Linton (Short Story) - 6/18/2019 4:35:30 AM
Wow,Steve this is awesome ,deep dark with twists and unexpected surprises.You should publish it in book form.
Sincerely from Kay.
The Promising Student (Short Story) - 6/9/2007 2:32:19 PM
Wow!! I have to agree with APAX..... I'd love to see this on the big screen.
Jenni
The Promising Student (Short Story) - 10/2/2006 6:31:37 AM
wow........would make a great movie
The Promising Student (Short Story) - 8/16/2006 7:04:06 AM
Hi:
This is an excellent story. I think you should be able to get it published and I suggest that you try. Go to the latest Writer's Market to find the publications that might be interested. My only recomendation for improvement is to work on the format. I'm not sure if you did the single spacing between paragraphs of if it was the result of moving it in and out of a text format.
Hank
Mankind (Poetry) - 9/15/2026 7:59:08 PM
So very well written and conveyed. Almost everyone knows what's happening, but continues on with their way of life because they feel there's little they can do about it. That's really unfortunate. At the end of my life, I'm doing some things that I never would do earlier. Just to live a little longer more comfortably.
The ambitious leaders of most countries know it, too. But in order for them to stay in power, they have to promote growth and leadership over cutting back and giving up.
We think of nature as quiet. But if you've ever watched time lapse photography of plant life fighting it out for a space on the niche they have found with other plants, the battles of insects for territory and dominance, or small sea creatures or fish being attacked and eaten by multiple birds, larger fish, or mammals like dolphins, it is moments of great violence that has created our diversity of ecosystems on planet earth. It is in our genes to be competitive and violent at times.
But we are intelligent. Your poem and many other poems, stories and books pointing out the problem hopefully will lead to sane and sound solutions before we destroy ourselves as has been recently posed by the leaders of AI.
Two books: The Territorial Imperative and The Selfish Gene relate why we have that problem. I've also heard of humans described as parasites on the Earth.
Ron
Rose Coloured Glasses (Poetry) - 4/16/2026 9:39:37 PM
that was just downright beautiful! Written with love, affection and humility! Please write on!
Rose Coloured Glasses (Poetry) - 4/14/2026 12:00:35 PM
You are one fortunate man to have a better half like that. I know what it feels like, because I am also blessed with someone whose rose coloured glasses are turning nearly scarlet these days.
A different way to look at making a tribute to her.
I wish every poet has someone that they can count on like you and I have to carry us on through life as though we were as you wrote, "better than sliced bread."
Ron
Bad Day (Poetry) - 5/27/2025 7:26:25 PM
You are the most amazing fabulous awesome and brilliant poet and story teller in the whole world. I totally love your work.I wish I was you...to write like you.It would be my dream come true.
Bad Day (Poetry) - 5/27/2025 12:28:13 PM
"Momma said there would be days like this, my Momma said."
I can't help thinking that this really happened to you. I've had a lot of bad days lately where it seemed like the problems kept piling up and solutions were hard to come by, but nothing like this.
When I used to drive, my van was okey around town here where it was flat, but whenever I got in the mountains, it wouldn't downshift and I would start in the valley doing about 80, but by the time I got to the crest of the mountain struggling to keep going with a supercharged 18 wheeler's big bumper on my rear blowing his horn I know what it's like from the other side that had to pull over several times, dangerously to get started again when it went up shift to speed.
I'm glad you had some patience and not hospital patients. And that nasty stuff maybe wasn't silage (chopped corn stalks with a sweet. acid smell when they rot) but maybe it was manure (animal poop) instead.
Ron
Flood (Poetry) - 2/22/2025 8:02:55 AM
I somehow missed reading this totally awesome poem and I hope it is fiction Steve? I have been through a couple of floods myself so I understand those feelings.I love your poetry Steve,yours is THE BEST.
What If ? (Poetry) - 12/25/2024 12:52:45 AM
Oh wow,wow...wow. You wrote just what I was thinking about.Everything in your poem hits the nail right on the head.This is an amazing and inspiring poem Steve⭐
Flood (Poetry) - 9/30/2024 11:09:25 PM
Wow! This is a very moving poem, and so well crafted and put together. It just flows, is easy easy to understand, and so very much places me right there beside you!
By the way, I am sorry you had to go through this. I've gone through lesser kinds of floods but never anything this drastic!
Thank you for sharing with me and so many others, how the Lord spared you, and for publicly testifying to God's faithfulness.
Please keep sharing your writing. It is really very good.
-Love in Christ, David
The Louisiana Duelling Box (Poetry) - 7/16/2024 5:18:08 AM
I love it,as always it is awesome and oh my goodness you keep coming up with the best ideas. Your poems are amazing,you are not just a poet but a great story teller too,your imagination has no bounds.I envy your brain.I have to get my dictionary out now and look up "sot', I don't know what that is.The whole poem was very educational ,I am against guns but sometimes I think the old ways were best,Duelling solved a lot of wars in the old days not sure if it would do today.
Best wishes always to you Steve.
From your old Aussie friend,Kay🍀
The Louisiana Duelling Box (Poetry) - 7/14/2024 8:11:45 AM
Your poems are always so well-written and unique. I hadn't heard of this tradition in Louisiana before. Only that dueling was quite common in the Colonies.. Since the Colt revolver didn't come along until the 1860s, practice using this dueling box probably started as men returned from the war with their firearms in the Jim Crow South. The Colt revolver is usually associated with the old West rather than with southern states. Dueling may have been outlawed in many states by that time.
Shows the American fascination with the firearm, upholding honor and getting revenge on any insult. I don't think dueling happened very often because if it did, the head of household of one of the families would be shot dead. On the other hand, life was short in those days and men who dueled usually had very large families to carry on.
Ron
Waiting (Poetry) - 6/20/2024 2:55:22 AM
Steve,this one really touched home with me,my mother died of it and she was my best friend.She didn't know me in the end.I hope this heartbreaking poem is not about someone you love as if it is,I will know so well what a horrible and painful journey you are walking💙
Worse Off (Poetry) - 6/20/2024 2:46:41 AM
I am absolutely sure this top notch poem is 100% fiction.
You are certainly one of the most optimistic souls I have ever come across and you're the type of man who would always find another job,and as for that love of your life leaving?Well...that lovely wife of yours,she would never leave you. And I would bet London to a brick
that you could always win her back even if she did. As for the last 2 lines in your awesome poem,they are the truest part Steve,very empathetic words.🍀Best wishes always from your Aussie pal Kay.
The Best Bootleg Driver In The State (Poetry) - 5/10/2024 3:20:53 AM
This poem was full of grit and I believe it was one of your longest.I read it out loud,perfect rhythm, (Your brain is incredible),This poem is fun and exciting and full of great verses. 10 out of 10.
Gods Own Children (Poetry) - 5/10/2024 12:25:52 AM
Nobody writes as good as you do,this one says it so well.
I think we are on the same page with our view of what the creator might be thinking and feeling about our very disobedient world.
I wrote it before,and I do it again: Sir Ralph, you are The Bard⭐
Gods Own Children (Poetry) - 12/20/2023 9:18:04 AM
A thoughtful insight, Steve, honestly portrayed. As I see it: Zechariah 12:10 puts the final resolution of Israel's quandary into a clearer perspective. “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.” Putting this verse into the chronology of the end times, according to Zechariah, Israel will nationally acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Messiah shortly before the end of the Great Tribulation. Thank you for sharing. A blessed Christmas to you and yours. r
Gods Own Children (Poetry) - 12/19/2023 1:00:24 PM
I worry when you don't post. But when you finally do, you make up for lost time.
