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I try my best to read everything on Writing.com with great care. My reviews always include a first impression, my feelings about theme and structure and where appropriate, some thoughts about possible revisions.*Mugr*
I'm good at...
I give my best reviews on stories, poems and articles that hold my interest and stir up my emotions.~~ *Smile*
Favorite Genres
Religious/Spiritual,Romance, Historical, Mystery, Fantasy and Sci-Fi.~~ *Cool*
Least Favorite Genres
Erotica and Vampire/Werewolf/Zombie.
Favorite Item Types
Short Stories, Poems, Articles and Essays. ~~
Least Favorite Item Types
lessons and puzzles. ^^*Mugr*
I will not review...
Will not review anything with a rating over 18; no horror or erotica.^^*Mugr*
Public Reviews
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1
1
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (5.0)
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Greetings SM Yeardley Author IconMail Icon,  Welcome to Writing.com! I was pleased to read  "The Heroes’ Rest" Open in new Window. from your portfolio and it is my pleasure to give your writing a review.

July, 24 2025

*Coffeer*  FIRST IMPRESSION
 
A mighty fine prologue indeed. The characters are given plenty of word-work to come alive and be, each one, extremely unique. The story opens with a tavern run by a husband and wife whose proximity to a dangerous land gives them a constant, and very diverse clientele. Drulla, the main character, plays manager, hostess and an insightful witness of the lives who are a part of her tavern's heritage. Through her we gain knowledge of the other important characters in the story. And through her we feel a bit of her anxiety that something isn't quite right. 

*Coffeer*  THEME
 
"The Heroes’ Rest" Open in new Window. is a wonderful opening to what I surmise to be a fantasy action novel. The prologue gives us insight into the dwarf heritage of Drulla and Merril. It sets the scene for the nature of the world in which the characters live.

*Coffeer*  STRUCTURE
 
Written from the third person perspective, the story is seen through the eyes of Drulla. It is her narrative that brings to life the patrons of the tavern, as well as her husband and their main server Dax. The story moves quickly yet includes some touching back story to the Merril/Drulla courtship and marriage.
 
*Coffeer**Coffeer*  MY FAVORITE MOMENT
 
This was my favorite moment:

“As the closest tavern to the entrance of the Eldari Forests, it wasn’t uncommon for people to stop here overnight before the two-week trip through to the other side. No one came out of two weeks in the Eldari Forest looking that clean. Some didn’t make it out at all.”

By the time I read up to this paragraph I was beginning to wonder about time and space and what was the significance of the tavern. This paragraph speaks of a journey through a forest that is dangerous to cross. At the most it seems only animals would be used by the travelers to make the journey. On the other hand it could be that walking through forest was their only option. I surmise the time setting is a long long time ago and the space is near a forest from which some sojourners never come out. Subtle. But the way it is phrased I am there. I see clearly the scene in my mind.
 
*Coffeer*  SUGGESTIONS
 
The piece is really marvelous fiction. I only noticed one minor problem with a sentence structure that was unclear.

The sentence was written: "He looked ready to spring into action with the sword and shield he carried at a moment’s notice."

I believe the sentence would have better clarity if it was written:
"He looked ready to spring into action at a moment's notice with the sword and shield he carried."

*Coffeer**Coffeer*  IN SUMMARY*Coffeer**Coffeer*
 
"The Heroes’ Rest" Open in new Window. gives the heart of the reader something comfortable to enter into. The prologue to a novel centers around a tavern where humans and non-humans may enjoy a few drinks and endless moments enjoying a beautiful time of refreshing. The sense is love. Romantic love between Drulla and Merril though some of the zeal has faded. The dangerous world is held at bay for a few moments of peace and genial fellowship. It is Drulla who senses the danger. By the time of the possible intrusion of the dangerous world I am delighted to be a part of this bit of community. Well done! *Smile*
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr**MugR*
 

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2
2
Review of The Taste of Rust  Open in new Window.
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
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Hello Enthusiasm Author IconMail Icon, I selected "The Taste of Rust" Open in new Window. from your portfolio to read and review, as part of the WDC "Beach Party Raid 1" Open in new Window.
Thank you for joining our Writing.com community!

July 23, 2025

*Books6*  FIRST IMPRESSION
 
A grim story of two men once bound by a caring friendship now bound by pure hate. The hate is not indiscriminate. Everything is worthy of hate. But maybe a broken relationship is the purest motivator. Touchy. Brash. Dark. The prose cuts away everything that could be light and goodness for humanity to reveal something mercenary. Flynn, a "broker of misery," completely used up except for the precious connection with his former friend. Arthur. What is Arthur but a "once-before-friend?" Can hatred be a true bond?

*Bookstack2*  THEME
 
What manner of man remains for the benefit of society when his whole life has been about getting everything they want at the expense of others? The story paints the gruesome picture of two men closer to death than ever before but in no hurry to see it through. One needs to exist. The other needs the hatred to feel something tangible in his own world.
 

*Books1*  STRUCTURE
 
"The Taste of Rust" Open in new Window. is a strong narrative with skillful development of the characters Arthur and Flynn. The motive seen outside this story may be difficult to comprehend, but Arthur and Flynn are believable and are developed in such a way that ultimately murder makes sense.

The suspense is in the time taken to set the reader up to believe everything in the scene is true to life. The prose is stunning and artful in every way. Reminiscent of Chandler and Spillane.

*Books3**Bookstack*  MY PONDER MOMENT
 
This was my pondering moment:

“Flynn finally turned. The face was older, harder, etched with lines Arthur didn’t know. But in the eyes, for a fleeting second, Arthur saw a flicker of the old Flynn – a spark of sharp intelligence quickly submerged in a weariness so profound it seemed geological. He took a slow sip from the cracked teacup. The gesture, so mundane, so achingly familiar, was a physical blow.”

After a quick view of what was, then the slow development of several paragraphs of what they had become, the final solution for Arthur hits a dramatic snag as he studies the face of his old friend. The solution may be right. It may be the only answer. But an image suddenly is tied to past memories and stalls the progress long enough for a change of heart?

