s the small, luminous moments that stay with us and shape us in ways we rarely understand at the time. You capture that truth with clarity and generosity.
State of Shame (Article) - 5/10/2026 11:30:42 PM
I agree completely.
State of Shame (Article) - 5/9/2026 1:12:18 PM
Among the populations classified in the United States, descendants of the slaves, African-Americans, constitute about 19% of the population.
However, the requirement of a majority, not plurality, vote in office races, results in a two-party system. From time to time, a third-party might merge like the Republicans dead in 1860, but most of those in the Libertarian party, like me, vote Republican or lose their vote. I am leaning progressive, and would never cast a vote for any Republican favoring preferential gerrymandering.
The result is, that while minorities can become part of the to primary political parties, it is rare that they have representation matching their percentage in the population. Unless there is intervention, like the reconstruction did after the Civil War and the civil rights laws passed to give blacks representation in the states where there were a larger populations.
Over A Precipice (Article) - 5/3/2026 12:16:00 PM
I don't think our founding fathers wanted a two party system that has gradually taken over. For example, the original Republican party was a very liberal party created by abolitionists. Originally, a minority party that became the party of the North over the party of the South, very conservative and slave owning for profit and prosperity for the white few.
Requiring a majority vote to win an election, means that any minority population does not have a say, unless members of that minority join one of the two major parties.
When ignorance and hatred overcome knowledge and understanding, that does put us on the precipice. We were the first country to experience democracy and may now lose it, if everyone doesn't get out and vote the scoundrels out of office.
The ignorance of the current administration. Turning their backs on science and good health practices. May have done more than damage to our political system. They may have accelerated global extinction and a turning point in global warming that we can't recover from.
If that genie is left out of the bottle, worry about immigrants and nuclear bombs in small countries will be moot. All the riches in the world will not save anyone.
Ron
Love and the Three Musketeers (Article) - 4/24/2026 2:00:31 PM
Thanks for the memoir. You need to write more of your life because it is interesting to read.
I had a girlfriend as early as six. But I can't recall any of it. And it wasn't until I was 11 that I got serious about a blonde tomboy of some reputation. I never got around to the ardent, I love you. I just wanted the power of having someone dedicated to me and me dedicated to her to show off to others who didn't have someone of the opposite sex to hang with.
I've always found that military brats know how to move into new situations and get comfortable right away. I think it's from being yanked out of one military assignment and then taking somewhere else to another one. Gives a youngster practice in learning how to deal with new people all the time.
We moved four times until we finished high school. I never expected best friends to last very long. But the ones in high school did. The buddies, not the girlfriends.
Ron
Judge Not (Article) - 4/13/2026 11:07:29 AM
I've known that the Methodist Church has been declining over many years, but I didn't know that this issue was one of them. That is sad, because when I was in college in a Methodist lead ecumenical group, we included everyone without judgment and without prying as to what they were or were not.
But even back then, there were hypocrites. People who claimed that they believed strongly one way while acting the opposite. They are so easy to spot. They are the ones who should be excluded. Not ones who are simply different.
It is the hypocrites that inflict the most hate and discord in our society. Especially when they claim they have God on their side with their outrageous claims that draw people in who have similar doubts about their own ability to give unconditional love to everyone.
An article worth reading for its insight.
Ron
Judge Not (Article) - 4/9/2026 8:09:57 AM
Well said. Too often preaching becomes castigating with a" holier than thou" judgmental tone, I am not a religionist, rather just someone who follows my own star allowing for some tripping and falling by everyone. Pope Leo (I'm not a catholic) is my ideal. He is well spoken, with the guts and charisma to carry the day on matters of decency, and how to live an honest life--come hell or high water. The rest is all chatter.
To Be A Patriot (Article) - 3/2/2026 9:40:59 AM
A great article on the confusion of many Americans have about what it means to be a patriot. Unfortunately so many believe that it's blind loyalty. I really like your referring to our country as going from "[A] beacon on the hill, [to] a blight in the night." Great phrasing.
The true patriots of the American Revolution were people like Samuel Adams and Patrick Henry…strong dissenters willing to risk their lives for the cause of freedom and liberty. Not people who happen to be struck by a bomb or bullet and killed. There's nothing heroic in being killed in the line of duty.
Ron
Exposing My Naivete (Article) - 2/27/2026 1:11:28 PM
Thank you for this article. I'm as naïve as you. I get that quite often from some of the more self educated authors here who claimed to have lots of inside information.
I see the Methodist Church is continuing the good work that I experienced when I was in college. While the campus was very apathetic towards issues, when I was president of the ecumenical group, I got deeply involved in civil rights and opposition to the Vietnam war.
I grew up in a family that seemed to be willing to be friends with everyone and not an ounce of prejudice. Although we engaged in good natured Polish jokes among our friends and family who are Polish and often devoted Catholics.
Whenever I ran into someone who grew up in a military family I found someone who really understood different people. They made great friends. I was always attracted to international students because of the richness of their heritage and culture.
I was surprised to hear that during the Biden administration 520,000 people were departed. It was done quietly like it's always been done. Not using storm troopers and scapegoating good people with bad.
For many years going home on the Southwest Freeway I was accompanied by green immigration buses carrying deportees back across the border into Mexico.
Ron
A Thump On the Noggin (Article) - 2/27/2026 12:43:46 PM
I agree with you wholeheartedly and I'm saddened that more people don't run for office or even vote. Two fundamental rights of our great democracy.
You are so right about the same people often serving a career with monetary perks rather than being citizen law makers who return to their districts after a brief stay in office.
And also write about the name recognition for so many busy, hurried people who just vote for someone they recognize from all of the ads.
Finally, with so many terrible attack ads, one has to be careful not to get inflamed by the wrong information.
Ron
A Thump On the Noggin (Article) - 2/12/2026 1:46:11 PM
i agree completely that more people need to get out and vote. i feel people need hope that their votes will count to make the effort. Sometimes a very controversial issue will drive people to the polls but otherwise, the numbers keep dropping.
A Scrappy Lot (Article) - 2/4/2026 2:30:32 PM
Those are mighty fighting words. Gandhi and Martin Luther King had the right approach. You can do much more with non-violent opposition than with violent overthrow.
Nelson Mandela learned that in South Africa when he went from being very militant and thrown in jail, until he worked from inside the jail to not only gain his freedom, but the freedom for all of this country men.
I'm with you all the way. In my writing, in the petitions that I sign, and in my vote. Let's throw money out of the equation for running this country. We need citizen leadership, not mercenary powered autocrats.
Ron
The Final Coming? (Article) - 1/26/2026 12:05:25 PM
A very good analysis. I especially like your Google search and what AI found. It fits the character and actions of one Donald Trump.
Fortunately, I sense that many of his avid followers are beginning to doubt much of what he is doing, fracturing the Republican Party and weakening the symbol, MAGA. Secondly, his age is starting to take its toll, and he will no longer be able to be the charismatic figure that he has been as he slides into dementia.
Thank you for doing this. I would never use Christianity to explain what is going on. I'm glad you have.
Ron
How Brave Are You? (Article) - 1/8/2026 2:36:48 PM
Strong words from a strong person. I admit I do not do enough in-depth study of candidates before I vote. But I intrinsically am a good judge of character. Although I find that many judge me too quickly and it is only over time that they find out who I really am–independent like you.
I'm with you in trying to understand why people would believe someone so loathsome in his character and reputation. I believe it's out of fear and failure to break from friends or family desires. Why social network is so dangerous when it comes to politics.
Ron
Indomitable (Article) - 10/4/2025 2:10:25 PM
Truly, what you have experienced in your life has made you strong, and a very good writer. What you have written here about your battle with cancer and some of your other demons, is newsworthy to the point where I think it should be posted more prominently, like the New York Times.
I’ve been watching a TV series of a class of cadets going through marine flight training to be top gun pilots. There are three women in the class. And one of them is the best, beating all the men at their own game. Aboard combat aircraft that is most challenging physically and mentally as anything there is out there. Death greets you every time you fly off that postage stamp aircraft runway, not knowing if you’ll return or even land on that very small spot in the ocean.
I also noted in the news this morning that Lillith Fair is back with some of the best female musicians out there. Proving that the male-dominated music business back in 1996 could be circumvented by a few resourceful women.
Ron
Of Missiles and Asses (Article) - 9/8/2025 12:39:01 PM
While I don't like the overused and misused use of the word, impact, for almost every attention getting newsy article or video, I felt the impact of your words, so well written.
You mentioned Germany. There is a precedent. Many Americans joined the Nazi party in the 1930s. Others joined the Communist party. Like the Loyalists who outnumbered the Patriots before the Revolutionary War.
The foolish followers are gradually seeing the cracks in the logic of quackery, but afraid of leaving the comfort of their ways. Believe me, like a herd of lemmings, when the wolf is at the door, they will turn and follow whoever they think will save them. I hope they don't wait too long.
Well he deport them next?