This poem needs to be read by everyone who is a strong believer in God. And let your words sink in. You may or may not recall that John Paul Sartre wrote a play that I watched one time. The play was entitled, God on Their Side, I believe. That play was written about seventy years ago, but we haven't learned anything in 2000 years, so I guess we can expect much from seventy years either.
Ron
No One Said (Poetry) - 11/9/2023 7:03:08 PM
I can relate to this one Steve. I hope and pray that you are well
and happy. Keep writing your beautiful poems . Life has been very fair to me as I found your amazing work many years ago and have got to know your wit and awesome story telling skills. In the up times and down times of my life your writing has helped me to carry on and be inspired.
That has been more than fair ,its been a blessing.
Mexican Water (Poetry) - 10/2/2023 8:26:11 PM
Oh WOW!!!! Sir Ralph, you have a gift that I would love to steal, an imagination worth more than gold and just like a musician you turn it all into perfect rhyme. It is magic and the sweetest melody for this old heart of mine. Thank you for sharing your gift with us all Steve. If reincarnation is possible, I want to come back with your your awesome talent.
Love to you and yours
from your Aussie friend
Kay.
What If ? (Poetry) - 9/27/2023 7:07:14 AM
An unusual theme, which I really enjoyed exploring with you…
I don’t know the answer to all your questions,
but I would hope they would be positive, loving and peaceful outcomes,
as like you I do think most of the human race are good…
HOPE….
My best wishes…
Diana 🌿
The Nicest Ones (Poetry) - 9/27/2023 7:00:25 AM
Yes…so, so true…
I hope one day, we’ll discover why…
Sensitively written…
Regards,
Diana…🌿
Mexican Water (Poetry) - 9/7/2023 5:14:25 AM
You are skillful, Steve, at poetic storytelling.
Mexican Water (Poetry) - 8/29/2023 10:03:21 AM
A great story with the whole lot truth to it.
A guy I worked with told me that he grew up in the little town of Rivera. Just north of the huge King Ranch that Texas is so proud of. He told me that the land was bought, and taken, by a New York lawyer who sent gunmen down to Texas to kill all of the Mexicans on the land so they could take it and claim it as part of the largest ranch in Texas with such a proud heritage but no mention of the homicide that acquired it.
When I was land manager of my university in Houston, I had a copy of the single-family who owned, by land grant from the King of Spain, all of the land that now encompasses Houston. A huge tract of land that was taken from them after Mexico lost the war at San Jacinto trying to regain what had already been lost to greedy settlers squatting and immigrating to what they thought was free land, but wasn't.
Ron
The Best Bootleg Driver In The State (Poetry) - 6/20/2023 12:00:43 PM
An epic moonshine run if there ever was one! It must've been turned up a bit to the modern-day because of the words, windscreen (windshield?), tyres (tires?), using a flatbed truck (instead of a hidden tank) the V12 and stamping (stomping?). Otherwise, those good ol’ boys woulda loved it.
Moonshiners took to running their cars on oval tracks for their friends. Racing to see who was best. It has turned into NASCAR, a trillion dollar business these days. Watch them whenever I can. Still crazy after all these years.
In my seven years in West Virginia driving them thar hills, I never seen one bubblegum machine, ever. Maybe on the interstate, but those County Mounties were as rare as ticks on a bear. And puttin the pedal to the metal in some places was tantamount to missin a curve. Simply put.
Ron
No One Said (Poetry) - 6/13/2023 11:36:36 AM
It's good to see you posting again. Your poems are so real that we all have lived them, like this one. I guess that's why so many people want to believe in a life after. Trying to imagine a life that would not be like this one which never seems to be fair for anyone.
So far, I have had a good life. An eventful and prosperous life, in spite of many obstacles along the way. But if I were to lose my partner, my caregiver and my love, I would certainly face an uphill battle to try to save myself from great misery and pain. It would be like going overboard when I can no longer swim.
My greatest wish is to go quickly and as painlessly as possible, so she can be free of me and the obligation I place on her shoulders.
Ron
No One Said (Poetry) - 6/12/2023 12:09:07 PM
So much truth, so few words.
Fee
Wooden Sheds (Poetry) - 4/24/2022 7:21:08 PM
Oh my goodness Steve,this is so true (even here in Australia) please take time to read about Lismore in New South Wales (Australia),so many in my country are finding themselves homeless due to bad plans,bush fires and floods are the worst ever in past couple of years.
Your poem is awesome and sad too.
Love from Kay.
The Nicest Ones (Poetry) - 4/16/2022 2:04:41 PM
I've experienced the same thing. This is a lovely tribute to beautiful souls, Steve.
The Nicest Ones (Poetry) - 4/11/2022 7:23:51 PM
A deep,beautiful and very true Poem.
Love from your old Aussie Pal,Kay.
The Nicest Ones (Poetry) - 3/22/2022 11:57:03 AM
I too, have seen many depart in recent years. But I find it rather mixed. Some of the most terrible in my life have left very early. And some of the nice ones, like you write most about in your poem, have been unfairly treated with a disease or sudden death.
I know that our behavior contributes to our lifespan. But so far no one has, no matter how much they pray, outlived death. But it's also random, so there is really no amount of praying to God or expecting God to behave a certain way that will change the inevitability of death, short or long.
I've been spending much time putting my life in order so that when I go, it will cause the least grief to the least number of people. That's the best I can do. Some will cheer and some will grieve, but I have no control over that.
Ron
The Nicest Ones (Poetry) - 3/22/2022 12:26:56 AM
I tend to agree with you for the most part my friend yet the older I get the more I tend to see that people in general or at least a lot of them, become better people with their passing. I have seen and heard people run someone they know to the ground one month and when they pass away the next, the same person praises them to the hilt. I think we are all nice but because of human nature we all have our faults as well.
Fee
The Nicest Ones (Poetry) - 3/21/2022 5:35:53 PM
lovely, heartfelt sentiments. I always look at death not the end but a beautiful bright light , joyous beginning as the greatest opportunity of homecoming for our true lives He awaits us if we are born again and in the lambs book of life. Though we miss them , life is but a blink here and we will be forever with them with our Lord Jesus Christ who loves us more than any earth emotion...Keep your heart and eyes above ):
What If ? (Poetry) - 2/2/2022 1:05:56 PM
Thought-provoking poem, well penned. I'm afraid man's greed would take over as it has always done, Steve.
What If ? (Poetry) - 1/22/2022 10:22:33 AM
You have said more in this poem than many of my stories, books and poems have. And concisely so. Star Trek, got it right. We should seek other worlds with friendship and kindness, helping them out and letting them grow in their old way rather than exploiting them.
As for our world we seem constantly struggling between good and evil. We are overwhelmingly good, but the evil is a thorn in our sides, especially when it's held in the highest places of government. The 21st century, unlike the world wars of the 20th, I believe will be the turning point of humankind. More and more, women are moving into positions of government power, their mothering nature is far better than the testosterone-driven ambition of men. And, the territorial imperative of growing populations.
Global warming is already causing territorial wars and mass migrations as our Earth gets stressed with burgeoning population and the resultant poverty from lack of resources stripping the planet bare.
The younger generation seems to sense this, and the old, power structures are falling apart in the face of petitions to change and the power of the economic pocketbook to leave polluters and earth abusers without any income. But we better do it quickly because time is running out.
As for the United States, we need a, "kinder gentler nation," George HO Bush. But we will never do it with charity, we all must do it by changing our ways and voting for the right people, not the abusers.
We may find that close by, our sister planet, Venus, was once a thriving jungle paradise with humanlike creatures who with their own behavior based on survival of the fittest, like us, destroyed the atmosphere and themselves in the process.
Ron
What If ? (Poetry) - 1/18/2022 8:16:00 PM
I think this question was asked many times by others as well. I can't imagine all other planets surrounding us are uninhabited and only humans survive on this planet earth. If so, we must have been escapees from other planets. That would explain the mystery of how many ancient monuments may have been built.