*Books2*  SUGGESTIONS
 
Your descriptive writing is powerful. There are many stories to be told your way. I hope you have many opportunities to get them written.

*Books1**Books1*  IN SUMMARY*Bookstack3*

"The Taste of Rust" Open in new Window. grips the reader with its stark, but vivid descriptions of two men nearly over their existence here on earth. In some ways they seem like statues in the shadows brought to life by a gifted writer to perform for the reader a small bit out of junked lives. Once the audience has their emotions stirred, and their feelings sipped, Arthur and Flynn slip back into the shadows once more.  
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr*

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3
3
Review of what u LIVE for?  Open in new Window.
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
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Hello sabr Author IconMail Icon, I selected "what u LIVE for?" Open in new Window. from your portfolio to read and review, as part of the WDC "Beach Party Raid 1" Open in new Window.
Thank you for joining our Writing.com community!

July 23, 2025

*Books6*  FIRST IMPRESSION
 
As a man who has found my bliss, I love recalling the not so blissful days. When it was just about "bread and butter" with no heart satisfaction. Your words recall the times of hope and the days it took more faith than ran in my veins to get on the bus to downtown and that job - that all consuming job. And you are right. There was a burning desire, a hunger that drove me all the way to a place of satisfaction and no more longing. Fine encouragement for the ones who have for a moment lost their edge.

*Bookstack2*  THEME
 
The hunger to have more out of life is at the core of this work. I am compelled to look around at the people who serve me my coffee, my AT & T cable hook up, my breakfast burrito or repair my car. There is a hunger for more in most. It makes me glad to be a part of their world and give them a smile. There is a place of satisfaction my friends. Beautiful.
 

*Books1*  STRUCTURE
 
"what u LIVE for?" Open in new Window. is a challenge to be the one who gets beyond the everyday necessities of life to find that precious joy that gives the human heart strength to endure through every hardship. The poem has a unique rhythm and flow to it as it takes full advantage of a free form. The tone is light, though the topic has moments that require dark introspection.

*Books3**Bookstack*  MY PONDER MOMENT
 
This was my pondering moment:

“Where is the satisfaction of the heart?
Where is the smile
brighter than the sun?”

Every morning breaks with new challenges, some will beat the weary soul down, others remind us we will over come the bitterest of defeats. I am glad you captured the image of how the smile actually appears to other people who are down and out. Sometimes I smile at myself in the mirror and start laughing. It has seen me through some moments of death and destruction through which I never should have ascended.

*Books2*  SUGGESTIONS
 

You have a delightful touch with words. Your humble soul shows itself strong in how complete your expression is offered to us. I say that more of this writing is just what is needed in this world. I hope you will write on!

*Books1**Books1*  IN SUMMARY*Bookstack3*

"what u LIVE for?" Open in new Window. is a challenge to every man and woman to reach down into the heart and give every moment of every day all the zeal for life and love for breath that lives within them. Too many souls fade away when the heat comes. Life sometimes requires our strongest desire to find that place of satisfaction and bliss. Thank you for stirring my fires my friend!  
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr*

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4
4
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
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Hello Theactual Treasure Author IconMail Icon, I selected "I Am Redeemed For the Top" Open in new Window. from your portfolio to read and review, as part of the WDC "Beach Party Raid 1" Open in new Window.
Thank you for joining our Writing.com community!

July 23, 2025

*Books6*  FIRST IMPRESSION
 
Reaching the top is everything. Writers generally know this truth and spin it a number of ways. What is the top is often wrongly perceived. You my friend are lighting up the way to the way of being at the top that truly matters. Truth. You proclaim that it is God that has carried you. I am glad for that. In my experience He is faithful to carry everyone, if they will choose. I am glad He makes Himself known to everyone. I am glad you chose His way.

*Bookstack2*  THEME
 
The way of the true disciple of the one true God is defined by what we may suffer to reach the top. The Word of God proclaims it to be the Highest Place. We know that the way is open to those who ask, seek, and knock. That's all. Well then there is the endurance part, which you so eloquently put to the music of life.
 

*Books1*  STRUCTURE
 
"I Am Redeemed For the Top" Open in new Window. is a song of life performed free style and with passion. There are verses and chorus and a powerful bridge that concludes: "They’ll know,
Say Jah no be man, of course."

*Books3**Bookstack*  MY PONDER MOMENT
 
This was my pondering moment:

“I am not walking alone.
Even on days when I feel small,
I know I’m not forgotten.”

Faith in God is expressed in a powerful way. God, it seems to me, is more often interested in my smallness than in my mighty independence. The only confidence possible though is that in Him we are not forgotten.

*Books2*  SUGGESTIONS
 

You have a beautiful song writing talent. I say that more and more your words will express what your heart knows to be true. Write on!

*Books1**Books1*  IN SUMMARY*Bookstack3*

"I Am Redeemed For the Top" Open in new Window. is a confessional of what it means to climb up in the Kingdom of Light. There are no shortcuts. No pain free miles. Testing and trials are the way of faith. With out them I am a stagnant non-climber. Through each element of life's harsh reality my faith grows because God is always there to carry me through. I am glad you shared this precious song with its golden truth!  
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr*

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5
5
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
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Hello AngelaSemaj Author IconMail Icon, I selected "“Still Inside, Thanks”" Open in new Window. from your portfolio to read and review, as part of the WDC "Beach Party Raid 1" Open in new Window.
Thank you for joining our Writing.com community!

July 23, 2025

*Books6*  FIRST IMPRESSION
 
Somewhere there is an out there. What confines the heart and soul of a person? Walls. Weather. Tedium. Boredom. Politics. Pandemics. Life. There is an "in there" for every person and we need the words of my poet friends to illicit the charms and the harms in isolation and confinement. Well done my friend.

*Bookstack2*  THEME
 
Use your words. All together now: "I want to be out there! Out of here! Somewhere. Anywhere." Do you remember your first car? Getting a car was big when I was growing up. I had plenty of space to be "out" of my four walls. But I wasn't really "out there." Not until I got a car. Someday they are going to take the keys to my car away. I will remember our friendly little get together here and wonder. When can I be out there again?
 