Ron
Making It Clear (Article) - 8/30/2025 2:08:20 PM
Some very good points. But the Constitution is interpreted currently by a Supreme Court heavily invested in the worst of the Constitution that is a carryover from the beliefs of 18th century elite society. As radical as those ideals were at the time, the framers of the Constitution wrote that future generations could, "Alter or abolish it."
The Constitution has not kept up with the times. Thus giving our emperor impunity when it comes to you'll be the law of the way he sees fit and not the way decency would have it. His Supreme Court will always rule in favor of his violations of the law of the land.
It may take a revolution to change things the way they are headed. Already with so many guns available and in the streets, anarchists are carrying out their delusions at an accelerating rate.
Unless the good people of this country take charge, the great experiment in freedom will be lost after 200 odd years of experimenting.
Ron
Making It Clear (Article) - 8/17/2025 9:40:15 AM
I spent most of my military 20+ years immersed in keeping us all safe from tyrants by giving my stamp of approval on ways to achieve that end--not with arguments about law and order. But I do recall hearing a few JAG reminders that we were all obliged to be loyal to the Constitution while obeying the lawful orders of the officers appointed over us. No soldier was obliged to obey Lt Calley's orders to "waste": innocent men, women, and children at My Lie.
It's Time (Article) - 8/13/2025 12:01:05 PM
The economy is not in shambles. But it is threatened by rash economic moves that are not based on fact. The stock market has recovered, and that benefits all with IRAs and of course, the rich. But it is being done by removing basic support for Americans whose only savings are their home equity, or not enough to last even one year.
First of all, we have to vote in the midterm elections and vote our conscience and the facts… not loyalty to a party. Turn outrageously loyal congressional seats and senators to Democrats and shock the Republican Party and Trump.
Second, if that doesn't work. Continue to mount massive peaceful and endure being put in jail and beaten by thugs with the power of the administration.
Finally, through underground activity, continue to reveal corruption and duplicity among members of all three branches of government.
Civil war is not a good option. We need to remove guns from the populous except for hunting animals where necessary to keep populations down like deer, wild hogs Great call and black bear.
Ron
A Message to Democrats (Article) - 7/20/2025 10:36:19 AM
I am a left-leaning libertarian (rare) but have never joined a party because I don't like to have to be loyal to anything that I don't believe.
When I bought my home in 1982, my congressman was Tom Delay. One of the forerunners of the New Republicans. He sent regular reports of his glad-handing wealthy and influential on his lavish trips on the Congress. Not bad for a pest control operator seeking stardom as the house minority whip.
Delay managed to gerrymander his Sugar Land location to include NASA, one of his favorite pork barrel projects. He was indicted for election fraud and campaign money laundering in 2005. But eventually, acquitted in 2013.
Although my home is about 4 miles from Sugar Land. Delay gerrymandered my neighborhood to join the Third Ward, predominantly black, district over 20 miles from where I live. Since then, my congressman has been Al Green.
Unlike the Democrats that you describe throughout the country, Al Green has been the champion of science based progressive legislation. He has not been silent and was recently sanctioned for pointing out the lies of Republican pushed legislation.
Green was the first to file articles of impeachment for Trump in both his first term and this term. He hasn't been challenged in elections because he is doing such a good job for our district. But based on Republican illegal activity here in Texas, he may be gerrymandered out of a job this midterm election.
I have noticed that two Republican women Senators were dissenters on a recent vote. Perhaps, it will be women in the Republican party that turn it into a kinder and gentler party like it was under George Bush, the elder.
Ron
Revelations (Article) - 7/9/2025 3:32:15 PM
Rebecca, I'm so sincerely sorry for what you are passing through. My sister had ovarian and uterine cancer. The only symptom she had was whole body pain, she thought it was her fibromyalgia. Unfortunately it was undiagnosed until stage 4 when she had some bleeding. She told me to take a CA125 blood test once a year. It shows when those cancers are present, even if they haven't been found. If anyone reads your article maybe they'll be encouraged to take the blood test. You are a strong woman, will be praying for you, Sweet Lady.
With Little Recourse (Article) - 5/18/2025 1:23:23 PM
"A Key" All that Separates Them and We..by Judy Joy Jones
https://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewpoetry.asp?id=358784
Thank-You For Sharing!!
Alarmist or Realist? (Article) - 5/12/2025 9:24:57 PM
"I don't know anything about that" is just a way of changing the subject. He knows but will not accept responsibility for it. You can believe he will take the $500 million jet from Saudi Arabia. And his rigged bit coin venture. And anything else he can get his hands on including our nuclear secrets. I welcome a recession just so we can win back both the House and Senate and impeach his sorry ass again.
Fascism In A Nutshell (Article) - 3/26/2025 2:48:05 PM
Benjamin Franklin once said: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." Your article is exceptional.
Fascism In A Nutshell (Article) - 3/16/2025 12:40:42 PM
Thank you so much for those definitions. While I've often know some of the tenets of fascism, I haven't known them all and I'm appalled with what I just read clearly pointing out where we are right now.
All the talk of taking over adjacent or nearby land increasing our nation is a good example of fascism. Censuring literature, especially in public schools, is clearly fascist. And the latest move to annihilate the Houthis with military might and declaring a military crisis to use the military to deport undesirables… all clearly fascist.
Once again, those that voted for this administration should read this short but informative article.
Ron
Monster (Poetry) - 8/17/2026 1:21:10 PM
There are battles nobody should ever have to fight, yet here you are facing the monster again with courage and determination. I admire the strength in your words, Rebecca. Sometimes putting one foot in front of the other is exactly how mountains are climbed.
Keep fighting, keep believing, and keep that monster on the run until it's slain.
Wishing you strength for the battle ahead.
Monster (Poetry) - 6/16/2026 2:24:10 PM
I know you have the battle in you. Good luck with your flight.
Ron
Monster (Poetry) - 6/11/2026 2:05:29 PM
This piece hits with the force of truth spoken plainly. You name the monster without flinching, and in doing so you take back power from something that tries to steal it. The contrast between the “barely awake” first battle and this new, aggressive one makes your determination shine even brighter. Your courage is palpable, and your words will give strength to others facing their own monsters. Thank you for sharing this fight with such honesty and fire.
Symphony (Poetry) - 5/26/2026 12:23:17 PM
Sometimes when you strip a narrative of its superlatives and grandiosity, you arrive at a place where words and language take on a sense of purpose, and wonder, and gratitude. Some call it a symphony. By any other name. it is refreshing. A+
Symphony (Poetry) - 5/25/2026 9:48:37 AM
Yes, as you have so deftly written, the night is just another wonderful part of the human experience. When one stops fearing the dark and starts listening to it, observing the light it has, one gets in the rhythm of the night and understands its beauty.
As I lose my hearing, I miss those night sounds, even traffic. But on a warm humid night, the air comforts me like a warm blanket.
Ron
Symphony (Poetry) - 5/25/2026 9:00:53 AM
The poem beautifully captures that paradox of night, how darkness can sharpen our fears yet heighten our senses. I love how you move from the demons held at bay to the quiet revelation that the world is still singing if we’re willing to listen. The night voices feel like a living orchestra, indeed the symphony of the title, each creature adding its own note to the score. The final thought — the music is always there, but often drowned out by the distractions of the day. Lovely
Love On Awakening (Poetry) - 4/24/2026 1:37:00 PM
You sure know how to make the heart feel warm. Lovely love poetry.
Ron
How Many? (Poetry) - 3/24/2026 12:01:56 PM
A beautifully reflective piece—your questions move like quiet bells through the story of Holy Week, reminding us how fragile faith can be and how powerful it becomes when even a few choose to carry it forward. Nicely and timely presented.
Searcher and Seeker (Poetry) - 3/22/2026 12:15:58 PM
A change of pace from many of your other postings--and so well written. Good poetry, I believe, is more about possibilities than it is about you, me, us, and what we all do and say. Super write!
Searcher and Seeker (Poetry) - 3/20/2026 12:09:32 PM
Haunting and mysterious. It would easily be mistaken, like she was looking for love or some other fulfillment. But you left it open to the reader.
Ron
Searcher and Seeker (Poetry) - 3/19/2026 2:26:56 AM
Your poem captures that quiet, inward turning so beautifully—the sense of something vital hovering just beyond reach. I especially love how you render the “maddeningly near” presence that draws her forward. It feels like a portrait of spiritual intuition in motion, waiting for its moment of revelation.
To Run Free (Poetry) - 3/18/2026 6:44:02 PM
This piece captures the exhilaration of standing at the edge of a storm and feeling something inside awaken in response. The way you pair the rising wind and lightning with the stirring of the spirit gives the poem its pulse, and that final turn—freedom found in the mind’s own wildness—rings true. A vivid, spirited meditation on the drama that makes us feel most alive
To Run Free (Poetry) - 3/16/2026 8:34:00 AM
Yes, there is something electrifying in the human mind when a storm is eminent after a hot day with little relief. Let's us know how alive we really are. Sometimes loving the violence of it all, as long as lightning doesn't strike us.