Another source said that we may have come from a much larger planet, and therefore we used to be giants. THAT, too, would explain how some ancient monuments were built without the use of modern machinery. Also, because the size of planet earth is much smaller than where the ancient giants have come from, the humans' DNA has been altered, and we became tribes of much smaller people.
Who knows? There may have been a more-advanced world than what it is now, but due to humans' greed, evidence of the advanced-technology was destroyed and we had to rebuild everything from scratch once again to suit the smaller people that we are now.
And now, there have been talks about the COVID vaccines which can alter a person's DNA... so... just go figure this out.
Sandie
Worse Off (Poetry) - 1/16/2022 2:05:50 PM
Your poems always portray the truth so well and so forcefully. I wonder if you are just describing a condition that happens to so many breadwinners when they lose their jobs or whether it has happened to you? After two years of what people have been going through, this is one of the best you've written. Looking forward to more.
"There but for good fortune, go you or I."
Ron
Worse Off (Poetry) - 1/12/2022 11:51:32 AM
A very compelling truth-telling, Steve. There is light shining from you in the way you worded what you wrote here. I’m glad you shared this, and it is beautiful. This whole piece rakes at the soul of humanity with its honesty. All the stanzas raised the hairs on my arms, and the harshness was not diminished by the gentle treatment of those wounds. Especially wrenching was stanza #9, about the children. How achingly you portrayed that tragedy in four lines. Carry the flame, it’s already inside you. ~~ djl
Worse Off (Poetry) - 1/12/2022 10:11:30 AM
Steve you are so right in looking for the positive in such negative situation. I am almost seventy and been where you are now, lost two parents and a brother in one year, went through a nasty divorce, lost my job, went bankrupt and let them take the house, my motercycle and my truck but here I am still kicking have a new home, a family, food on my table and a little money each month after the bills are paid. As I used to tell my kids life is like a roller coaster and you have to accept the lows if you want to truly appreciate the highs. Good Luck my friend.
Fee
An English Bowman (Poetry) - 10/20/2021 5:06:30 PM
As a fellow Brit, I love the story of Robin Hood,
and have been by those famous Woods several
times..imagining much of what you describe in
your poem…
A great poem,…so well told!
Great picture too…really captures the essence!
Best wishes,
Diana…🌿
An English Bowman (Poetry) - 10/19/2021 5:32:11 PM
GREAT JOB STEVE, I LOVE IT- I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A FAN OF ROBIN HOOD FROM GRADE SCHOOL- YOU MENTIONED YOU'D LIKE TO PUBLISH YOUR POEMS-- GO TO lulu,com on the net and I think you can follow through with your wish at no expense except for a proof copy when you publish . I've written twenty some books through that publisher and one was a book of humorous poems. give yourself a try. message me back if you can't understand their process. the formatting and language took me awhile to understand. my Best and good luck.
An English Bowman (Poetry) - 10/19/2021 11:00:51 AM
As usual, superbly written. Adding a new twist to the legendary story of Robin Hood that grows with each new revelation. And your image matches the story poem so well.
Ron
An English Bowman (Poetry) - 10/19/2021 4:27:25 AM
Nicely done ballad...well done.
Fee
Flood (Poetry) - 10/2/2021 7:47:22 AM
You didn't say whether this happened to you or not. But that would help frame your purpose in writing this very detailed and true illustration of what has been happening so many, saying, "Something like this never happened before."
I always marveled at the idea that Alvin, Texas, south of here got some 33 inches of rain, and for a while became the headquarters of the National Weather Service, sometime in the past. And then, when Harvey came calling in 2018, in two days our local rain gauge measured 42 inches and over 750,000 homes in the Houston area were flooded. Fortunately, all that water ran off and we suffered no major flood damage. Most of that damage has been repaired by now, but I'm wondering when the next 1000 year event will be coming our way, a category five hurricane?
Ron
Flood (Poetry) - 10/1/2021 8:11:22 AM
Quite a long, interesting narrative poem very well measured, balanced, rhythmed and rhymed. A timely poem because so many people across the globe have suffered from flooding of some kind. Your description is very thorough and clear, poetically rendered. Well done.
Trophy (Poetry) - 9/15/2021 8:04:40 PM
My very ,very ,very dearest poet-friend,I love the poem,indeed another winner! I have a little secret,you have always come FIRST in my favorite poets list.For the oldies on this site and other poetry sites I guess it was never really a secret.
Love always to you and yours,
from your old Ausdsie pal,Kay.
We Lie (Poetry) - 9/13/2021 11:10:32 AM
We sure do. But I have always been different, and hope that my death comes soon before these aggravating spasms, itches I can't scratch and other maladies that beset me every day would be better if they stop along with me. Freeing my long-suffering partner from her loving but enslaved, ties with me that get harder every day to accomplish.
But I do hope they wait until I finish these last two books completely and get them published. For my only way to immortality is my written work. My only legacy that will will be on me.
Ron
Fussy Eater (Poetry) - 6/29/2021 4:28:23 PM
Enjoyed the read Steve -- good work and hope you don't waste away to a cup cake
Getting Old (Poetry) - 5/24/2021 6:45:07 PM
OH so right on the money on this. Right on on all things. I couldn't read it clear through I had to stop and laugh with the truth of it all. Being old does have it's perks though. Senior Discounts usually on Wednesdays, !/2 price bus passes and saying what's on your mind - my tongue's all healed from all the youthful times I didn't speak my mind
I have got to share this with the folks here at this retirement city I'm in. Thank You for this wonderful truth of life. MY neighbors will be thanking you, too. I wonder who's going to pick us up because we'll all be rotf laughing like we need to laugh, again.
Thanks Bunches,
Tracey
Getting Old (Poetry) - 5/13/2021 8:10:21 AM
I see most of the above is the result of societal conditioning...
We get what we expect...!
I don’t like to indulge in any of it!
There is no reason we cannot be relatively healthy well
into old age...Diet...exercise etc can mightily assist...
However this is a very well written piece which made me
smile in parts...
Best wishes,
Diana...
Getting Old (Poetry) - 5/12/2021 5:01:14 PM
a complete review of eighty Steve-= thanks for the post.
Getting Old (Poetry) - 5/6/2021 3:17:03 PM
Yes, according to Holy Writ, it is a curse. You put some effort into this one Steve. You had me grinning. Thanx 4 that. I can only add something Groucho Marx said: "Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough." (-: Thanks for sharing. rlc
Getting Old (Poetry) - 5/6/2021 12:39:27 AM
I won't say you left anything out because my memory banks are
in lockdown. But from what I remember, you nailed this one
from head to toe.
The Real Cowboy (Poetry) - 1/22/2021 2:13:15 PM
Steve, I don't know why more aren't commenting on your work. You are superb poet. In this case, I agree with you fully that the old West was a place of growth and expansion with neighbors helping neighbors get through hard times like winters that lasted too long. The old West mythology that exists never really happened. Like today, it was exaggerated in newspaper headlines and dime novels that made the West a dangerous place or dangerous man.
Ron
The Real Cowboy (Poetry) - 1/21/2021 7:30:29 AM
I love stories and poetry of the real old West. This is wonderful, I much enjoyed reading it.
Just Another Stitch (Poetry) - 8/15/2020 10:23:44 AM
One thing is for certain. If you don't maintain your surroundings, they will go to seed. And that is on purpose, because seed always brings new life. Another good stitch in time.
A lot of wisdom few words.
Ron
Pandemic 2020 (Poetry) - 8/9/2020 12:07:17 PM
An ominous picture of what the pandemic has done. The world was unprepared, so sad.