*Books1*  STRUCTURE
 
"“Still Inside, Thanks”" Open in new Window. Is written with just enough words to propel my mind into a vision of what has been gained in the "Great Out There" and the dark days when there was only my isolation. My medications. The last words of each couplet rhyme and the tone and rhythm of the poem is full of flavor.

*Books3**Bookstack*  MY PONDER MOMENT
 
This was my pondering moment:

“I chat with walls—they're better hosts
Than humans ghosting harder than ghosts.”

Beautiful way of expressing feelings of abandonment even if it is from virtual friends. Myself, I talk to the virtual partners in my online Spades game. They are always charming. They just don't add anything to the conversation.

*Books2*  SUGGESTIONS
 
You have a gift for brevity. I don't. Well, as you can see. And I love what you accomplish with your gift. There is a lot that can't be forgotten about the bad in rainy day isolation, but there is the good as well. No farm work today. Grass will have to mow itself. Your words have brought all of the good soul stuff from my inner sanctum to the surface. My suggestion is you keep putting your experiences into the universe as quickly and fervently as you know how. Splendid work.

*Books1**Books1*  IN SUMMARY*Bookstack3*

"“Still Inside, Thanks”" Open in new Window. glows with the images of a rain that has become the master of the house, a sun that has abandoned its role in life and a car that is no more useful than a gargoyle. The words and images evoke feelings of when I was a child, or living in the college dorm, or 8 to 5 spent in a cubicle; even now the thought comes to that inevitable moment when someone else will have complete control over my life (should it come to that.) Why ponder it? Acceptance maybe. Be more soul and spirit than body and mind I suppose. The gnome makes me laugh, maybe that is why I smile at the future a bit. Thank you friend.  
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr*

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(Recognition 300 11.29.22)


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" Open in new Window..
6
6
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: 13+ | (5.0)
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Hello Nightblue Author IconMail Icon, I selected "The Question of Why and How" Open in new Window. from your portfolio to read and review, as part of the WDC: "Beach Party Raid 1" Open in new Window.
Thank you for joining our Writing.com community!

July 23, 2025

*Books6*  FIRST IMPRESSION
 
I am touched deeply by the way your poem begins and ends. Some say the end is better than the beginning of something, but yours are equal in import to me. I am swayed to your poem's point of view as I am reading the Margaret Mitchell novel "Gone With The Wind." No one would read this book today. Its prose is brutally honest, filled with sarcasm and wit that lampoons every idea of war and valor but with so many words a modern reader of texts and emails would faint under the weight of it all! But the point is that she vividly draws a picture for the reader of the exact moment the Confederacy knew it had lost the war, but the "leaders", as you eloquently say, "high up the shelf," refused to surrender. As a result thousands of lives were lost, Atlanta was burned to the ground along with many smaller towns and every plantation except Tara.

You light the fires of what should burn in the hearts of poets, scribes and journalists, but is often missed. Tolstoy, Hemingway, Camus, James Jones, (From Here to Eternity) cannot, even with their amazing craft, stop egomaniacs from entering into armed conflict. But what we do, as you have done in your wonderful work, is to tell the universe and future generations that there was indeed passionate watchers on the wall decrying the perverseness of violence and open warfare. A fully conscious conscience as it were, despite the madness.

*Bookstack2*  THEME
 
The forces of humanity that fails to understand the mandate they have to guard the lives of those they rule never checks its passion for blood. More unarmed non-combatants die in war than actual warriors, yet the ruling class justifies every single loss of son or daughter by what they THINK has been bitterly gained.
 
*Books1*  STRUCTURE
 
"The Question of Why and How" Open in new Window. Is written in free form prose but with partial-rhyming of two lines in each four line verse. The form works well to jar the mind out of any complacent thoughts of "I've heard this before."

*Books3**Bookstack*  MY PONDER MOMENT
 
This was my pondering moment:

“Some spend their life with endless contemplating,
Hoping that one day they’ll find themselves stating:
Why “force”, what “death”, and how to do better,
But the minds of mortals change like the weather.”

I grew up watching movies of key battles in WWI and WWII. I believed "Might-Made-Right." I went to war. I still carry an image of a serene rice patty dotted with smallish women bent over their crops while an American Jet Bomber strafes a nearby field with napalm. Would the image correct misguided leaders in Washington DC from halting their parade of death? Perhaps. But they never saw. I went to Viet Nam believing one thing, but "like the weather," I changed my mind.

*Books2*  SUGGESTIONS
 
Your well crafted images and thoughts are extremely impactful. I am glad I had an opportunity to read your work. My only thought is "do more." Right? I appreciate you sharing some of your heartfelt truth.

*Books1**Books1*  IN SUMMARY*Bookstack3*

"The Question of Why and How" Open in new Window. sums up the end of a beautiful stream of thought with these words:
"In the end time's the wind, and we're just a leaf."
I concur with this thought from Psalm 37:2:
"...for they will soon fade like the grass, and wither like the green herb."
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr*

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7
7
Review of Craving KitKat  Open in new Window.
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: 18+ | (5.0)
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Hello Wildfire8470 Author IconMail Icon, I selected "Craving KitKat " Open in new Window. from your portfolio to read and review, as part of the WDC: "Beach Party Raid 1" Open in new Window.
Thank you for joining our Writing.com community!

July 23, 2025

*Books6*  FIRST IMPRESSION
 
Oh ho the wonders and aorta spams of Caro...I mean the wide-eyed wild child. Brisk dialogue and psychological ponderings move this tale of two people in the tragic comedy of misdirected connections through torrid contemplation to a kind of safe harbor both Henry and Kit desperately need.

*Bookstack2*  THEME
 
Take a moment to understand the one you love. They are vicious sometimes because of the trauma of life; seemingly void of any care for what propels you through life, but what an amazing gravitational pull they have just at the point when I believe lust is abated and I only need Caro...I mean Kit's softness and nearness to be complete
 
*Books1*  STRUCTURE
 
"Craving KitKat " Open in new Window. Is a fictional piece with a solid flow. The mixture of short paragraphs and extended ones gives the piece a subtle fluidity. It's form is fine both on its surface and in the deeper moments that require pondering.