Ron
You Always Keep Your Promises (Poetry) - 3/7/2026 8:12:16 AM
It's not what I thought the title suggested. It's better. The point of view of the military wife… and children if they have any. Poignant and touching.
Unfortunately, in time of war, serendipity results in casualties, both military and worse, ordinary people in the line of fire. People join the military for many reasons. But most don't join the military with a thought they won't keep their promises of coming back after service.
Ron
You Always Keep Your Promises (Poetry) - 3/7/2026 6:45:37 AM
A beautifully tender piece. The quiet memory of that last embrace carries so much strength, fear, and devotion, and the promise at the end lands with real emotional truth. A moving tribute to love in the shadow of war.
Wandering Alone (Poetry) - 3/2/2026 3:27:59 AM
We have all felt it as some point or other, but never in quite this way. Well done.
The Night Is Ours (Poetry) - 3/1/2026 11:04:20 AM
What most wish for and many get. If only it would last longer. But humans don't seem to be equipped to be monogamous. They tend to look for something new, something different, in love over time.
It is only after a lifetime of being together that most couples realize the value of what you just wrote. I hope that you will find it, sometime, yourself. Like I have.
Ron
Not Worth Dyin' For (Poetry) - 3/1/2026 10:57:16 AM
This poem carries the weight of a warning bell—clear, urgent, and unflinching. The voice feels both personal and collective, speaking from a place where grief and outrage meet. What stands out is the way you frame the young not as symbols, but as real lives caught in the machinery of someone else’s ambition. The repeated question, “When will the madness end?”, lands with the force of a lament and a plea, reminding us how easily loyalty can be manipulated and how devastating the cost becomes. A stark, powerful piece that refuses to look away from the human price of misguided leadership.
The Night Is Ours (Poetry) - 3/1/2026 10:51:21 AM
This poem captures intimacy in its most genuine form—quiet, unhurried, and deeply shared. The simplicity of the language mirrors the simplicity of the moment itself, where darkness becomes a sanctuary and love is expressed through presence rather than declaration. The closing image of resting together, sated and assured, gives the poem a soft, lingering glow. A beautifully rendered expression of closeness and connection.
Not Worth Dyin' For (Poetry) - 3/1/2026 9:17:00 AM
The appeal is strong to young men of uncertain future to enter the military and the potential for fame and glory that is the history of warfare. But these young men, and now, women, often lured to join with prospects of learning a trade or getting a free college education, do not expect to be put in harm's way.
We should have learned from Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, that military regime change results in disastrous consequences and often many young soldiers dying, as history records, for no good reason.
History always records that civilians suffer the most from all of the wars played by all of the leaders with misplaced objectives like all our president, Donald J Trump. Trying to improve his image and his power, so that he can leave a legacy not only from riches gathered from the military industrial complex and its fueler, fossil fuels, but having his name placed on military equipment and bases around the world along with more statues and monuments.
You are dead right and he is dead wrong.
Ron
Wandering Alone (Poetry) - 2/27/2026 11:07:15 AM
The ultimate in lost love poetry. A tearjerker.
John Green was my best friend in high school. I doubt if he wrote that quote.
Ron
Requiem (Poetry) - 2/16/2026 12:09:15 PM
There is no greater driver in romanticism than lost love.
Your poem makes one ache with the knowledge.
Ron
The Norseman (Poetry) - 2/16/2026 9:58:36 AM
Hauntingly beautiful. I can imagine a warrior trapped like that by love.
While Norseman were fierce fighters, there's much more to them–their technology.
The Little Ice Age caused their crops to fail and they were desperate to find warmer lands to grow food. They had superior ships for handling rough seas. They could build houses of stone in the harshest of climates. Their swords were made from high carbon steel that was unheard of in the rest of the world…requiring very high forge temperatures they mastered. To navigate the seas by the sun when it was cloudy, they used a special quartz glass that allowed them to view the sun through clouds. They probably were the first to settle in North America long before Columbus arrived in 1492.
Ron
Requiem (Poetry) - 2/11/2026 9:31:30 AM
The poem has a quiet ache that’s hard to shake. The way you describe the Muse as a lifelong companion—part guardian, part inner light—makes its absence feel like a true bereavement. The emptiness you evoke isn’t dramatic; it’s intimate, the kind of silence that unsettles because it once held so much meaning. What lingers for me is the honesty of the fear beneath the words. It’s a powerful statement of creative loss and the fragile spaces we inhabit when inspiration goes missing.
Sunrise (Poetry) - 2/10/2026 8:20:58 AM
Your poem reminds me that I haven't seen this sunrise for a very long time. But I can view it vicariously through your words.
Ron
Sunrise (Poetry) - 2/10/2026 2:32:08 AM
Your poem captures the unfolding of dawn with such grace. I love how you let the light shift in slow, deliberate steps—from deepest black to indigo to royal blue—until the sun finally ignites the clouds. The progression feels both natural and reverent, like watching the world take its first breath of the day. A beautifully serene rendering of sunrise.
Sunrise (Poetry) - 2/9/2026 8:41:25 PM
Love the craftsmanship! Suggestion: "Dawn creeps in..." adds to the dramatic change coming. Do you agree?
She Would Win (Poetry) - 2/8/2026 7:17:05 AM
Gently powerful portrait of endurance, where survival feels earned through a lifetime of hard-won strength,
drawing conviction from lived struggle, making the final hope feel believable rather than wished for.
She Would Win (Poetry) - 2/4/2026 1:55:19 PM
A modern day Joan de Ark. Your image reminds me of the Afghan woman, Salima Mazari:, and several others from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran who have rallied against male domination and Sharia Law.
When women rule the world, it will be a much friendlier and safer place.
Ron
She Would Win (Poetry) - 2/4/2026 11:34:34 AM
Your poem carries such heightened tenderness. The way you trace her long history of struggle makes her final resolve feel earned, almost inevitable. It’s moving how you show courage not as something sudden, but as something shaped over years of surviving what should have broken her. The closing affirmation: ‘Whatever came / She would win’ lands with real power. A beautiful tribute to the strength that grows in the shadows.
Moonlit Glow (Poetry) - 1/31/2026 9:46:58 AM
Your poem captures the hush of winter so vividly. I love how the moonlight threads its way through the ‘skeletal arms’ of the trees and how every sound—the rattle of branches, the muffled fall of snow, the soft gurgle beneath the ice—feels amplified by the stillness. The hidden glen at the end is especially lovely, like a secret the night reveals only to those who listen closely. A serene and luminous winter scene.
Moonlit Glow (Poetry) - 1/31/2026 7:51:02 AM
You took me there. I only wish that your image would reflect the beautiful scene in your poem. Perhaps if you used AI…free if you have Microsoft 365 – maybe from other sources. You could get a moonlight scene in the snow in the woods.
In daylight, the scene remains similar, only there is sound beyond the gurgling stream. Crows or ravens calling in the distance. From memory, I recall playful chickadees cavorting loudly in nearby trees. Not knowing that they were actually warning the forced that I was there and could be of danger.
Ron
Beyond My Reach (Poetry) - 1/30/2026 2:45:15 PM
Let us hope the dreams become reality.
Ron
Beyond My Reach (Poetry) - 1/28/2026 6:51:36 PM
Your poem captures the ache of longing with such quiet precision. The simplicity of the language makes the emotion feel even more immediate — as if the reader is standing inside that space between memory and dream. The final turn, where presence becomes possible only in sleep, lands with a soft but unmistakable poignancy.
Beyond My Reach (Poetry) - 1/28/2026 12:04:45 PM
Powerful. Just 46 words to express a deep subject. My kind of writing. Thanks, RSM.
She Waits (Poetry) - 1/21/2026 12:15:53 PM
Beautifully written. I feel the emotion. Why, when I see reunions on television they are so joyous.
Ron
She Waits (Poetry) - 1/20/2026 4:49:51 AM
Indeed, as you say, the hour-long minutes, waiting can be such a trial, as you lay out here beautifully in this poem. The patience is beautiful according to the Islamic traditions and brings its own reward.
Trust Betrayed (Poetry) - 1/19/2026 5:11:07 PM
The poem delivers its warning with a clear, urgent voice. It’s a forceful meditation on responsibility, vigilance, and the fragility of the freedoms people often assume will endure on their own.
Trust Betrayed (Poetry) - 1/19/2026 2:48:09 PM
The promises were undeniably attractive to the uninformed and jaded among us. I hope your poem and many other revelations primarily by truth seeking journalists with their on the scene cameras and reporting, will change the mind of the electorate from what they think they want to something more in line with what we really need and should have.
The quote from Ben Franklin was priceless.
Ron
Generosities (Poetry) - 1/18/2026 11:12:46 AM
Your poem was a letter to all of those who have been kind and generous. And there are a lot more of them than one would think. Why we hate or fear different people is beyond me. I've found some of the most different people to be the kindest and most helpful. There's a lot of that going around, not just on holidays, but all year round.