Pandemic 2020 (Poetry) - 5/5/2020 7:40:59 AM
An excellent poem about a timely subject that will affect us for years to come. How people talk about this pandemic reveals people's core beliefs and where they turn to solve problems. Our world has 7 Billion people in it, but that is as Nature and Nature's Creator and present Sustainer wills it. This Pandemic is comparitively very very small ( although it does not feel like that for people who have died from this alledged virus and it's secondary effects). Our Creator has designed us to be fruitful and multiply, never to kill for ANY eason other than the death penalty for murderers or to protect oneself or one's innocent Nation when attacked. Your poem is written very well and I hope many read it. Independent Sovereign Nations The Lord will allow to be ruled by a coming World Dictatorship, for seven years,soon, but meanwhile we authors and readers must jealously safeguard our first Amendment God-given rights to write and read, without censorship. Please continue to write great poems like this one. -D.S.
Pandemic 2020 (Poetry) - 4/30/2020 1:29:43 PM
Sad but true.
Pandemic 2020 (Poetry) - 4/30/2020 9:31:20 AM
While 200,000 deaths so far may seem like a great tragedy. When compared with all other kinds of causes that occur every year in a population over 7 billion people, Covid-19 does not compare with even the Spanish flu of 1919, smallpox, or the recurring plagues down through the Middle Ages. While certainly "innocent" children and "heroic" healthcare and supporting individuals have died in the line of duty, the majority of those who have died have underlying health issues that would probably shorten their lives immensely anyway.
Certainly, all of the government protections and measures like social distancing have reduced the death toll so far. And, we don't know how much further it will spread before there is a definitive vaccine that will stop the virus in its tracks. But compared with some other problems emerging facing the human race, the economic and emotional toll is minor compared to what may come.
The elephant in the room is our success as human beings. We are way too populous and way too greedy and predatory for our own good.
Like you alluded to beautifully, I certainly hope that politicians and the people will not start blaming measures taken and those who announce them for what should have could have or would have taken place when there is no way of knowing. We should all be grateful that it is not as serious as first believed.
Ron
Pandemic 2020 (Poetry) - 4/30/2020 8:01:39 AM
I hope we all come out of this as better people.
Ring And The Watch (Poetry) - 3/28/2020 9:53:05 PM
An awesome poem Steve...you are the best poet on this site bar none!
Ring And The Watch (Poetry) - 3/21/2020 11:29:47 AM
Always love your poetry. This one is poignant in the way that it portrays the life of so many that enter into crime and then later find that it wasn't worth it. Wouldn't it be wonderful if young men had the same wisdom that they have when they're older?
Ron
Haunted House (Poetry) - 1/26/2020 9:02:43 AM
Things do go bump in the night. And, as a child you remember so well the strange things that were unexplained that happened like the dart just missing your mother. So it is easy to explain them away by saying that, "It must be a ghost." Helps simplify our fears and put them in nice neat categories like, God did this, ghosts did that, the cat did these things, my brother played a joke… And so on…
Ron
Haunted House (Poetry) - 1/24/2020 6:48:38 PM
Fun read though I have never experienced a haunting, though I have always wanted to, enjoyed this muchly, thanks for posting it...-e-
Haunted House (Poetry) - 1/24/2020 9:10:23 AM
Do tell. Do tell.
Quite a ghostly tale.
I don't believe in ghosts,
But wait a minute,
Did I just hear a ghostly wail?
Haunted House (Poetry) - 1/24/2020 5:02:22 AM
Lol, wow. Yes I do believe in ghosts. My husband lived in one as a child, and the ghost used to unscrew the t.v. set knobs, and leave them on the floor, lol, You got my vote of belief dear Steve. Glad you shared it, I enjoyed reading.
Fussy Eater (Poetry) - 1/17/2020 9:49:27 PM
You fusspot you!How about a chocolate?
I am fussy too,
I only love poetry...
by...YOU.
So Sorry (Poetry) - 1/17/2020 9:44:25 PM
Wow Steve,this is an awesome poem,deep,painful,raw and heartfelt...my dear dad would have loved it too.You tell the sensitive mans side which is to often untold.I loved this poem.
Best wishes always.From your old Aussie fan,Kay.
Election Day 1871 (Poetry) - 12/4/2019 11:56:11 AM
I don't know what I wrote yesterday, but somehow, it didn't take.
I've always loved your story poems in this one is among the best. It not only points out the decisiveness and cruelty of war, it points out how cruel people sometimes use war as an excuse for despicable acts. I tend to like vigilante executions of evil people because they sometimes get off of the major point of their transgressions through the blind legal process.
Your poem also says something about the times we live in. Keep up the good work. Bravo!
Ron
Election Day 1871 (Poetry) - 12/2/2019 9:39:44 AM
A very gripping story. Well told and well done.
Training Day (Poetry) - 10/11/2019 9:40:56 AM
You certainly have a way with telling a story and a poem. All cultures have "coming-of-age" rituals that are used create solidarity and respect among youngsters suddenly discovering that they have maturity coming. Unfortunately, some of these rituals are very debasing, but work because they reprogram young people's minds to be more loyal and obedient… "Or else!"
There is no evidence that all that is browbeating makes a better soldier. But it certainly turns some young people's minds to mush.
Ron
Fussy Eater (Poetry) - 9/13/2019 10:36:57 AM
You got me! I just finished eating my celery for lunch. I are some of those things. Still, good for a laugh.
Ron
Fussy Eater (Poetry) - 9/12/2019 9:26:24 AM
This was truly a mouthful. What's for dinner?
Trophy Wife (Part Six) (Poetry) - 9/9/2019 7:13:58 AM
Quite an ending to quite a story. I will now have to go back and read it from the beginning. It would've been great if you had been able to post the whole thing has one poem. That way, I would've read it, but I guess many, may not.
As far as storyline, rhyming, and structure, one of the best forms I've ever read here.
Ron
Trophy Wife (Part Six) (Poetry) - 9/8/2019 12:51:12 PM
What a great story/poem, and it's action-packed!!! Thank you for sharing!!!
Sandie
Trophy Wife (Part Five) (Poetry) - 9/6/2019 9:27:27 AM
It looks like the shit is going to hit the fan! Looking forward to installment 6.
Ron
Trophy Wife (Part Four) (Poetry) - 8/30/2019 9:46:10 AM
I had to go back and look at part 3 because it's been so long I had forgotten the train of the epic poem. Catching up, I'm finding that your hero caught a lucky break while having his face reconstructed. Even his brother did not recognize him.
So I'm interested in why you are continuing this. Perhaps because there's more to the story and I'm looking forward to reading it.
Ron
Trophy Wife (Part Three) (Poetry) - 8/23/2019 11:04:40 AM
A case of the victim saving himself. Certainly had his wits about him in this story.
Certainly provide enough fuel to read on…
Ron
Trophy Wife (Part Three) (Poetry) - 8/20/2019 10:46:38 AM
That was close!! What a mystery still!!! Write on, Steve!!
Love ya!
Jane
Trophy Wife (Part Two) (Poetry) - 8/18/2019 9:48:55 AM
Arrogance and stupidity go hand in hand. I'm surprised that he survived the shooting and beating. But I believe the young woman that he was looking for a one night stand with, didn't fare as well as he did. With this portion your tale has taken a deciding turn making it all the more interesting and making me want to continue to read on.
Since I go to AD every day, waiting a week will be agonizing.
Ron
Trophy Wife (Part Two) (Poetry) - 8/14/2019 7:31:19 AM
Written and rhymed well Steve. Interesting story. Enjoyed. Thanks for sharing. r
Trophy Wife (Part Two) (Poetry) - 8/14/2019 7:05:55 AM
Your words tell me that there is something money does to some people that turns them rotten. 'Waiting for the next part!!!
