Review of The Mower Against Gardens by Andrew Marvell

The Mower Against Gardens by Andrew Marvell (1621 - 1681) was offered by Poets.org's Poem-A-Day on the anniversary of his birth March 31, 2013.  Mr. Marvell's long, rhyming poem is lyrical and entertaining, simple for the most part but at times profound.  Interestingly, according to his bio, he only had a handful of poems published in his lifetime; a collection of his work was not published until three years after his death.  I empathize, dear dead brother poet.  I empathize.

New Poem: Congratulations 3

My latest congratulatory greeting card poem came to me only with difficulty.  I must admit, I'm beginning to feel deeper and deeper respect for poets who make their living writing poems for greeting cards.  I felt like I deserved my own 6 lines of free verse this time just for composing the poem.

Review of Poem To Arthur Edmonds by John Gray

Poem To Arthur Edmonds by John Gray (1866 - 1934) was offered by Poets.org's Poem-A-Day on March 30, 2013.  The poem takes the form on an indefinable sonnet with an interesting rhyme scheme. The first two stanzas of 4 lines each use daisies as a metaphor for something, perhaps renewal, perhaps myth--it is not entirely clear.  The final 6-line stanza uses the appreciation of sparrows as an admonition to appreciate the simple things in life (?).

New Poem: Anniversary 3

I had a life before I was married, such as it was, but there was definitely something missing.  My wife completes me, and I her.  My latest anniversary greeting card poem was inspired by this feeling.

Review of "Rubies and Tangled Webs" by Nicky Drayden

"Rubies and Tangled Webs" by Nicky Drayden appeared in Daily Science Fiction on March 29, 2013. "Two friends play poker for high stakes--their memories."

A few paragraphs into this story I almost groaned, "Not ANOTHER memory story!"  But the pacing was good and some mystery was building, so I persevered.  I am so glad that I did.

Reading on, the story evoked a memory (ahem)--a good memory--of "Ivy Rose" by Dan Hart, which appeared in DSF and was reviewed in Songs of Eretz on December 18, 2012.  In Mr. Hart's story, a man desperate for cash sells his memories.  In Ms. Drayden's tale, her characters gamble away their memories--that is kicking it up a few notches.

There are many twists and turns, double crosses, and wheels within wheels in the story that I will not reveal here lest I spoil.  But I do feel safe discussing the following topic that is woven into the fabric of the tale:  just how much is a memory worth?  Ms. Dryden answers this question brilliantly.  It doesn't matter what the memory is worth to someone else.  What matters is the value of that memory to the individual who first lived it.  How profound.  How thought-provoking.  And most of all--how memorable.  7 out of 7 rocket-dragons for this haunting tale.

Review of A Score for Tourist Movies by Mary Austin Speaker

A Score for Tourist Movies by Mary Austin Speaker was offered by Poets.org's Poem-A-Day on March 29, 2013.  In her notes, the poet reveals that she was struck by films made by tourists in Beruit in the early 1960s and how the viewing of them juxtaposed with music.  Does the music support the film as most I'm sure suppose, or does the film support the music as the poet proposes?

New Poem: Mother 2

This greeting card poem for a mother is a 14 line streaming free verse piece using a goose as a metaphor for motherhood.  Not my usual style, but it is what came out of me.

New Poem: Morrighan

I was surfing the interweb looking for inspiration and came upon a site about Celtic lore.  There I discovered the dark Celtic Triple goddess of war, Morrighan--sometimes a raven, sometimes a hag, at other times a beautiful maiden.  I was sure that there was a poem in there somewhere and I was right.  The result was a lyric rhyming poem of eight quatrains.

Review of "Soft" by Cat Rambo

"Soft" by Cat Rambo appeared in Daily Science Fiction on March 28, 2013.  "Alien overlords question a human collaborator about the reasons for animal testing in medical trials."

While grammatically correct, this tale is too predictable and preachy for my taste.  If I want to read a story about animal rights, I'll go to the ASPCA website.  2 out of 7 rocket-dragons.

Review of Lost and Found by Ron Padgett

Lost and Found by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets, Ron Padgett, was offered by Poets.org's Poem-A-Day on March 28, 2013.  For a poet with such credentials, I hope that this poem is not an example of his finest work.  Although arranged in verse, I hesitate even to call it a poem.  Worse, he ends the last line with the word "at."