*Books3**Bookstack*  MY PONDER MOMENT
 
This was my pondering moment:

“She studied him with an expression that could fill with infinite affection, guileless innocence, or wanton lust, as quickly as she could drop an iron curtain, veiling malice, venom, and murderous intent."

I could never quite put my finger on that look. You capture that face as it is cupped in the palm of my hand. I could never raise my hand, but would anyone blame me. The torture!

*Books2*  SUGGESTIONS
 
I suspect that "Cravings" is part of a much larger story. I would say that you have defined your main characters to live on in many chapters and many adventures. I love them. But then I have lived them. I suggest you enjoy the rest of the journey with them. I know I will.

*Books1**Books1*  IN SUMMARY*Bookstack3*

"Craving KitKat " Open in new Window. is a wondrous tale about two people who should never be together and yet the dance of love is beyond human comprehension sometimes. A Jimmy Web line comes to mind: "I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time."
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr*

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Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
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Hello Tim Chiu Author IconMail Icon, I selected "May Your Heart Know Love" Open in new Window. from your portfolio to read and review, as part of the "WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group" Open in new Window.'s May Review Raid.
Thank you for your support of the Writing.com community!

May 20, 2023


*Books6*  FIRST IMPRESSION
 
To love is to love love. It is a pinnacle of life experience. Some say that love has failed. So it may seem. But the question is was it a love that ascends beyond the petty and dismissive to the bonded, wedded, submissive heart kind of love. Not just in one soul, but in both hearts together creating life in every smile, grimace, and laugh. The peaks and valleys of love. The spellbinding, amazing, peaceful wonder of love. For those who have attained such bliss, the world is less virtual and more real, moment by sweet sanctified moment.

*Bookstack2*  THEME
 
There is a love that transcends the mundane. There is a love that transcends the horrors. There is a love that brings two hearts together to be meshed into each other's soul for the pure understanding of the other. One serves. Another receives. And then the roles are reversed and it is not just a flat-line endurance of life but an ever rising spiral of love, respect and joy forever more.
 

*Books1*  STRUCTURE
 
"May Your Heart Know Love" Open in new Window. is a poem written in free form with the beauty of a first person monologue. The images of windswept valleys, views from a perch and peaceful wonder, help the flow of some of the more ethereal revelations of what love is.

*Books3**Bookstack*  MY FAVORITE MOMENT
 
This was my favorite moment:

“I gaze in amazement at life down below and experience
A true sense of calm and peaceful wonder.
Your delight in my transcendentalized being
Must surely be intentional; I am quite uniquely absorbed
In your trust and guidance. "

A great joy in my life is to be living this reality out every moment of every day. When I am with my love, she is heartened by my calm and peaceful wonder of what God has done me, and for us together. She gives back the greatest measure of trust and counsel my heart could ever hope for and there is more than I can take in of the pleasure that rushes in.

*Books2*  SUGGESTIONS
 
Every word sang to me. My soul is refreshed. Thank You!

*Books1**Books1*  IN SUMMARY*Bookstack3*

"Make Your Dreams Come True" Open in new Window. declares that there is a love that is majestic, and superbly regal. It is a committed love where even the understanding of it all is in reach. There is love. The hope of love. The understanding of love. We are knitted together in love, often times more than we know.   *Smile*
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr*


(101@100513)_(101x2@030614)_(101x3@021515)
(101x4@111615)_(100x6 031820)_(100x7 020923)
 (YCM_@122313) 05.20.23
(Recognition 300 11.29.22)


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" Open in new Window..
9
9
Review of Thanks God!  Open in new Window.
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
*CakeB* HAPPY WDC ACCOUNT ANNIVERSARY FROM "Anniversary Reviews ~ Summer Break" Open in new Window.*CakeP*


Greetings A*Monaing*Faith Author IconMail Icon, Happy Anniversary! I was pleased to read  "Thanks God!" Open in new Window. from your portfolio and delighted to give your writing a review, as my way of saying, “Congratulations On Your Anniversary On Writing.com.”

May 14, 2023
*Coffeer*  FIRST IMPRESSION

Where does our hallowed meditation begin? In wonder? In confusion? In hope of a moment with the Creator of all things? Perhaps. But a few thoughts passing in the presence of our Father, and it becomes clear that we are because of Him. Then it is our praise that begins to flow up. Why? The Lord answers that inquiry in Isaiah 43:21 He has given us all of His good that we would be His people, "...the people whom I (God) formed for myself that they might declare my praise." In the music of this poem is the hymn of praise to the God I serve, and I find joy in how much wonder there is in the act of reading and writing an ode of thanks to the Lord Most High. Adonai.  

*Coffeer*  THEME
 
Praise and thanksgiving.  Much of the human experience may not seem praise worthy, but when we look into the Book, God's precious words of life, we understand that every experience, good or bad, is praise worthy. To give thanks in the midst of every trial and temptation is true sacrifice. In each word I hear the voice of one who willed themselves to overcome each major challenge life has afforded.

*Coffeer*  STRUCTURE
 
"Thanks God!" Open in new Window. is written in free form with many varied rhythms and rhymes that hint at a pattern, but the words and thoughts are not bound to any one particular scheme. 

*Coffeer**Coffeer*  MY FAVORITE MOMENT
 
This was my favorite moment:

“Minutiae I offer,
for Your delight;”

Everything that mankind brings to God is out of our heart of love for Him. Sometimes the offering is the thought of Him, the thanks to Him, even a sacrificial moment of joy brought to Him. We are His workmanship made for worship and praise, and in the middle of my most mundane task I can find my smile is for Him and Him alone. Small, but a tangible treasure in the courts of eternity.

*Coffeer*  SUGGESTIONS
 
I loved your poem just as it is written. Thank You. *Smile*


*Coffeer**Coffeer*  IN SUMMARY*Coffeer**Coffeer*

"Thanks God!" Open in new Window. proclaims the journey a soul takes in finding a way of thanksgiving to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.   *Smile*
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr**MugR*
 

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#1300305 by Maryann Author IconMail Icon






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 (YCM_@122313) 05.14.23
(Recognition 300 11.29.22)


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" Open in new Window..
10
10
Review of Driftwood  Open in new Window.
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: 13+ | (5.0)
*CakeB* HAPPY WDC ACCOUNT ANNIVERSARY FROM "Anniversary Reviews ~ Summer Break" Open in new Window.*CakeP*


Greetings a Sunflower in Texas Author IconMail Icon, Happy Anniversary! I was pleased to read  "Driftwood" Open in new Window. from your portfolio and delighted to give your writing a review, as my way of saying, “Congratulations On Your Anniversary On Writing.com.”