Love ya!
Jane
Trophy Wife (Part One) (Poetry) - 8/7/2019 9:31:27 AM
I always love your style of poetry. And this one is no exception, already a cliffhanger! I post a poem a week and rarely violate that. You may need a week to come up with those perfect rhymes you write. I'll wait. And Michael will wait. It's just that he is a bit impatient when it comes to something as intriguing as you are writing.
One small thing: I believe you are writing about shoes from Calvin Klein, not Patsy Cline. ;-)
Ron
Trophy Wife (Part One) (Poetry) - 8/6/2019 7:58:19 AM
A good start. I do think though that you need to shorten the time frame for posting the rest of the poem. 6 weeks seems to be a bit to long.
Trophy Wife (Part One) (Poetry) - 8/5/2019 4:13:40 PM
You captured my interest, Steve!!
Love ya!
Jane
So Sorry (Poetry) - 8/1/2019 9:50:41 AM
I hope this isn't true for you, but it certainly is true for many men who leave the marriage because they feel that motherhood is more important than fatherhood when it comes to raising children.
I always love the clarity and directness that you put in your poetry. I certainly hope you have a book of them can be cherished beyond your writing now.
Ron
So Sorry (Poetry) - 8/1/2019 9:02:36 AM
Hope all goes well in the end. It's never to late to make amends.
So Sorry (Poetry) - 7/31/2019 12:33:48 PM
Ah, some times its heart breaking when a family is split through o fault of ones own. We have contracts with each other and when that contract expires, we need to move on, But the children always wear the scars of such an action no matter what our best intentions are, every one suffers, I enjoyed your tender poem of the heart, Have a great day .
Racist (Poetry) - 7/14/2019 8:54:20 AM
Outstanding write! Profound! Basic truism!
Love ya!
Jane
Racist (Poetry) - 6/21/2019 9:33:11 AM
One of the most profound poems on the subject of racism that I have ever read. And so true. How lifelong neighbors sometimes engender hate for no other reason than the color of skin.
Psychologists long ago ran tests with children, giving them an opportunity to choose between dolls, one of dark skin, dark eyes and dark hair, and the other one of light skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair. Children of all races tended to choose the light-skinned, blonde haired, doll. There is always been a connotation that dark is bad and light is good. Primal fears deepen everyone's psyche. The only way we can overcome this psychological bias, is through education at a very young age.
Ron
Racist (Poetry) - 6/20/2019 5:21:25 PM
This is an excellent piece of work on racism, and why it's so easy to hate.
Resemblance (Poetry) - 6/18/2019 4:18:39 AM
A very funny poem,thank you for making me smile.
Love always to you and yours.
Kay.
Resemblance (Poetry) - 6/12/2019 9:13:30 AM
That was a hoot! Some people didn't get the humor, but I sure did. You make a case for mistaken identity and a good reason for not having eyewitnesses at trials that put people away for a long time because someone thinks they saw someone that they didn't.
You have a way of writing poetry that is so easy to read and understand, yet gives us profound insight into human behavior. Just keep them coming…
Ron
Resemblance (Poetry) - 6/11/2019 12:47:46 PM
This happens in this confused world where one doesn't believe his/her own gender. This is how I would read into this poem and interpret it this way. Many children nowadays will be very confused individuals when they grow up when their parents force them to become someone whom they are not, the result can only be interpret as a form of child abuse. Children are supposed to grow up and be certain and confident about themselves.
Sandie
Resemblance (Poetry) - 6/11/2019 11:00:48 AM
Outstanding write, Steve! Such a twist.......you are brilliant so write on!
Love ya!
Jane
Resemblance (Poetry) - 6/10/2019 5:43:59 PM
There's been cases of mistaken identity before, but none quite as humorously written, Shades of I'm Not Rappaport.
Life's Eternal Curtain (Poetry) - 5/23/2019 8:08:40 AM
You never were ' just a layman,' you could teach us all a whole lot,indeed you could do.I adore your poetry,this one is great.
]
The Drink (Poetry) - 5/23/2019 8:06:04 AM
Amazing work...I love it.
Kansas Jim and Pin-Chin Rose (Poetry) - 4/13/2019 8:54:58 PM
Wow! This reads like I'm watching it! Great job!! The story is most entertaining, Steve!
Love ya!
Jane
Condition Of The Heart (Poetry) - 4/8/2019 12:06:08 AM
Your story brought tears to my eyes. You knew your wife was hiding something from you, but you didn't know what it was. You jumped to a painful conclusion. But the truth turned out to be even more painful. I'm sorry for your pain and your loss. Please remember that your wife was trying to shield you from the pain. She didn't care what you had assumed, only that you were with her at the end.
Condition Of The Heart (Poetry) - 3/22/2019 5:38:44 PM
What a banjo pickin' background ballad this could make! It's a whole story in a song! 'Love it!
Love ya!
Jane
Condition Of The Heart (Poetry) - 3/22/2019 9:57:54 AM
You have such a wonderful way of telling a complete story in a poem that rhymes beautifully and carries one on to the next stanza. I believe the people will think it's your story because you have written it in the first person. But I know it's just your talent showing.
I recall the time a woman from New York City, divorced with a three-year-old girl, came to rent the house directly above my little cottage in West Virginia. There was a bit of attraction, and we were cordial, but when I took her to a university play, it was obvious there was no spark between us. But then, I saw this bearded man with a doctor's case come to her house in the late evening and stay for an hour or two, several times. It was summer and I had my windows open. Late in each of the physician's visit, I would hear her call out loudly, not in pain to my mind, but ecstasy. After that, the good doctor would leave. I'm sure that his therapy was more than just professional. ;-)
Ron
Condition Of The Heart (Poetry) - 3/20/2019 9:49:40 PM
A very personal account told with love and sorrow. I am sorry for your loss.
Jeanne
Condition Of The Heart (Poetry) - 3/20/2019 3:03:15 PM
I hope you one day can forgive yourself as she surely did
budd
Alien Invasion (Poetry) - 3/20/2019 5:31:02 AM
Hi Steve, what a rip roaring alien adventure - woven into verse - it carried me along... I think you must be a Bard in a spacesuit..!
Sunny greetings from Montefrio, Spain.
Life's Eternal Curtain (Poetry) - 3/18/2019 8:37:08 AM
It is so obvious that religion comes from trying to explain the unknown. But the scientific method treats the unknown as a problem to be solved. Not something to be feared in a god-fearing way. Contrary to your poem, the scientific method has found no evidence of a god. Although there is much that man/woman has left by way of artifact depicting gods and even places akin to paradise/heaven wished for. Like trying to prove that the shroud of Turin covered Jesus and that he supposedly cast it off, leaving the mark of his body on it, while rising from the dead to enter heaven.
For me, when blood stops flowing to my brain, all that electrical/chemical energy creating all of that thought of god and heaven will simply stop like my glassy eyes wide open seeing nothing, needing to be closed for good by human, not godly, hands.
Ron
Life's Eternal Curtain (Poetry) - 3/17/2019 10:59:58 AM
A question that has plagued mankind forever, Steve! I love your "take" on the various versions of beliefs!!
Love ya!
Jane
The Drink (Poetry) - 3/2/2019 2:27:27 PM
This makes me think of our Baptist Church preacher(s) back in Arkansas. They would, one and all seduce the ladies in the church as soon as they were hired to preach. The preachers knew full well where the balance of power was within the church, and it was sure not with the deacons, etc.
The Drink (Poetry) - 3/2/2019 9:13:50 AM
That explains the cursing in Latin. hanks for the laughs in this humorous write.
Bonny Lad (Poetry) - 2/14/2019 11:42:04 AM
That was quite a tour de force in Scottish lore. And I admired the turn of tables for sometimes it's hard to tell who the good are in the course of events.