Ron
Love Comes Home (Poetry) - 1/13/2026 11:10:17 AM
A whole story of regained love in a single poem. And so richly described that one feels like we are an interloper on the scene watching this happen before us.
Perfect, right down to the name of the steed, Gallahad.
Ron
Friends Unforgotten (Poetry) - 1/9/2026 10:46:13 AM
Gratitude, beautifully and powerfully expressed.
Enigma (Poetry) - 1/8/2026 1:00:57 PM
Very emotional and revealing. Such pain can never be fully healed or even fully revealed.
But poetry is a way to let it out and help you continue with your superb writing like this poem is in its own way.
Ron
Incomplete Wholes (Poetry) - 1/7/2026 2:20:20 PM
Strikingly romantic. But couples rarely have the time anymore to engage in such passionate reverie. What with their cell phones ringing or noting that they have text coming in.
Ron
So I Swing (Poetry) - 1/7/2026 1:56:00 PM
Oh how I remember those warm nights you describe!
And a romantic one as it near the end. I certainly hope this isn't the night that he doesn't show.
Ron
Brighter Than Diamonds (Poetry) - 12/10/2025 9:56:53 AM
Though sensible, like clothes, I don't think the elderly give each other gifts like that. Even in fantasy.
After 50 years of marriage and children, I don't think most folks place any value in diamonds. Not even as a symbol of lasting love. Although, I believe the 75th anniversary is the diamond one. A commercial ploy at best.
Ron
A Woman's Heart (Poetry) - 11/12/2025 10:55:43 AM
Painfully powerful wrapped in love and grace.
That’s not easy to do.
You’ve expressed yourself on such a deep and brave level saying what many want to yet don’t have the ability.
A Woman's Heart (Poetry) - 10/30/2025 1:58:13 PM
Once again you've revealed yourself openly to the world in this poem. And you revealed a long lost love that may have not been understood by Mike as he sweetened your life with his presence and good natured kidding. Probably knowing that you were bullied or worse and wanting to bring a little sunshine into your life.
I'm so glad he did.
Ron
Friends and Neighbors (Poetry) - 10/12/2025 1:11:54 PM
A wonderful story poem where familiarity breeds love.
You reminded me of the time my great aunt lost her husband just a couple of years after he retired. She carried on alone. But next door, the chemistry professor who wrote the book and his wife were enjoying their retirement after he replaced his knees. Suddenly, she died.
He started helping my great aunt, and from what I experienced, I believe there was a spark of love between them even when she went to the nursing home and he was there almost every day with her.
Ron
Ghosts (Poetry) - 10/8/2025 7:38:54 PM
That those who have passed help guide us is a comforting thought and your poem sheds light on darkness
Ghosts (Poetry) - 10/8/2025 12:45:58 PM
I believe in common to think about those who remember who are no longer with us. You are not an exception.
I'm haunted recently by a song that probably harkins back to World War II when so many were lost. I'll Be Seeing You by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Irving Kahal 1938. Popularized by Bing Crosby in 1944.
Ron
You Are Mistaken (Poetry) - 10/8/2025 12:25:51 PM
That's the way to vent it! It is infuriating when people mistake us for what we are. One of the best ways to thaw it is to have a humorous response that will throw the insulter for a loop.
It is interesting when I'm with the caregiver that people that we encounter tend to talk to my caregiver instead of me when it's my business that we are doing. But since my hearing, even with hearing aids, is starting to make it difficult, especially in noisy places at counters, to let my caregiver do the talking and then relay to me what's being said.
The best expression I ever heard from my roommates who really catered to me because I paid half the rent…"What's-a-matter! Ya crippled or somethin'!" At 29 and still an undergrad student, he was balding and looked 60.
Ron
Upon A Widow's Walk (Poetry) - 9/27/2025 10:32:23 AM
Back in the day, sailing was a very dangerous occupation. So many sailors never returned to wives and children.
My own ancestors come from that area and seafaring by their name, builders of hulls of ships and many residents from a ship building community in England, Hull.
Ron
New Digs (Poetry) - 9/3/2025 5:35:48 AM
But if all your exes live in Texas
You probably should stay right there in Tennessee.
New Digs (Poetry) - 9/2/2025 9:25:19 AM
I was surprised by the last line. But I think you're finding that convenience is better than the struggle of living out in the sticks without access for all of your needs.
Made me think of my grandmother moving from her upstairs apartment on Main Street to a new facility like that and loving it. Probably because of all the other people there that she quickly came to know in the dining room and in card games and other activities that she enjoyed with others.
I hope it helps you become more able to write even more.
Welcome home…
Ron
New Digs (Poetry) - 9/2/2025 2:10:14 AM
Transitions can be difficult, but a positive attitude shines thru in the end. Welcome to your new home.
For My 62nd Birthday (Poetry) - 8/11/2025 11:39:38 AM
Well, did you get that tattoo? And where did you place it? And who was the tattooist? And how long did he doodle around? Inquiring minds want to know...
Rockin' Out With Toby (Poetry) - 8/10/2025 10:48:39 AM
I didn't know that Toby Keith had died. And I see that you rock with him more ways than one.
Ron
Dagger of Fire (Poetry) - 8/3/2025 10:01:26 AM
Sweet revenge.
Long ago I still have memories of a cartoon that I saw once. It was a vicious warrior like Genghis Khan, who conquered and raped many women in his path.
Finally, he came to the tent of a princess harem girl as part of his conquering that tribe. She came to him willingly and when he removed the veil from her face to kiss her, she was infested with a deadly tese (?) fly that immediately attacked him in droves and she got her revenge by sacrificing herself. I hope you can image it like the image in the cartoon stays with me.
Ron
The Earth's Nurturing (Poetry) - 7/27/2025 10:56:01 AM
Yes, a gentle rain can change the mood of a very hot day. You have captured it beautifully with your words.
I wish the news would quit describing normal summer thunderstorms crossing the nation as "Dangerous." I'm sure that most of them are more nourishing than damaging.
And those caught up in the floods that occur occasionally seem to be ignorance when they build their houses on the flood plane, or worse, drive into high water as though their cars were invincible.
Ron
The Earth's Nurturing (Poetry) - 7/27/2025 10:13:22 AM
Calm, relaxing. personal. With an uplifting ending
Just what I needed at the break of noon.
edp
Tempests (Poetry) - 7/20/2025 8:21:30 AM
One to hold onto as long as we can until that fire within dies. Could be a metaphor for life. For what is life without the ecstasy that brings new life?
Ron
Essences of Passion (Poetry) - 7/11/2025 1:09:00 PM
Labelle said it better than I could. You know how to tease every word out and make sure that every drop of pleasure is tasted.
Ron
Essences of Passion (Poetry) - 7/11/2025 5:17:30 AM
Absolutely gorgeous. Classy and erotic. Great poem, Rebecca.
A Summer Evening (Poetry) - 6/27/2025 1:45:43 PM
You painted an image that I could see, feel and smell.
That's a real art. Actually, wish I was there taking it all in.
Ron
In A Sterile Room (Poetry) - 6/27/2025 1:42:43 PM
I hope you're not feeling this way. But from what I read in the bad news, many young people are feeling isolated and alone these days… with depression and suicide on the rise.
You pass on the emotion very well.
Ron
All In All (Poetry) - 6/16/2025 2:05:41 PM
Your writing has entered a new realm of clarity, relevance, and
purpose. Keep pressing onward.
All In All (Poetry) - 6/13/2025 1:15:14 PM
That's the kind of attitude that will take you to the next level.
Have not been able to do anything nocturnal except play or sleep. Giving me energy for doing everything I do during the daylight hours. As soon as the sun goes down I hang all of that clutter up and forget it until the next dawn. When I wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed to tackle the day.
Ron
For Cherishing Me (Poetry) - 5/31/2025 7:36:05 AM
And who could ask for more…?
Beautifully written..
Diana..🌿
For Cherishing Me (Poetry) - 5/30/2025 3:01:03 PM
Very romantic.
Ron
To A Fledgling (Poetry) - 5/25/2025 1:12:27 PM
So tenderly and lovingly written…
We see and feel the vulnerability
of our little feathered friends here,..and
hope for their ultimate survival…
Diana. 🌿
To A Fledgling (Poetry) - 5/20/2025 11:19:49 AM
Thank you for reminding me of a part of my earlier life where I saw many young robins out of the nest, but not on their own fully, waiting in the grass for mama or daddy to come and feed them a worm. Or show them how to get one on their own.
It is when they are at their most vulnerable and so many don't make it into that adult life of courtship, mating, nesting, egg warming, fledgling, feeding and protecting… before migrating to a better place for winter before returning to the same place to the same mate for another season of having chicks in the cycle of life.
Ron
Kindness Blooms (Poetry) - 5/20/2025 10:57:25 AM
That sure would be welcome. But we must always be wary of the insincere smile.
Ron
To A Fledgling (Poetry) - 5/19/2025 10:20:48 AM
Such a sweet poem on behalf of such a sweet little bird. A gentle and heart-felt reflection on the vulnerability and promise of all young things in this world.