I am also pleased to review your work as part of the March WDC Super Power Reviewer's Group Raid!
Shared for Superpowers

March 22, 2023

*Coffeer*  FIRST IMPRESSION

Near the sea. By the incoming wash of sultry waves. Where I would like to be. Where adventures proceed along the path of life where I have exerted myself to slide into my routine. But something is different today. The immediate washing of toes and sandals maybe is only a moment of the journey, for the storms reshape everything, speak a language that rightly terrifies those who watch out for us. Those who see the clouds, hear a new sound in the ocean's roar; are they just alarmists or do the waves truly rise to heights 30 feet above our bodies? And then a prize. Something to imagine into a wonderful trophy from a place far away from here.  

*Coffeer*  THEME
 
The walk on a hurricane swept beach encourages the walker to muse about the aftermath of a transforming storm. There is something once stately and strong, uprooted and dying. There is dangerous debris. There is the beauty of just being a part of something that may have originated from the headwaters of a far away island.
 
*Coffeer*  STRUCTURE
 
"Driftwood" Open in new Window. Written in free form prose, with images and rolling rhythm tells a story filled with the sounds and vibrations of a lonely, littered stretch of peaceful coastline. In the lyric are interactions with the "dunes," "sea," "coconuts," "starfish," and "refuse." In the debris in the wake of present and past storms are a "leafless tree," "sewage syringes," and "driftwood." The scope of the prose is inspirational for those who no longer find adventure in the wonder of nature. The pictures from each line have unique meaning. And at the same time tie the whole landscape together beautifully.
 
*Coffeer**Coffeer*  MY FAVORITE MOMENT
 
This was my favorite moment:

“The trees, now driftwood, so smooth to touch,
from far away places, washed clean of debris
must come home with me. A craft idea will come
from the land and the seas and my pieces of driftwood.”

Yes. This is the ending. It could just as well be the beginning. Taking a walk through the passage ways of my soul, I could have lighted on many such places of "slurpy steps," gems from another place and time, leafless trees, and dangerous debris. Its all in there. Every walk may be a metaphor for life now lived. Over. Yet, finding something new that lets me know, there are creative moments still in me to enjoy with the great energy of my youth.

*Coffeer*  SUGGESTIONS
 
I liked the varying line lengths and tempos in your prose. I am pleased with the way you've woven a story into a poem with many textures, sounds and images. Write on!


*Coffeer**Coffeer*  IN SUMMARY*Coffeer**Coffeer*

"Driftwood" Open in new Window. awakens my imagination to the rewards waiting a stroll out into my usual routine. I will need a dose of expectation though. It is possible to come across newly reshaped landscapes with a few simple gifs to take home. For me, it has been people. Treasures. Lately, I have been more and more surprised by the beautiful encounters I have with family and friends. More love. More genuine care and compassion has shown up all around me. What was once just routine walks on familiar beaches, often alone in my soul, now has all the possibility of being filled with wonder and the reward of love. Life is never static.   *Smile*
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr**MugR*
 

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#1300305 by Maryann Author IconMail Icon






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 (YCM_@122313) 03.22.23
(Recognition 300 11.29.22)


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" Open in new Window..
11
11
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | N/A (Review only item.)
*CakeB* HAPPY WDC ACCOUNT ANNIVERSARY FROM "Anniversary Reviews ~ Summer Break" Open in new Window.*CakeP*


Greetings turtlemoon-dohi Author IconMail Icon, Happy Anniversary! I was pleased to read  "Walking Between Raindrops" Open in new Window. from your portfolio and delighted to give your writing a review, as my way of saying, “Congratulations On Your Anniversary On Writing.com.”

I am also pleased to review your work as part of the March WDC Super Power Reviewer's Group Raid!
Shared for Superpowers


March 22, 2023

*Coffeer*  FIRST IMPRESSION

Exquisite images and flow, sets this poem in my soul's parlor front window. Here I could sit for hours listening to the fresh sounds of my native language. I know no other. So I am enriched when visited by gentle prose with no more demand on me than to enrich my quiet moments of reverie. Oh yes. I am selfish that way.  

*Coffeer*  THEME
 
Thoughts take off on a journey of adventure to experience the fullness of fall. It's colors, sounds and smells momentarily covered by a mist that the mind expertly whisks away. What is experienced is a moment walking in the beauty of all that is good and holy about creation.
 
*Coffeer*  STRUCTURE
 
"Walking Between Raindrops" Open in new Window. is written in "free form" allowing the flow of the sounds to have a special life in the music the words create. The rhythm is never frantic, and the pace is easily set by how my imagination wants to revel in all the author offers to contemplate.
 
*Coffeer**Coffeer*  MY FAVORITE MOMENT
 
This was my favorite moment:

“Fast trekking
released an earthy perfume
stirring and blending impressions to pique all senses”

I encouraged my soul to push along at a quicker pace as these words inspired a desire to taste the essence of what was being released from the forest. Is this where I actually grew up? How did I not drink it in? Why did I squander the moments to try and impress Candy Jenkins at the Frostie Freeze? She would have never understood the passion that would awaken in me for the land of my birth. The perfume. The colors. The chorus of life, never touched by human hands. Pure. Unsullied.

*Coffeer*  SUGGESTIONS
 
Perfection.