I have been watching every episode of Outlander from 2014 and find it absolutely fascinating. And I'm getting enough Scottish brogue to do a fair reading of your poem.
We need more story poems like this. I can't believe no one else is commenting.
Ron
Bomb (Poetry) - 10/23/2018 12:42:54 PM
God bless you and calm your mind of those horrific happenings, Steve. This again, is an excellent write full of emotion and truth. Thank you for sharing!
Love ya!
Jane
Bomb (Poetry) - 9/8/2018 12:22:28 PM
I always love your poetry, but this one is truly great. Not because it portrays something beautiful, but that it reaches right down into a man's soul and reveals his greatest fear. It's what you don't see and don't hear. When you know that a terrorist is near.
Ron
Bomb (Poetry) - 9/7/2018 12:43:05 PM
Wow,this poem was a vivid insight into what soldiers have to deal with and live with.A deep and moving write indeed.
Best wishes always to you and yours Steve,
from
Kay.
Bomb (Poetry) - 9/7/2018 10:08:39 AM
These are the memories of scenes that a soldier has to carry in his head for the rest of his life. So sad!
Sandie
Bomb (Poetry) - 9/7/2018 3:50:43 AM
The memories of the past are like lampposts in your veranda at night. They light up what once was your starkest moment of shock. Baring the silhouette of your soul. My how it hurts to remember. I have really enjoyed your poem, it brings forth both the courage of the man and this tender part of him. Healing prayers are coming your way. Thank you for sharing dear poet.
Mystery Writer (Poetry) - 8/4/2018 11:24:45 AM
Enjoyed this one very much! Ah yes, it is a mysterious thing, this gift to string words together, like pearls on a string, to evoke such feelings in us all.
Zach
Hopes (Poetry) - 7/26/2018 4:27:59 PM
I know exactly how you feel Steve,your words are perfect in rhyme and sentiment and anytime you want to you can let off steam with this old bird,letting of steam is good for the soul,so keep letting that steam out.Hugs from Kay.
Charity Shop Coat (Poetry) - 7/26/2018 4:18:08 PM
Oh dear,now you have made me cry,this poem is very very very sad.Perfectly written though.
Shop Assistant (Poetry) - 7/26/2018 4:15:11 PM
HA HA HA HA HA,I am laughing my head off,this is sssooooo VERY
funny!
Joe (Poetry) - 7/26/2018 4:12:08 PM
WOW...I THINK YOU ARE THE ANGEL AS YOU ARE ARE ABLE TO SEE AND WRITE WHAT OTHERS ARE BLIND TO.
Mystery Writer (Poetry) - 7/26/2018 4:07:58 PM
Dear Steve,
This poem is my new favorite.When you do your book,this one would be perfect to be on the first page,sort of like an introduction to all the following poems.I love it and...in my humble opinion ,it is the angels who speak through you when you write.
Best wishes always my poetic friend.
From your Aussie fan
Kay.
Mystery Writer (Poetry) - 7/26/2018 9:25:46 AM
Your muse has been busy, I see, and beautifully so!
Love ya!
Jane
Mystery Writer (Poetry) - 7/26/2018 8:54:55 AM
I'm with you on the origin of the muse. Sometimes it appears completely out of the blue as though a poem was prewritten somewhere that just suddenly appears, in my case, dictated on the computer screen for me to marvel at and edit.
I with you about nautical things. I wouldn't know a forecastle from a head.
Ron
Mystery Writer (Poetry) - 7/26/2018 8:29:23 AM
Imagination leads to inspiration, or is it the other way around?
Hopes (Poetry) - 7/25/2018 4:29:41 PM
I have felt this way at times. You have put it to paper so honestly, and even though I'm a follower of Jesus Christ, I've still struggled, especially in the sleeping time before the sun rises.
Very skillfully written expression of what most humans have most likely felt and wrestled with, but it took a poet such as you, to say it out loud on paper. Thank you for sharing this, so eloquently,
a fellow human & poet,
Zach
Mystery Writer (Poetry) - 7/25/2018 2:55:02 PM
I believe most of our inspirations come from the mystery of our own minds that urge us to write.
Sandie
Undiagnosed Depressive (Poetry) - 7/21/2018 1:20:06 PM
So sad, so true and wonderfully penned.
Undiagnosed Depressive (Poetry) - 5/27/2018 1:40:25 AM
A beautiful poem Steve,very empathetic,I was diagnosed with 'Environmental Depression' and so for me much of your poem is my life,I can relate to it ,my depression was caused by other people (cruel people)but because of them, I am stuck with it, and I live with 'Post traumatic stress syndrome' too.I wont let it hold me down though,as life is beautiful,and that is what I always hold on to.
God bless you my dear friend.
Love to you and yours always,
From
Kay.
Undiagnosed Depressive (Poetry) - 5/7/2018 8:19:57 PM
A sad state for one to be in. Even diagnosed depressives give up the fight. If only people would pay attention to those around them, then maybe they could help before it's too late.
Undiagnosed Depressive (Poetry) - 4/29/2018 8:28:24 AM
I love your poems because there are so well written and convey information like this one. I can't help thinking that you are writing from your own experience.
My one concern about these hidden depressives is, not that they will take their own lives and perhaps remove their genes, if it is genetic, from the gene pool, but that that they will, as some are want to do, take others with them in some sort of blame, like a workplace shooting.
Ron
Undiagnosed Depressive (Poetry) - 4/29/2018 7:54:34 AM
Oh, my goodness! You have touched upon a subject that hits home. I won't go into details but this happy mother of five well taken care of children, was found on the back seat of a taxi. O.D.. You have touched upon a problem that has always been here........."Where behind closed doors and windows,"......but not seen or understood by most. Thank you for opening some eyes, Steve!
Love ya!
Jane
Undiagnosed Depressive (Poetry) - 4/28/2018 12:48:51 PM
This is a very meaningful write expressing much truth about this condition. Believe me, Steve, I can relate. Love, peace, and best wishes,
Regis
Undiagnosed Depressive (Poetry) - 4/28/2018 12:15:58 PM
Here in SoCal (San Diego) the city streets (especially downtown) are littered with the mentally oppressed. Many presume you are not sick unless they see some manifestation in the body. Sick thoughts, though, can easily devour the flesh (at times) more effectively than fever or disease. I grew up with a paranoid/schizophrenic, and I was close, for a season, with several who were chronically depressed. To this day I still battle depression on occasion. It's very real and very personal. The darkness is consuming like a heavy wet blanket over you. From my own experiences I've found that the spiritual component of this affliction, is the most important, and certainly the most overlooked in a modern drug-oriented culture. Your thoughts here opened up a door in me that I usually keep shut. Written well. Peace... r
Joe (Poetry) - 4/23/2018 11:57:45 AM
That certainly could be Jesus Himself! He say that if you do this to others you have done it to Him. So cool!!
Love ya!
Jane
Joe (Poetry) - 4/22/2018 6:18:17 AM
The dreadlocks can be changed, but tattoos are something that are quite permanent unless taken off by an expensive (and painful?) process.
As usual, a beautifully written poem about a subject that should touch everyone. Perhaps half of the people that are homeless could change if given the opportunity. Unfortunately, mental problems are not easily resolved and can come from a variety of reasons.
My partner is like Joe. She literally works 24/7 to earn her way, but when she sees a homeless person she can't help stopping by and giving them something.
Ron
Joe (Poetry) - 4/20/2018 8:58:02 AM
Beauty is found in strange places, and saints can be found in unlikely people.
Joe (Poetry) - 4/19/2018 3:31:53 PM
It's amazing how many 'Joe's' live among us and it is sad when we walk around them, rather than walking with them.
Thanks for the write.