Kindness Blooms (Poetry) - 5/19/2025 5:47:34 AM
If everyone practised this on a very
regular basis we would have a very
different world!
As the Beatles say…
“ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE” 🎶
Love,
Diana…🌿
Heritage (Poetry) - 5/9/2025 10:49:11 AM
Good change of subject and pace. Shows depth.
Heritage (Poetry) - 5/7/2025 2:34:56 PM
Felt like I was there. Being on the front range after immigrating from somewhere, probably across the Atlantic ocean from Europe to reestablish the family heritage. A heritage that can only come from having male children to carry the family name onward into the future.
I often think about how my family came down through all those generations strong. With my grandfather having five sons and my dad having four. But I have no children and my twin brother has only two girls who have been very successful in their careers.
But each of my younger twin brothers have sons. One also has sons and the other, so far, does not have any children like me.
But I believe that my writing will be my heritage, my legacy. And it will be honored down through history through the remaining family members from our long dynasty of simply surviving.
Ron
Always Beside Me (Poetry) - 5/7/2025 12:14:28 PM
Some would tribute this to their personal Jesus. But I think it is much better to have someone, a loving partner, a friend above all else who sticks by you no matter what happens. That's what I get from your poem. And I hope that's what you get for your life.
Ron
Scenarios (Poetry) - 4/28/2025 11:45:31 AM
Those two scenarios operator among the emotional, the ones who take loss too hard.
Self-esteem has to be learned. It helps if parents do not blame their own children for behavior but encourage them to enhance their best talents and not worry about the rest. For a woman, attracting and holding a mate should not be a top priority. Because often, when it is, the woman sets herself up for abuse because the man knows he can take advantage of her before he ever does.
Ron
Scenarios (Poetry) - 4/20/2025 10:14:54 AM
We are all given a boulder to push, mainly uphill. There are pleasures and diversions along the way, but in the end, we all collapse into dust. In that sense, life favors no-one. The pessimist dies sad and weary, but thankful it's over. The optimist dies smiling and ready for some excitement.
Come What May (Poetry) - 4/16/2025 12:06:21 PM
If words could overcome a deep longing, these would be the words.
Ron
From the Elysian Mists (Poetry) - 4/8/2025 6:24:42 AM
What a gorgeous love poem, penned to he who is always a part of you. Excellent work, Rebecca. I enjoyed reading it.
From the Elysian Mists (Poetry) - 4/4/2025 1:45:26 PM
I know what you write of is true because in my Elysian dreams I have experienced similar reverie that vanishes with the dawn.
But we must live on…
Ron
From the Elysian Mists (Poetry) - 4/4/2025 9:44:35 AM
Well, you broke away from the norm and left us with a mystery in a single word--alone. Excellent writing.
Endless Sea (Poetry) - 4/2/2025 2:32:23 PM
Just a single footprint leaving evidence in the sand that anyone was there at all…
A very sad outcome for a life lived to the fullest and chronicled with romantic hope the entire way.
Ron
Life Awakening (Poetry) - 3/26/2025 6:33:42 AM
What a gorgeous ode to Spring, Rebecca. I share your feelings. The geese are nesting now, goslings will soon be following and swimming in line behind their mothers. Beautiful, just beautiful pen.
Life Awakening (Poetry) - 3/23/2025 12:10:54 PM
Reading this awakened me to spring as well. Wish I could get out there in it, instead of just from my deck.
Ron
My Celestial Home (Poetry) - 3/20/2025 1:45:57 PM
Another very pleasant description of what Carl Sagan called "our pale blue dot. The only home we've ever known."
I want anyone want to spoil it?
Ron
Wishes and Whys (Poetry) - 3/20/2025 1:24:06 PM
You're writing is your closest friend and what defines you, not superficial desires that are very fleeting in this short life.
I won't give you the palliatives of religion or psychology as an salve for your life's path. But to quote Forrest Gump, "Life like a box of chocolates, you're never know what you're going to get."
Acceptance of the way things are and making do the best you can with your circumstances is the only way to live. Looking forward to the next day Will get you there and beyond.
The Dabbler (Poetry) - 3/15/2025 10:20:29 AM
I believe they will remembered as long as you write them down. I believe we all are dabblers in our own minds.
Ron
The Phantom Within Me (Poetry) - 3/15/2025 9:22:52 AM
Beautifully put. Honestly, what you've always strived for. You have described occasionally someone who meant a lot to you. He could have been or maybe still is, the beauty in your life. I've learned that you are far more intelligence than the average individual and not afraid to come out in your writing on many subjects in addition to your favorite, your ideal romance.
Personally, I haven't seen the Phantom of the Opera or Beauty and the Beast. Although I have seen some man, woman, relationships where the woman was very beautiful and she married a man that was quite beastly – opposites attract. And I go by the song popularized by Bobby McFerrin, Get an Ugly Woman to Marry You, it's true!
The reason I haven't seen those two movies, plays, is partly opportunity for the plays and my feeling that feel good dramas don't work out in real life very often. although they make for good drama in the arts. People who often overlook how people are judged simply by their looks instead of their quality of character.
An insightful poem that more should read.
Ron
The Dabbler (Poetry) - 3/14/2025 12:28:42 PM
Love this!
To Soar With Song (Poetry) - 3/12/2025 1:26:56 PM
Very personal and direct. I see many on those contest shows hoping to break into fame as a singer. But most have a side job that keeps them afloat while they try to make it in a very tough business with very few hit songs.
But I certainly hope that you use your voice like I use mine to just be joyful and exercise my lungs as each year goes by and I need to have strong lungs to avoid catching diseases.
Ron
The Phantom Within Me (Poetry) - 3/12/2025 1:05:20 PM
In my life I found I could be all alone even with many others around me. Keep being you, keep pressing on and one day, when you may least expect it, the sun will shine down on you and you'll find yourself in a wide space filled with freedom and love. Your poem is gut honest and I felt it deep in my soul.
The Phantom Within Me (Poetry) - 3/12/2025 10:15:21 AM
I see myself in you as I read your poetry. Never give up and your time will come!
Labyrinth (Poetry) - 3/11/2025 9:35:59 AM
You are very intelligent and ambitious. Your work, like this poem, is superb. But perhaps, you have set goals that are far beyond your capability and require others to step in and help you achieve them.
I’ve known others who settled for what they had and found happiness. On the other hand, it’s okay to continue to dream and strive without expectations. That way when something comes along it will be appreciated all the more and not examined to see whether it is what you really want or not.
Ron
To Soar With Song (Poetry) - 3/10/2025 8:39:08 AM
Diana Krall sends shivers down my spine at 61. Tony Bennet could still stop the show at 94. Here they are together:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq57pw67ttw&ab_channel=tonybennettVEVO
Labyrinth (Poetry) - 3/10/2025 6:55:58 AM
Spread your wings ,they are still there waiting to fly. I really love the honesty and emotion in your poetry, Rebecca.
To Soar With Song (Poetry) - 3/10/2025 6:29:30 AM
Rebecca, maybe it's not too late, I'm sure it's not. I wrote many years with no encouragement and with threats. I was once told he wished my fingers would fall off. Follow your dream and don't let anyone stop you. Your poem is so honest and it touched my heart.
Dream In A Photograph (Poetry) - 3/9/2025 12:41:10 PM
I understand your need to do the right thing during lent like so many do after they fail with their Christmas resolutions.
That monochromatic white and building with the white washed area does not remind me of a cottage in Ireland at all. Mine would blend with the green landscape with a traditional straw roof and flowers rather than stark white nudity, banishing nature in stark contrast with the red accent.
In high school, I designed a red, white and dark charcoal gray stone home. But when I built one in Atlanta, it blended in with the natural environment beautifully.
The last time I looked at the house on Google. It looked like the forest had been cleared of undergrowth or there was a fire because the house no longer is natural cedar but white color with some additions that the original house didn't have like skylights to the bedrooms. Now looking quite ugly.
Ron
Reprieve (Poetry) - 3/9/2025 12:13:08 PM
So cool. I got a reprieve just from reading it. You are very talented with poetry like this.
When Beh first went to work in an alteration shop, she worked for Mr. Bonz. He was translating Vietnamese poems into English… particularly from prisoners held in North Vietnamese reeducation camps where they tended to be starved to death.
I found those poems to be very sparse of words like what they were eating and filled with references to food.
He liked my help with his editing so much he gave me a wonderful four plaques inlaid with mother of pearl on black of the four muses – delightful!
Ron
No Room for Hate (Poetry) - 3/8/2025 2:04:10 PM
I'm with you on this one, I hate to say. And I've often said, "I hate it when that happens."
But seriously, hatred has no place in my heart. I may not understand why people act or are the way they are, but I find myself embracing their differences rather than hating them for their differences. Bullying people is so cowardly and worthless. Calling them vile names is hard on self-esteem.
The world would be a much better place without hatred.