*Coffeer**Coffeer*  IN SUMMARY*Coffeer**Coffeer*

"Walking Between Raindrops" Open in new Window. celebrates one of the places a mind of extraordinary imagination can go, and paints a picture of a moment when everything is wondrous, glorious, sensual and not easily put away. Was it just something that visited me out of the mist of my youth? No. Its a living part of my soul. Thank you for reminding me to be on more walks with my soul.   *Smile*
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr**MugR*
 

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#1300305 by Maryann Author IconMail Icon






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 (YCM_@122313) 03.22.23
(Recognition 300 11.29.22)


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" Open in new Window..
12
12
Review of Spring  Open in new Window.
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
*CakeB* HAPPY WDC ACCOUNT ANNIVERSARY FROM "Anniversary Reviews ~ Summer Break" Open in new Window.*CakeP*


Greetings Sharon Author IconMail Icon, Happy Anniversary! I was pleased to read  "Spring" Open in new Window. from your portfolio and delighted to give your writing a review, as my way of saying, “Congratulations On Your Anniversary On Writing.com.”

I am also pleased to review your work as part of the March WDC Super Power Reviewer's Group Raid!
Shared for Superpowers

March 22, 2023

*Coffeer*  FIRST IMPRESSION

Sweet memories of a "near spring" in Gig Harbor materializes in the words of your poem, as I recall a getaway to the blessed community of retirees, arts, sailing and family. Gig Harbor. There were quiet walks through the park and the marina. A stroll through the Harbor History Museum and an amazing Burger at "The Gourmet Burger Shop." We bought a "spring flag" at a boutique, then dodged as much rain as possible, as we dashed to our car. Loved it then. Love it still, though only a memory now. The early blooming flowers were spectacular. Memorable. Your words cast an amazing vision, where gardens were filled with more evergreens than bare naked sticks and branches. Missouri.  

*Coffeer*  THEME
 
Every spring, near a beautiful harbor, there is the great expectation that warmth, eternal blue skies and robust colors in every garden would declare the passing of winter forever. But winter won't always let go without its last kisses of frost and gale.
 
*Coffeer*  STRUCTURE
 
"Spring" Open in new Window. is written with a lot life in its form, rhythm and rhymes. The last line of each stanza rhymes with the last word in the following line. Every line, except the second to the last line contains 8 syllables. Within this form the poem keeps a spritely tone and is pleasant to read.
 
*Coffeer**Coffeer*  MY FAVORITE MOMENT
 
This was my favorite moment:

“Spring's arrived, but winter stays
to cool the air for those who play”

I never noticed micro climates until I moved to Washington. I worked in Queen Anne where spring would arrive in force long before March 20th, but at home, in Shoreline, just 12 miles away, spring never arrived until May! Gig Harbor was brilliant and warm the day we arrived in the middle of February, and snowing a day later when we left. But the beauty of it all? Oh my the exquisite beauty no matter the season. In the Midwest? - We pray fervently for spring!

*Coffeer*  SUGGESTIONS
 
I loved your poem just as it is written. Thank You. *Smile*


*Coffeer**Coffeer*  IN SUMMARY*Coffeer**Coffeer*

"Spring" Open in new Window. declares that the breezes, and freezes, and momentary warmth, lost in a rain filled wind are all part of what keeps the soul on edge waiting for spring. It is in the flowers, that the glorious promise of spring resides. To see them is a lift to even the chilliest of hearts!   *Smile*
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr**MugR*
 

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#1300305 by Maryann Author IconMail Icon






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 (YCM_@122313) 03.22.23
(Recognition 300 11.29.22)


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" Open in new Window..
13
13
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
*CakeB* HAPPY WDC ACCOUNT ANNIVERSARY FROM "Anniversary Reviews ~ Summer Break" Open in new Window.*CakeP*


Greetings PENsive is Meemaw x 3! Author IconMail Icon, Happy Anniversary! I was pleased to read  "The Miracle of Friends" Open in new Window. from your portfolio and delighted to give your writing a review, as my way of saying, “Congratulations On Your Anniversary On Writing.com.”

I am also pleased to review your work as part of the March WDC Super Power Reviewer's Group Raid!
Shared for Superpowers

March 22, 2023

*Coffeer*  FIRST IMPRESSION

It is good to remember how blessed we are to have friends in our lives. Whether they sit with us after our surgery, or take care of the many things that are put on hold during recovery, friends are a gift from heaven. Being a friend of help and support is a joy, as well, and while there is always the giving and receiving, all are blessed as the relational bonds grow in strength.  

*Coffeer*  THEME
 
A mom must go into rehab. Her child Jeffrey, reticent to be away from his mom, is finally convinced by a good friend, to be a part of their family for the time it takes mom to recover. The road to building trust and acceptance with Jeffrey is a central part of how much the mom is served by her friends, in her recovery.
 
*Coffeer*  STRUCTURE
 
"The Miracle of Friends" Open in new Window. is told in a first person narrative style, but from the perspective of her friends and Jeffrey. The dialogue is honest and helps move the story in a clear, objective manner. The mom's voice is most evident when she speaks of what Jeffrey is experiencing. Mom's know, sometimes even when we, as children, don't exactly know what is going on.
 
*Coffeer**Coffeer*  MY FAVORITE MOMENT
 
This was my favorite moment:

“She turned to leave the building with Stephen, and started towards the door. She took a few steps when she heard a couple of running steps on the linoleum floor and then felt a couple of gentle tugs on the hem of her dress. She turned, facing little Jeffrey once again. He looked up at her, not saying anything.”

I love children. It has been a journey to obtain love and satisfaction when being in their company. But this scene rings so true. What I may see as minor adjustments in attitude and emotional intelligence in a child, is actually huge! When the barriers to creating friendships cannot be overcome without the gentle nudge of a loving adult, loving adults need to step up. The kindness of Stephen's mom will be remembered by Jeffrey all the rest of his life because she helped to overcome a fear that would have only served to keep him alone and disconnected from life, probably for the rest of his life.

*Coffeer*  SUGGESTIONS
 
Very well done. I look forward to reading your next entry in the story.