Cheers,
Dan
Shop Assistant (Poetry) - 4/14/2018 3:58:12 PM
From start to finish, this was a great read. Each stanza building anticipation. Well done. And isn't it amazing the balls some people have?
Shop Assistant (Poetry) - 4/14/2018 7:51:33 AM
A morbidly funny write… If it wasn't so true. They say that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Sometimes I wish that wheel would run over that squeaky little runt! You have my sympathies, but not providing a great poem.
Ron
Shop Assistant (Poetry) - 4/14/2018 6:11:45 AM
Having worked in the Farm Store of Sears way back, I was at the front desk dealing with people who came in for parts, lawn mower repair, TV repair........stuff like that. I never gave the customer, our paycheck, a rough time. I'd get the form and help them with filling it out. It happens to all of us somewhere sometime. I do, though, empathize so take a deep breath, hon!
Love ya!
Jane
Shop Assistant (Poetry) - 4/13/2018 1:16:07 PM
Bitch about the people who bought your products back then if you wanna. They were your bread and butter.
Shop Assistant (Poetry) - 4/13/2018 12:42:34 PM
Great write, considering the most bizarre stories we write, come from truth,
Cheers
Dan
Charity Shop Coat (Poetry) - 4/8/2018 5:58:18 AM
Like a box of chocolates, when you buy at a charity shop, you never know what you're going to get. A unique idea very well delivered through a rhyming poem. You seem to be the best at doing this and doing so well. Bravo!
You also provide a lesson about how rumors can break up relationships even though they are false. We had to be careful before we believe a rumor and spread it.
Ron
Charity Shop Coat (Poetry) - 4/7/2018 4:12:37 PM
Hey, now! This person needs to come on back. What a blow he has been dealt! Fine writing, Steve!
Love ya!
Jane
Charity Shop Coat (Poetry) - 4/7/2018 7:10:54 AM
Interesting idea for a write, Steve, I really enjoyed reading it & feel so sorry for the guy that wrote the note, even if it is fiction, as I think he deserved better...-e-
Charity Shop Coat (Poetry) - 4/7/2018 6:21:41 AM
From happiness to emptiness. As I read this, By The Time I Get To Phoenix kept going through my head. Cool write.
Quantum Theory (Poetry) - 4/6/2018 9:19:13 AM
It is possible and I have experienced something of the sort, though never get it a name. I have enjoyed your poetry today Ralph,
Quantum Theory (Poetry) - 3/28/2018 3:42:45 AM
This is quite a fun poke at science, but it is filled with astute observations nonetheless. Science is nothing without the starting premise "anything is possible." After that, we are all on our own to let our imaginations flow to wherever they will. This is very perceptive and well-written. Thanks.
Quantum Theory (Poetry) - 3/26/2018 5:56:19 PM
Yup! You blew my mind. I'll need to have my son, the Physicist, read this. I'd know when that cat was dead..........wait for it to start stankin'!!
Love ya!
Jane
Quantum Theory (Poetry) - 3/26/2018 6:38:40 AM
I too, am quite confounded with quantum physics and string theory. And it's certainly fun to listen to physicists expound on the possibilities. But, most of it is only theory arrived at by mathematics. I'm sure when instruments are applied to the theory and information is gathered, many of these concepts will become more clear.
I am grateful for these great minds and their insights into our universe. And I know that, at the atomic level alone, solid objects billions of years old, like our moon, are not solid at all and are surprisingly strange for having maintained their integrity so long thanks to the force of gravity and consistency of, at least, the atomic level. Beneath that level, things get crazy.
And you've written a wonderful poem about the possibilities. Thank you.
Ron
Quantum Theory (Poetry) - 3/26/2018 6:20:21 AM
Quite a write. Me, I'm still in wonderment over how the radio works, let alone quantum physics.
Quantum Theory (Poetry) - 3/25/2018 10:25:33 PM
An awesome poem Steve!
Your string is never jumbled when you write it.
Best wishes always from Kay
What Is ? (Poetry) - 3/25/2018 6:25:29 PM
Steve, well, Bill Clinton didn't know what is "is" either, LOL!
Thought provoking in a short write, good job!
Dan
Quantum Theory (Poetry) - 3/25/2018 6:19:26 PM
Steve, great write. I love anything having to do with time, space, existence or more precisely, our conception or perception of it all! One question I have out of many is this one; "is there anything in the universe (whatever that is) that has absolutely no movement, everything is in motion of some sort or the other it seems!
Dan ( shoot, now I will be awake all night in my bed pondering that question,LOL!)
Dan
Quantum Theory (Poetry) - 3/25/2018 2:55:29 PM
My mind has been blown so many times that once more surely wouldn't hurt, I don't think...:) -e-
Quantum Theory (Poetry) - 3/25/2018 12:21:22 PM
. . . concerning that black cat in the box You need not look, soon it will begin to decay and stink to high heaven.
Hopes (Poetry) - 3/19/2018 4:58:08 AM
Perseverance is tough to do.
Why?
Because there will be tough times that we don't want to go through.
So what should we do?
Persevere! Take a stand and fight!
They say, "Tough times don't last!"
Yes, THEY got that one right!
Why?
Because after all of the crap, we have been through.
Not giving up is the BEST thing we can do!
Persevere! It's worth it, and then start a new!
John Michael
Hopes (Poetry) - 3/18/2018 5:23:24 PM
Oh! Do I know what you mean!! Wait! It gets crazier, hon!
Love ya!
Jane
Hopes (Poetry) - 3/17/2018 8:36:33 AM
Hope springs eternal, and it's a great life if you don't let it get you down. Let off the steam, so you can dream.
Medal (Poetry) - 3/16/2018 7:02:33 AM
I enjoyed this excellent write. We all need heroes. It's the image that's important, because our heroes are never quite what we imagine them to be. It's the price heroes pay for being human.
Medal (Poetry) - 3/15/2018 6:23:43 AM
You can always be counted on to write an intelligent poem. This one is so true and so poignant. It is often like this when others claim that someone is a hero. Guns don't discriminate. They kill good guys and bad guys without remorse. Only those that pull the triggers can do that.
Ron
Medal (Poetry) - 3/14/2018 7:13:00 PM
To fight for your country and wrestle a gun from a soldier does not make you a hypocrite. It makes you a man that he did the best he can. Let them reign you with praises. It's not only for your good but also for theirs.
Medal (Poetry) - 3/14/2018 12:02:40 PM
Whew! This is quite a ballad of words! This could be put to music, kinda pickin' and strummnin'!
Love ya!
Jane
Espionage (Poetry) - 3/12/2018 11:32:56 PM
Espionage,that is so hard to rhyme but your've done it perfectly and as always,I have to repeat myself as there is no other wordS I can use...
PERFECT,JUST PERFECT POETRY.
Best wishes always to you and yours from Kay.
The Ballad of Archer Barret (Poetry) - 3/12/2018 11:27:07 PM
Ha ha ha ha,ten out of ten,I could see it all clearly,you painted a vivid and very humour-filled scene. This is a must for your book Steve.
Best wishes always to you and yours from Kay.
My Prayer For Me (Poetry) - 3/12/2018 11:17:05 PM
Sorry Steve,I don't agree that you are ordinary but your poem/ prayer and what you ask for in the prayer is so beautiful and humble that I do also wish and hope that you do always see yourself that way as I believe it is your outlook on life from how you see yourself that makes your poetry so unique,your vantage point is rare ,you have crystal-clear vision of the world and the people in it but you express your view with a wonderful imagination (very few others have your imagination ,Dickens was one,and Henry Lawson another)I only wish I had a gift one tenth as wonderful as your gift of writing poetry and inventing story-lines for your poems..It is not ordinary in any way but I love that you think it is.