Ron
Labyrinth (Poetry) - 3/7/2025 7:11:32 PM
Unsolicited advice: Searching for love is like chasing rainbows.
Better: Review the facets of yourself that you like.
Then, Go about being true to yourself by displaying your best smile. Try to meet new people, go to new places, and speak well of those people, places, and things you like. Your new connections and possibilities could be like lighting up a Christmas tree. While you are basking in your own limelight, someone is bound to walk up to you and say: "Excuse me, but for a moment I thought you were someone I used to know. But deep down, you are someone I would like to get to know. Would you like to take a chance on a new friendship over a cup of coffee?"
Your answer: [if you feel a Zing] "I was holding out for a glass of wine. But coffee is OK. But only if you smile"... [or words to that effect]
It works in the movies.
Dream In A Photograph (Poetry) - 3/6/2025 4:37:57 PM
I'm hung up on the optical illusion coming from the house. It looks as if one good step beyond the open gate and anyone is in for a deep valley surprise. To say nothing about the first step coming out of the frond door. Or are those dangers part of your dream?
Delusional Hopes? (Poetry) - 3/3/2025 9:38:51 PM
Change the "he/him" to "she/her," and I could have expressed the very same sentiments. Love, peace, and best wishes to you, Rebecca,
Regis. 🙏🌸🎶🌳🦋🌲💚
No Room for Hate (Poetry) - 3/3/2025 9:35:25 PM
I appreciate, respect, and agree with the philosophical perspective you have shared through your verses, Rebecca. Love, peace, and all goodness to you,
Regis. 🙏🌸🌳🦋🌲💚
I Did Not Know (Poetry) - 3/2/2025 12:42:00 PM
What all "average" women would hope what happen to them. Love at first sight is a wonderful thought. But often those who fall for that from insecure sources, find that falling out of love at first sight happens, too.
Some of the best and lasting marriages that I've known where people who, out of necessity, married, worried about whether they would find love. And, in the course of time, they did.
Ron
Warrior's Protector (Poetry) - 2/14/2025 4:29:34 PM
Deeply moving compassionate and finely-crafted lines. Enjoyed the read very much.
Shadows (Poetry) - 2/14/2025 3:38:26 PM
A poignant and beautiful poem.
Shadows (Poetry) - 2/13/2025 1:10:30 PM
Makes me wonder if Michael is watching your odes to him. He like I would be impressed.
Ron
Shadows (Poetry) - 2/11/2025 4:11:31 PM
I believe you have just written your "magnum opus." The Sandburg quote and the photo are perfect complements. Congratulations! ed
A Simple Life (Poetry) - 2/10/2025 2:41:37 PM
This poem surprised me because at first glance it is a major departure from your usual work.
But upon reflection, you are a romance writer, and your heroine is a very romantic figure dreaming of a simple life with no obligations. Haven't we all at one point romanticized a lifestyle we are completely unfamiliar with. When I owned a Victorian house, I pictured women with long flowing skirts gliding down the staircase. I didn't think about the lack of hygiene or independence or any of the harsh realities that went with the life of a Victorian woman.
Even beyond that, while I personally cannot relate to your heroine wanting to get away from it all with her family, I bet a lot of people can.
And I can relate to the fact that along with everyone I know, regardless of money, status, or social class, would dearly love to simplify their life and cut out a lot of the tedious obligations, people and clutter they have accumulated.
So while this not my favorite piece, I applaud you stretching your writing boundaries and taking the risk of writing something different from your norm. And, in all fairness, you did an excellent job.
Bravo
A Simple Life (Poetry) - 2/9/2025 2:11:58 PM
That farming "simple life" may be more of a dream than a reality because farming is very difficult and hard to succeed in.
And very few of us get to choose who we end up with. More likely it is a more mutual thing of agreed to agree.
Children are never promised to a good man and woman. Some have many, while some have none.
Good luck with your request for perfection and peace in the simple life that I've been living for a very long time.
Ron
Kiss Me (Poetry) - 2/6/2025 1:21:00 PM
Okies, behind the bikeshed after skool.
I can see why the windows steamed up.
This poem could blow my hard………………..drive.
Kiss Me (Poetry) - 2/4/2025 11:09:59 AM
I like the last line. Especially in places like bars, men are truly full of shit. However, if you seek love in a church, you have about a 50-50 chance of getting someone truthfully in love with you and the other half will still be full of shit.
Ron
Kiss Me (Poetry) - 2/3/2025 9:34:21 AM
Amen to that. An empowering poem and Viola is right.
Like Lightning Over Maracaibo (Poetry) - 2/1/2025 3:02:37 PM
A great story poem with all the right elements in the right place.
But I made a strange connection from two lines…
Common sense would say
He should walk away,
"All the Federales say
They could have had him any day
They only let him slip away
Out of kindness, I suppose."
Willie Nelson… Poncho and Lefty
Like Lightning Over Maracaibo (Poetry) - 2/1/2025 10:11:13 AM
An outstanding poem, seems so real and so poignant. Well done, Rebecca.
Your Eternal Love (Poetry) - 1/27/2025 1:51:17 PM
A perfect reflection of real and eternal love. So beautiful, Rebecca.
Fountain in the Garden (Poetry) - 1/27/2025 11:44:05 AM
This is deep, Rebecca, it caused me to comtemplate its meaning. So beautiful and much enjoyed.
The North Wind (Poetry) - 1/22/2025 12:32:16 PM
A pleasant change from your romantic fare. You have captured the wrath of nature’s cold fronts that sweep down in winter time “Will seek out every weakness that will allow me entry,” Bound to exploit it. Harking back to a time when humans had only caves at a fire to try to keep warm. Freezing to death if they fell asleep.
Very creative and very different… kudos!
Ron
Your Eternal Love (Poetry) - 1/22/2025 12:04:07 PM
I'm glad you acknowledged Michael, but the poem is quite sad rather than uplifting. As though you wished to be down all the time and not up and pursuing your goals with passion and positive thought.
Ron
Longings and Acceptance (Poetry) - 1/10/2025 3:10:44 PM
Once again, once you stop trying so hard, and open your senses to what's happening around you, you may find what you need right around the corner from where you live.
Ron
Longings and Acceptance (Poetry) - 1/10/2025 7:55:11 AM
No doubt, destiny can be cruel and how things play out can be difficult to understand. Sometimes perhaps we overthink our emotions, trying to sort out and understand in some "reasonable" (according to the use of our reason) manner the needs of our emotions, and especially love. Leave behind the excesses baggage and let love find its own way.
Happy New Year, My Love (Poetry) - 1/1/2025 3:02:00 PM
I know how hard you try to find the one. And whenever you images depict a male, it is always the most handsome, almost beautiful, with all the right muscles the right colored hair and eyes, the mythic dream.
Instead you shouldn't be trying so hard, you should be just being you and paying attention to who is paying attention to you. If it was Michael, why is he gone?
Ron
Happy New Year, My Love (Poetry) - 1/1/2025 6:55:32 AM
What better way to greet the New Year!
In your own special way and place (secret perhaps)..
Beautifully written…
Happy New Year!
Diana..🌿
The Christmas Eve Truce (Poetry) - 12/27/2024 12:13:50 PM
Really sweet, but pretty much wishful thinking.
Lots of people turn down Christmas invitations for fear of getting into arguments they don't want to get into.
And it's rare the family that can get together, celebrate and not have any arguments interrupt the tranquility during the time everyone is together.
Regardless what causes it, there is often a transition that is rough when young people and a family are going from childhood to adulthood in their late teens
Encounter (Poetry) - 12/20/2024 4:09:35 PM
This poem took my breath away with its beauty and true meaning. I love everything about it, Rebecca. It made me want to be there experiencing it with you and the wolf. Stellar work.
Encounter (Poetry) - 12/14/2024 3:27:29 PM
Beautifully written as I remember cold winter nights when a few creatures were out and about, only their tracks in the snow.
A wolf's sense of smell is so keen that I'm sure down through the centuries, wolves learned that female of the human species was less aggressive towards them. Also that the female of their species was the leader of their packs.
I have had a coyote look at me like that. But I've never seen a wolf in the wild.
Ron
Simply For Me (Poetry) - 12/9/2024 4:27:06 PM
That is a genuine wish of the heart dear Rebecca, I pray that one day you will find such a person, until then I hope you know you are most important and loved to the Creator above, :)
Simply For Me (Poetry) - 12/7/2024 3:26:16 PM
I find that searching is the worst way to find. And sometimes you have to settle for something where you have to give a little bit more than you want to in order to have a relationship at all.
Ron
A Simple Hug (Poetry) - 11/28/2024 3:14:58 PM
I agree wholeheartedly. But I find it very difficult to get a real hug from a wheelchair. Remembering wonderful hugs long ago. Sigh.
Ron
Season of Gratitude (Poetry) - 11/28/2024 11:42:00 AM
What a beautiful tribute to Mary Jo. Your words flowed like water down a ripping stream.