*Coffeer**Coffeer*  IN SUMMARY*Coffeer**Coffeer*

"The Miracle of Friends" Open in new Window. is a story from the heart of one who is both healing but at the same time rejoicing. Giving thanks for friendships and the specific ways friendship come "to the rescue," is a healing tonic in itself. The story expresses the wonder of seeing ones' child accepted, loved and encouraged at the point when it is most critical for both mother and son. With every reading I was reminded to be thankful for the friends who have been my solace in times of struggle and pain. Thank you.   *Smile*
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr**MugR*
 

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#1300305 by Maryann Author IconMail Icon






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 (YCM_@122313) 03.22.23
(Recognition 300 11.29.22)


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" Open in new Window..
14
14
Review of Another day given  Open in new Window.
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
Inspirational Work Of Praise *Horse*


Good Morning G. B. Williams Author IconMail Icon, I have enjoyed your writing and was pleased to read  "Another day given" Open in new Window. from your portfolio and delighted to give your writing a review. As an exceptional inspirational poem, I am nominating it as "The Most Inspirational Poem" of the month. I am glad you make such a great contribution to WDC.

March 15, 2023


*Books6*  FIRST IMPRESSION
 

The goodness of God is every where. The goodness is especially evident in the "day given." It is in the day given to us by God that we find a voice to praise Him. We discover the words that exalt Him. We discover the reasons to take more time to be exuberant and celebratory of how much He loves us and cares for us. Your words inspire. Your words elevate my thoughts to the realm where God is Sovereign over everything that ever was, and is and will be. Thank you for given so much of yourself into crafting this wonderful song of praise.

*Bookstack2*  THEME
 
God is everything. We can know that God is in all, and above it all, because of the day that He has given. Considering the ferocity of natural forces, the wonder of seasons, and the "feet" on which I stand at the dawning of the day, praise is the desire of this day, and every day. Praise to the One who has gifted us with many days, and then eternity.

 
*Books1*  STRUCTURE
 
"Another day given" Open in new Window. is written in free form couplets that emphasize the Lordship of God Almighty, in contrast to some of the toughest seasons we may experience in life. The cadence of the verses is bright, and the images inspire one to consider not just the forces that stand up to resist our desire for peace and tranquility, but to give praise to the God who will help us to prevail from now through the new life in heaven.
 
*Books3**Bookstack*  MY FAVORITE MOMENT
 
This was my favorite moment:

“Life feels just right and as it should be, and I am awake and on my feet.
Another day given.”

Nothing can dull our senses to the goodness of God, if we consider that God gives us a new day. Until the Lord Jesus calls His bride up from this earth to be with Him, the saints of God will, even in giving their lives for others, enjoy the beauty of His presence which makes every day, bright, beautiful and a joy to live.


*Books2*  SUGGESTIONS
 

I loved the poem just as you have created it. Thank you.

*Books1**Books1*  IN SUMMARY*Bookstack3*

"Another day given" Open in new Window. celebrates the Glorious God of Heaven and earth; the Maker of all things and the Lord of all things. The center of the work is a concentration on where our praise for the God Israel arise. We are His creation and it is He that puts us on our feet to run into the day with exuberant praise. Truly the words and images inspire the heart to hope in the Great I Am!   *Smile*
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr*

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#1300305 by Maryann Author IconMail Icon






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(101x4@111615)_(100x6 031820)_(100x7 020923)
 (YCM_@122313) 03.15.23
(Recognition 300 11.29.22)


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" Open in new Window..
15
15
Review of Talking Story  Open in new Window.
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
*CakeB* HAPPY WDC ACCOUNT ANNIVERSARY FROM "Anniversary Reviews ~ Summer Break" Open in new Window.*CakeP*


Greetings Fyn Author IconMail Icon, Happy Anniversary! I was pleased to read  "Talking Story" Open in new Window. from your portfolio and delighted to give your writing a review, as my way of saying, “Congratulations On Your Anniversary On Writing.com.”

March 9, 2023


*Coffeer*  FIRST IMPRESSION
 
I love history, mist-ory, myth-story, threads of time collapsing on a junior in high schooler, wondering if he would ever enjoy the pondering of Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians and Greeks. Oh..did I leave out the Egyptians and my dearest Hebrews, children of Abraham? I could map it, time line it and thanks to old movies and TV I could even imagine it. Two threads emerge, and I find those threads in my own nature, empire building and war. Whether its Babylon's rise to conquer everything or the cattlemen against the sheep farmers of the old west, who rules is determined by the peasant's blood.

After we attain such revelations about "tapestries," "destinies," "bloodlines," "patterns," and "our stories," what then. Aha! Teach the lessons, accumulate the lessons and never ever ever forget.

*Coffeer*  THEME
 
It is paramount to learn history, even if, with time, it gets tangled into a nearly incomprehensible jumble of facts, non-facts, new facts, hard facts and soft facts. Then, when all seems absolutely misty clear, one may act out in a way that demonstrates history is our friend, because as our friends, friend history, we have a solid foundation of reason to have fund the most colossal arsenal on earth to protect our American treasure! Maybe I'll sleep well tonight. Hmmm. Maybe I won't.

 
*Coffeer*  STRUCTURE
 
"Talking Story" Open in new Window. is a unique free form poem written in four line stanzas. The rhyme in each verse is created by the repeating of the same word at the end of line 2 and 4. The meter begins with the first verse using 8 syllables in each line. This opens up in the following verses, with a wider selection of rhythm from line to line.

The words, images, tone and pace of the prose is appealing and it is easy to be caught up in both the theme and the music of the piece.
 
*Coffeer**Coffeer*  MY FAVORITE MOMENT
 
This was my favorite moment:

“Mists swirl the myths of time
into threads new tapestries to weave.
Ancient bloodlines draw yet new tales
so it is and so we weave.”

I like that the first line of this verse flips around the words of the opening line of the poem to present a whole new vision of how the threads of history are woven out of myth, and the legacy of one generation left for the next. Also, the bloodiness of what was, somehow now has become a bloodline. As suddenly kings appear and individual nations are carved out of empires, what must be told to the populace to peacefully separate the royal from the common? And then poof! They too, nearly all, disappear.


*Coffeer*  SUGGESTIONS
 
I think this is perfect the way it has been written.