The Himalayan Run (Poetry) - 3/12/2018 10:44:00 PM
Another beauty Steve,being an Aussie and living in heat most of the year,I don't know much about skiing.Is there any chance you could do a similar poem on a famous English or Irish horse race as I can tell you have the knack to do it really well (with humour added in it of course?)
I challenge you to write one relevant to today's champion racehorses.
Best wishes always to you and yours from Kay.
Perfect Storm (Poetry) - 3/12/2018 10:32:29 PM
This one is a beauty and yes,I pick it to go in your book please.
Best wishes always to you and yours from Kay.
The Cottage (Poetry) - 3/12/2018 10:29:03 PM
Wow,I love this one and the ending,though it had lots of vivid and terrifying images through the lines,I could not help but smile as the demon dived through the floor boards...it was a perfect ending for that devil!Your imagination never stops amazing me Steve.Great work.
Best wishes always to you and yours from Kay.
Christmas Time (Poetry) - 3/12/2018 10:16:36 PM
Very deep and also so true,I feel exactly the same way as you do about it Steve,if only every day was Christmas and the only gift anyone gave or got was smiles and kindness,that would be so nice but Christmas and it's real meaning have gone to hell and spending money and making money is what it has become...FOR SOME.As always a very well written poem.
Best wishes always to you and yours from Kay.
The Vickers gun (Poetry) - 3/12/2018 10:07:50 PM
Spending tonight catching up on reading your poems.This one has perfect rhythm and rhyme and that magical Sir Ralph vivid story within it.This too is one to put in your book.Best wishes always
from
Kay
Palliative Care (Poetry) - 3/12/2018 10:01:39 PM
Steve this one is so beautiful and this is one you should put in your book please as a tribute to your sister and your love for her.My mum was in palliative care too so I can relate to your heartache.As you know I do believe in heaven ,your sister will be there with your dear mother and you will all meet up again one day.Stay strong,it hurts to lose a loved one,I miss my mum every day but we have to go on living as that is what our loved ones would want us to do.Your sister would have treasured your beautiful poem and my guess is she knew your heart very well,she is there in your heart forever.Hugs to you my dear friend. Love to you and to all your family from Kay.
What Is ? (Poetry) - 3/12/2018 9:53:15 PM
This one is different to most of yours Steve, I am baffled by this one,
it makes me very sad.
What Is ? (Poetry) - 12/24/2017 4:25:21 PM
A bit depressing, even for me. Love is more than a mere chemical reaction. It involves our thoughts and feelings. The point is to enjoy what time we have on earth and not focus on the bad times and pray the happy times outweigh the sad.
What Is ? (Poetry) - 12/24/2017 9:06:31 AM
Who knows? 'Enjoyed!
Love ya!
Jane
What Is ? (Poetry) - 12/22/2017 9:40:55 AM
Some age-old questions that probably shouldn't take so much of our time. I did sense a little pessimism here because it seemed that some things that were thought to be ironclad were being questioned and that life was mostly, "heartaches of the norm." "A momentary happiness…"
Maybe so. But as I look back on my life and the lives of my relatives, we lived rather happy and untroubled lives.
Ron
What Is ? (Poetry) - 12/22/2017 8:57:25 AM
I agree with Jerry. Loved the ending.
What Is ? (Poetry) - 12/21/2017 12:28:35 PM
Cool writing, Steve, and your ending is perfect. I so love this poem.
The Vickers gun (Poetry) - 10/22/2017 5:25:35 PM
Oh my God! Chills are running up and down my arms. You helped me visualize one of the most awful scenes imaginable. And to be torn in half between your belief in God and your duty to your country. No one should have to make that choice.
The Vickers gun (Poetry) - 10/21/2017 12:29:18 PM
I couldn't help equating your Vickers at the Checkpoint with the quality of Casey at the Bat.
You have a way of writing poetry that sends a message as strong as if we were hit by a bat.
And your message is so profound and sad. When the soldier compares himself to "those boys" and finds there is little difference to be fighting for.
Ron
The Vickers gun (Poetry) - 10/21/2017 10:45:19 AM
So very excellent! War....it's you or them. Terrible flashbacks.
Love ya!
Jane
The Vickers gun (Poetry) - 10/21/2017 8:21:11 AM
Well done, super well done, Steve.
The Vickers gun (Poetry) - 10/21/2017 5:51:27 AM
There can be no doubt, war is hell. Well done.
Christmas Time (Poetry) - 10/9/2017 6:02:42 PM
This poem brings a sad ring to the holiday caroling. Too bad the holidays, even Chanukah, have come to revolve around presents. In a materialistic society, this is all we have. The Kardashians can lead the carolers this year with their pointless consumption.
Christmas Time (Poetry) - 10/2/2017 3:06:11 PM
People forget the real reason for Christmas. We bake a birthday cake for Jesus and sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. Sad to see the turn so many have taken. Great write though!!
Love ya!
Jane
Christmas Time (Poetry) - 10/2/2017 6:01:46 AM
For the most part, Christmas has become nothing more than a push for profit for businesses, and party time for people.
Christmas Time (Poetry) - 10/2/2017 5:41:09 AM
I see that this one was written last May, but it's still a bit early to post it even before the early Christmas shopping rush that probably began at Labor Day. I really don't pay attention since I don't participate.
But your poem is about, not Christmas, but disease. A perception of a diseased society where greed seems to have taken over charitable good sense. Every year they play the movies, It's a Wonderful World and A Christmas Carol, two stories that portray how society has lost the meaning of Christmas and how it can be restored. Nothing is really new with the complaints in this poem.
Charity as always been a hit and miss proposition. The squeaky wheel gets the grease and while the Salvation Army always does with things on Christmas and new year round, only government can care for the impoverished. The United States is a very rich country. There is enough to go around for everyone. But, government has to provide for those who can't provide for themselves. The recent trend in government by the latest tax proposal, is to give more money an advantage to the very rich, reduce support and increase taxes for the middle class, and cut support for the least of us.
Maybe your poem is saying we are headed in the wrong direction.
Ron
Good Morning Mr Magpie (Poetry) - 10/1/2017 5:29:10 PM
Beautifully whimsical and poignant.
Autumn (Poetry) - 10/1/2017 5:26:56 PM
Your words made me look forward to the oncoming season changes once again.
Palliative Care (Poetry) - 10/1/2017 5:24:31 PM
Beautifully written piece.
Palliative Care (Poetry) - 8/24/2017 7:35:29 AM
You touched my heart with this one. So clear and so beautifully written that we all feel we know Helen and what she is going through. This one is classic and I hope it will be part of her legacy, at least for your family, and, perhaps for other families in the same situation, as well.
Ron
Palliative Care (Poetry) - 8/23/2017 7:55:10 PM
You have expressed the whole scene so well. I was Caregiver for a lady for 11 years and could see it all happening again. Sadly enjoyed. Nicely written.
Love ya!
Jane
Palliative Care (Poetry) - 8/23/2017 11:10:13 AM
Like Jerry said, this is special and heartbreaking at the same time. Because I can relate to this with my own experiences in dealing with loved ones dying, it was actually hard for me to read it at times, as my own memories came rushing back.
Palliative Care (Poetry) - 8/23/2017 8:54:02 AM
This is a wonderful and special poem, Steve. It is both special and heartbreaking.
Tenth Anniversary Cruise (Poetry) - 7/11/2017 3:03:32 PM
Seriously,your brain is amazing,your imagination is up there with the world's best writers and the way you string the verses together to rhyme is perfection...top work Steve,I loved this one.My brother invited me to go on a family cruise next year off coast of Queensland I told him I would 'think about it'...after reading this I am saying ''no thanks'.'(fear of sharks!)
Best wishes always
from
Kay