Ron
A Simple Hug (Poetry) - 11/28/2024 8:53:02 AM
Rebecca this is a heart touching poem. There is power in a sincere hug Sending you a cyber hug across the miles.
A Single's Christmas Eve (Poetry) - 11/25/2024 4:08:34 AM
Your poem makes one feel very peaceful inside, your beauty is exuded in every word penned dear Rebecca, thank you for this, have a blessed day :)
Season of Gratitude (Poetry) - 11/24/2024 11:40:31 AM
Such a moving portrait of love.
I might suggest that you turn the cider into wine, but that has already
been done. ed
A Single's Christmas Eve (Poetry) - 11/23/2024 5:16:24 PM
Loneliness and solitude are worlds apart. This is such a lovely Christmas poem, Rebecca. We have arrived in a significant place in our journey when we realize we are enough. Beautifully penned.
Season of Gratitude (Poetry) - 11/23/2024 2:38:56 PM
Indeed a close friend such as this is irreplaceable as well as unforgettable. Gratitude overflows in the remembrance. Moving.
The Approaching Storm (Poetry) - 11/16/2024 9:41:23 AM
I can assure you that you are not "the only one," Rebecca. I will simply echo Ron's thoughts on your theme. Thank you for sharing this apt and timely write. Love, peace, and best wishes to you,
Regis.
The Approaching Storm (Poetry) - 11/11/2024 9:05:09 AM
What a timely write! As we move ever closer to a government, not of the people, but of the rich and famous, and oligarchy, with a puppet monarchy making sure that the rich continue to get richer and the rest of us be dammed.
An even worse, the upcoming environmental disaster, the source of all life, is already near the edge of tipping over into a accelerating decline of the ecosystem and everything in it, including us. Verifying that the survival of the wealthiest over the fittest, simply does not work.
Ron
Not Enough (Poetry) - 11/10/2024 8:18:48 AM
Good karma will reward you if you just continue the way you've always been. But it always helps to reflect on what you're doing and change any behavior that is detrimental to you and others.
Ron
Not Enough (Poetry) - 11/3/2024 10:57:00 AM
I had the same things to grable with. Loving ourselves, knowing our worth can take a long time to learn. Beautiful, honest and heartfelt poem, Rebecca.
Ode to A Belly Band (Poetry) - 11/2/2024 5:59:39 AM
Oh, my, sounds so miserable but necessay. You gave me a smile, not at your misfortune but at what you will do with that thing when you're finished with it. Heal quickly, Rebecca.
Wyoming (Poetry) - 10/29/2024 11:21:12 AM
I have been to Wyoming. "Old Faithful" comes to mind This is a good tribute, Rebecca. Love, peace, and best wishes,
Regis. 🙏🌳🦋🌲🐦
Wyoming (Poetry) - 10/26/2024 6:46:09 PM
Rebecca, I loved this poem. We all need to be more in touch with the natural surroundings the good Lord provided for us. I loved the Northwest States and lived for about five years in Colorado. I live in Florida, and my little fraction of an acre is being slowly converted into a fruit and vegetable plantation. Gardening is just pure fun. Let's return to nature, for natural beauty surrounds us in the great outdoors. Thank you for your inspirational poem! Amen X 110
Wyoming (Poetry) - 10/23/2024 11:55:03 AM
You have described Wyoming well from the few times that I've been there. What's holding you from going back?
Every time I return to the Bay Area of San Francisco, I feel like I'm "coming home." Even though most of those I've known there the three years that I was there are either dead or have left.
Ron
Ode to A Belly Band (Poetry) - 10/23/2024 8:14:20 AM
That's one way to get rid of a pain in the ass… Write a poem about it.
I've always wondered why Buddha was so happy with a belly like that. Probably because during Buddha's day, only the very powerful and wealthy would put on weight like that.
Ron
Ode to A Belly Band (Poetry) - 10/20/2024 4:15:51 PM
Too funny. One of my favorites. Great you can laugh at yourself
Sunflower Souls (Poetry) - 10/20/2024 1:52:49 PM
This poem is a heartfelt and poignant exploration of the vulnerability and potential of children, offering a powerful critique of how society often fails to nurture the young. The contrast between light and darkness, innocence and neglect, is vividly portrayed, creating a sense of both beauty and tragedy. The imagery of "little souls" as sunflowers following the light is tender and symbolic, underscoring the inherent trust and innocence in children. The poem eloquently reminds us of the immense loss when young lives are led astray, and it inspires a call to action to protect and nurture the future generations. Its emotional depth and universal message make it a moving and thought-provoking piece.
Wyoming (Poetry) - 10/20/2024 8:08:40 AM
A very honest inward-looking poem. One of your best.
Ed
Center of My Heart (Poetry) - 10/15/2024 12:16:46 PM
Love can be painful at times. I feel the longing expressed in your poem, Rebecca. Love, peace, and best wishes to you,
Regis.
Center of My Heart (Poetry) - 10/8/2024 1:53:07 PM
Oh my, Rebecca the yearning for him is palpable in your poem. A poem from the deepest part of you.
Center of My Heart (Poetry) - 10/7/2024 11:52:01 AM
Very emotional and telling. You have a great talent for writing this kind of poetry.
I guess the lesson is that when one pursues love to ardently, one will drive away the fragile love and break the link that is beginning to form.
Ron
Sunflower Souls (Poetry) - 10/1/2024 12:16:06 PM
Beautifully written with that sunny approach like the sunflower. So many bad seeds developed by flawed parenting these days. Either children ignored totally, abused or even guarded too tightly where they have no chance to develop into they really are.
Ron
God is There (Poetry) - 9/7/2024 3:00:20 AM
YES! God is here!
This is a great way to start each day. We must not waste another second of lying and having misconceptions about the real meaning of life.
We must be humble and surrender to Him, who will fire-cleanse those dead, broken, grief-filled, and sinful branches into new greenery and whole blossomed fruit.
We must let Him heal those cracks of anger, doubt, and fears and rejuvenate love, our hearts, soul, and spirit magnificence.
We must let it release us from all those broken places that once held us bound.
And in that place of release and trust, we will grow strong and covered in the beautified, fortressed shadow of His protective wings. Amen X 110! Well done! JMD
God is There (Poetry) - 8/31/2024 8:53:59 PM
Beyond doubt. Open the gates to the heart and let Him flood with love and peace that surpasses everything else.
God is There (Poetry) - 8/28/2024 12:34:51 PM
He is always there to comfort us. What a lovely poem, Rebecca.
God is There (Poetry) - 8/24/2024 8:47:04 AM
I'm glad that you have something to hold onto. Life is tough all around for everyone. But I know that it is especially tough for you. Let's hope that the goods overcome the bads as your life moves forward.
Ron
God is There (Poetry) - 8/24/2024 6:58:57 AM
Indeed, there is something to be said for the presence of God as an act of faith in our lives. It is transformative, enlightening, reassuring as the ultimate reality. A simple, beautiful poem.
To Feel You Touch Me (Poetry) - 8/13/2024 11:50:02 AM
Indeed loneliness can set in after the hassles of a busy day. We all feel it as one time or another. It seems that we are born to love, and to be loved in return. It's part of the human condition.
To Feel You Touch Me (Poetry) - 8/13/2024 8:42:59 AM
A mournful plea that will resonate with all those lonely folks out there reading.
I found that when you let go of your longing so hard for someone else, they will suddenly appear just when you expect you will never find them.
I know of the opposite. Someone so dedicated to me and her work that she can't seem to find even enough time to sleep without interruption throughout the night like a baby crying for a bottle. She longs for a bit of aloneness without crushing responsibility of someone else constantly on her mind.
Ron
Unkept Promise (Poetry) - 8/4/2024 8:34:51 AM
"Of all the girls I've known before… You know you were the one…" Willie Nelson's famous plea, written from a woman's point of view. It will be nice if he would come back before the two of you made it all the way to heaven.
Ron
Taking Peace (Poetry) - 7/17/2024 6:30:04 AM
Wow,you are so strong and the words in your powerful poem prove it.
Taking Peace (Poetry) - 7/14/2024 9:29:22 AM
Very bracing story poem. Perhaps from personal experience. Well done.
Ron
Forever (Poetry) - 7/10/2024 12:50:52 PM
It does happen for a lucky few. But most of us are just meandering through.
Lovely and very romantic as always.
Ron
The Guardsmen (Poetry) - 7/9/2024 11:25:15 PM
John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son," the King of Kings said very clearly. In the following line, God tells us that if we believe in Him, we will be with Him forever in Heaven. That's a Kingdom principle that will bring eternal life and happiness. I cannot help but see Jesus in this poem. I have a clear vision of His presence. Amen X 110!
My Beacon (Poetry) - 7/8/2024 9:18:07 AM
How wonderful. I hope everyone is blessed with a beacon in their life, whether or not it is a lover
Crossing the Bridge (Poetry) - 7/7/2024 12:54:22 PM
A beautifully rendered, heartfelt poem.
Crossing the Bridge (Poetry) - 7/7/2024 11:46:38 AM
What a wonderful romp through animal heaven. Like Willie Nelson… "of all the pets I've known before… the ones who roamed in and out my door…"
You made me remember the Northern Pike that followed up my lure and tested it several times but never took the bait in the crystal clear waters of a Canadian beaver pond. Later that night, when I went to relieve myself, a beaver slapped the water with its tail so loudly he succeeded in stopping me from fouling his pond.
Ron
Love's Dream (Poetry) - 7/2/2024 1:23:16 PM
Very descriptive. I have dreams like that almost every night. Some I can write stories about and some would be banned by the righteous right of the day.
They dream, don't they?
Ron
A Rose For Mom (Poetry) - 6/8/2024 11:22:01 AM
What a wonderful tribute to your mom and her love of roses.
Ron
A Rose For Mom (Poetry) - 6/8/2024 7:12:07 AM
Thank you for this journey into the beauty of your relationship with your mother. This was especially resonating with me. Firstly, because of the love you tenderly capture in these lines; secondly, your ability to write of ‘missing’ her; thirdly, the ability to dedicate a particular flower to your mother. This was a vibrant tribute to what reads as a sparkling person. My mother had 32 rosebushes in her yard and even named her modest house in Tenino, WA, “Rosemont”. I ordered pink marble for her grass marker, and I had it enscribed, “I Am In The Grand Library.” She taught High School English for 20 years, and I miss her grandly. I value this reminder, Rebecca. ~~ djl
Houses of Cards (Poetry) - 6/5/2024 3:26:01 PM
So meaningful land full of good advice at the end.
I think you may be referring to the great dynasties like they used to call the Houses of monarchs of Europe. When those houses are built on false promises they easily fall quickly and did nothing. I see one ready to fall very soon. Doesn't anyone else?
Ron
Houses of Cards (Poetry) - 6/4/2024 10:29:16 AM
Life is not a game. Probably true. I do not know anymore. Not much is making sense. Love and peace to you, Rebecca...
Regis 🙏🌸💕🦋🦉
Houses of Cards (Poetry) - 6/4/2024 2:27:55 AM
True! Life should not be a game. However, some folks live life like it is, hurting many others. Morals have gone out the window, and getting ahead seems to be the name of the game. The next time you are at a red light, see how many folks race to get ahead, but no one is really winning the rat race of life! People cut us off, and being rude on the road is almost expected and the courteous drivers are exceptional. So, let us be exceptional. Well done Rebecca! Amen
American Woman (Poetry) - 6/1/2024 12:17:46 PM
I'm a melting pot too. This is a brilliant poem, Rebecca.
Yet Still We Love (Poetry) - 5/30/2024 11:57:36 AM
This reminds me of Billy Joel some love is just a lie of the heart, the cold remains of what began with a passionate start
Missing Piece (Poetry) - 5/30/2024 11:53:45 AM
Such a clear vision.
American Woman (Poetry) - 5/30/2024 11:49:53 AM
So powerful
Thank You, Dr. Rusty (Poetry) - 5/30/2024 11:47:41 AM
So heartfelt. So glad he was a part of your life
Yet Still We Love (Poetry) - 5/27/2024 2:17:40 PM
Very revealing.
Your poem reminded me of one of my girlfriends, who, after a fling with a submariner, eventually married her friend's brother who she disliked, an accountant. And another, a Canadian nurse who lost her love, a physicist from Bangladesh when he used as an excuse for leaving her that his father had a heart attack when told him he was marrying her. Soon after, she had a blind date with a short, ugly engineer that she disliked. But, married him anyway and they made a fortune in rental properties while raising their children, both of them still working.
Ron
Yet Still We Love (Poetry) - 5/27/2024 12:02:55 PM
They say that opposites attract, and there is some truth to that. You present an interesting twist in this poem in which the similarities drive the two lovers apart in some way. An interesting take.
Thank You, Dr. Rusty (Poetry) - 5/26/2024 11:05:06 AM
When some people pass on, they leave behind a compelling memory, as in this one.
Thank You, Dr. Rusty (Poetry) - 5/26/2024 10:32:11 AM
At first glance, I thought you had (finally) penned a missive to me. But, alas, it was not to be. Still, I checked for rust spots in hard to find places and found quite a few. My older brother went to his grave believing that PhD meant "post hole digger." I did not want to disappoint him, so I never told him anything different. But enough about me. I'm glad the real Dr. Rusty was able to help you along your pathway to enlightenment. He did a good job for a kid of just 74. But I digress. I too have taken note of your writing skills, and they definitely are on the ascendency. I wallow in brevity and simplicity, so you and I are mud buddies--in a manner of speaking or writing. Keep aiming for the stars, and don't look back except to check for a dotted i (or Aye, even Eye).
edp
Phantasms (Poetry) - 5/22/2024 2:58:04 AM
Well written.
Phantasms (Poetry) - 5/19/2024 11:08:02 AM
An interesting use of the word, phantasm. And a very personal one, at that. Showing us a lifelong struggle of you being misunderstood simply because of who you are.
Fortunately, the anonymity of the Internet has allowed you to write your beautiful romantic stories in ways that attract many readers who only fantasize, but actually can't write down what you are able to so well. And finally, in your poetry, reveal pieces of you that remind me of Janis Joplin, "Take a little piece of my heart."
Ron
You Knew (Poetry) - 5/19/2024 8:54:59 AM
It's amazing what a simple greeting can do to take us out of ourselves. You sum it up beautifully.
Friends (Poetry) - 5/15/2024 9:50:25 AM
Your poem shows that you are a very social person with a real need for friends to help you navigate this complicated life we live.
On the contrary, I have very few friends that will drop anything to help me, anymore. I find that with age comes the loss of those very true friends. Instead, I have to hire people. Some of them become friends, but most just take the money and run. I cannot live without them, but I find paying them to do the mundane, a bit disconcerting at times, remembering how I unselfishly gave of myself to anyone who needed a friendly, helping hand.
Ron
Four Hours (Poetry) - 5/13/2024 3:17:06 AM
A fine tribute of devotion and love to the men in blue who walk the city streets for our protection, putting themselves at dangerous risk, especially in this day and age. Thanks for posting.
Mom: A Personal Recognition (Poetry) - 5/12/2024 2:01:19 PM
There are a thousand ways to say "I love you, mom."
Nobody does it better than you.
For My 62nd Birthday (Poetry) - 5/12/2024 1:03:30 PM
Honest as usual. Really enjoyed the ending where you decide to deal with old age on your terms
Go ahead die your hair, buy a sexy dress or get a tattoo if it makes you happy
. 62 is far too old to worry about how we look to others
Four Hours (Poetry) - 5/12/2024 10:30:09 AM
Very moving, and so well-written. Thanks.
For My 62nd Birthday (Poetry) - 5/12/2024 10:03:56 AM
What a revealing poem you have shared with us as you approach this momentous 62nd year of your life! That's why I've chosen the professionally taken photograph of me at a picnic at the very same age, 62, before I began that long slide into the face of old age and degradation that naturally occurs to all of us. Except Dolly Parton, of course.
I had to laugh at your last few lines. But I would strongly suggest not getting a tattoo… A totem to your following the latest fad or craze that began thousands and thousands of years ago when primitive people felt that painful tattoos would be able to fend off the painful signs of aging by embedding charcoal in their knees and elbows in a home remedy for arthritis that never worked.
Also symbols of power and belonging like brands on cattle. It is well-known that when young people get tattoos that start out beautiful, aging has a way of making tattoos turn rather ugly. Getting one at a advanced age like 62 ;-), may or may not be beautiful… Depending upon the eye of the beholder, like everything else.
Ron
Four Hours (Poetry) - 5/11/2024 8:11:07 AM
Your poem told a story that the wives of many police officers go through. Beautifully poignant.
However, I recall Jimmy Kimmel, who often featured his uncle, a retired New York City police officer who claimed that during his career, "I never had to pull my gun, even once." May he rest in peace having died rather young, from some ailment other than a gunshot wound or knife blade.
Ron
Laughing Waters (Poetry) - 5/9/2024 7:58:17 PM
This is very close to my heart. I believed in "fairies" as a child (and in many other wonderful creatures, things, and places)and I still do. A lovely write, Rebecca.
Love, peace, and best wishes,
Regis 🌸🦄🧚♀️
Laughing Waters (Poetry) - 5/5/2024 11:33:53 AM
It's too bad that the legends and nursery rhymes were cruel. So often they were conjured up by adults to want to scare their children into behaving the way they wanted. In this case, not to believe too strongly in fairies hanging out along bubbling creeks. Actually, dragonflies and butterflies… Even buzzing flies, can be misunderstood by children to be fairies.
Unfortunately, that misinterpretation can be frightening. For example, my younger twin brothers were, for some reason, afraid of house flies… Yelling out, "Mama, mama! A bye a, bye!" In their private language, I don't recall my twin brother and I ever having a private language like that. They called a fly, a bye.
Ron