*Coffeer**Coffeer*  IN SUMMARY*Coffeer**Coffeer*

"Talking Story" Open in new Window. encourages the ponderer to ponder some more. What am I taking away from my history studies? Since search engines have become highways to instant libraries, I now know more about President Eisenhower's war record, and years as president than ever before. I am swept into every battle that was fought in the Boer wars and the Crimean. Have we learned then from these conflicts, the rise of one power over another and the fading away of a nation? I'll not make a politically biased comment here, I'll just say I'm an ancient warrior whose time of service has not ended and I'll be hyper vigilant tonight!   *Smile*
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr**MugR*
 

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#1300305 by Maryann Author IconMail Icon






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 (YCM_@122313) 03.09.23
(Recognition 300 11.29.22)


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" Open in new Window..
16
16
Review of Take me away  Open in new Window.
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
*CakeB* HAPPY WDC ACCOUNT ANNIVERSARY FROM "Anniversary Reviews ~ Summer Break" Open in new Window.*CakeP*


Greetings Starr Author IconMail Icon, Happy Anniversary! I was pleased to read  "Take me away" Open in new Window. from your portfolio and delighted to give your writing a review, as my way of saying, “Congratulations On Your Anniversary On Writing.com.”

March 9, 2023


*Coffeer*  FIRST IMPRESSION

 We could be seeking the pastoral, uncomplicated regions of the country. Leave behind the stress, and mayhem of a shoulder to shoulder existence. The village life perhaps; where the nearest drama and chaos is twenty miles away. There is a land of "far...far...away!" There is a land where trees dance in the breeze. I call it Missouri, but any place on earth where the clog of humanity gets untangled might serve as a place to establish a homestead. A homestead where ponds abound with fish and fowl, forests protect birds and rabbits, squirrels and deer thrive. Some might say, "is the serene quiet worth the sacrifice of not living sandwiched between other living souls?" *Smirk2*

*Coffeer*  THEME
 
It is time to fly away to the open expanses of the undeveloped lands. There are plenty of those, though the city-bound-economically trapped souls of the urban colossus would lie and say that the amount of natural preserve is extremely limited (diminishing) - "not making anymore" - But the suspicious heart buckles up for the great exploration and jumps out beyond the big city lights to experience acre after acre of uncorrupted natural beauty. Will I answer the call of the open fields, mountains, woods and meadows? The Lord God who made it all definitely bids me come. Then its "Settle down my son. Settle in."
 
*Coffeer*  STRUCTURE
 
"Take me away" Open in new Window. is a free form poem written in 8 stanzas of various lengths. The lines too are in free form. The flow is graceful and the words blend sounds and rhythm in a meter that is easy to embrace. Words like: "breeze," "serenity," "peace," "soothe," and "gaze," brings the poem to a graceful, joyful conclusion.
 
*Coffeer**Coffeer*  MY FAVORITE MOMENT
 
This was my favorite moment:

“I want to go where the whippoorwill calls

Feel all the mist cascading off the waterfalls

Feeling the grass underhand

Reacquainting myself with the land.”

I have had this joy. I abhorred the "sticks" as my city friends called it when I was growing up. My bedroom, only a few hundred feet from Everett's pond, was always filled with the sounds of croaking bull frogs, crickets, red-winged black birds and blue jays. When the cow was past milking or couldn't get untangled from the briar patch, she'd pierce the evening serenity with her bawling howls. Ironic that after twenty years working in Seattle I would crave it again. But I thank God, I knew the way back. I am restored to life again.

*Coffeer*  SUGGESTIONS
 
This was the perfect treat for me today. I will revisit your words from time to time to remind myself what I have been blessed with now, and what price I paid to arrive here. Thank you.


*Coffeer**Coffeer*  IN SUMMARY*Coffeer**Coffeer*

"Take me away" Open in new Window. puts some demands on the soul, the mind and spirit of mankind to consider the price one pays for living the "good life" in the big city compared to the restful, peaceful, serene possibilities of the transforming life of being wedded to nature and all that is naturally good. One cannot help taking to heart the admonition of the poet that proximity to what has been naturally created is a much greater benefit to one's life than the congestive, heart-stopping pace of the city.   *Smile*
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr**MugR*
 

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#1300305 by Maryann Author IconMail Icon






(101@100513)_(101x2@030614)_(101x3@021515)
(101x4@111615)_(100x6 031820)_(100x7 020923)
 (YCM_@122313) 03.09.23
(Recognition 300 11.29.22)


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" Open in new Window..
17
17
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
*Bagv*HAPPY HAPPY GLORIOUS THURSDAY!!*Bagv*


Greetings Anna Marie Carlson Author IconMail Icon, Happy Thursday! I was pleased to read  "Dreams of Being A Princess" Open in new Window. through the "Read and Review" application and delighted to give your writing a review. Thank you for being a delightful contributor to writing.com.

March 9, 2023


*Coffeer*  FIRST IMPRESSION

 "Happily ever afters," do come true, if we are able to dream. Is it every girl's dream to be a princess? I think it should be, so I will agree with you. It is indeed every girls dream. There should be a prince, and a castle and every kind of servant to meet the needs of her royal highness. Let those who fail to realize this incredible dream hold their peace. For some, for the incredibly blessed, this dream is not a fantasy, it is a most exquisite, delightful reality.

*Coffeer*  THEME
 
A princess has been born! Well actually she was dubbed princess by the one who came to repair the television set. How one is elevated to princess is not really relevant, if the dream matches the proclamation. In every sense, some girls are just ready to be royalty, and it is up to the prince to wake up to the responsibility he has to be the love of his "one and only's" life!
 
*Coffeer*  STRUCTURE
 
"Dreams of Being A Princess" Open in new Window. is a tantalizing story with a bit of satirical warmth, told from the first person perspective of the main character. The entire story is dotted with icons to emphasize each image of the story. Once the girl's royalty is established, she takes on the joyous task of describing all that must be set in motion for the sake of her status as "princess."
 
*Coffeer**Coffeer*  MY FAVORITE MOMENT
 
This was my favorite moment:

" Let's see, what does it take to be a princess that everyone can look up to and admire? If you were fortunate enough to find a genie in a bottle, one of the wishes a girl 👧 could make is to be a princess. Living in a beautiful castle, she could wear fancy clothes, attend a masquerade ball, support a charity of her choice, or be anybody that she wanted to be.”

Once one is anointed princess, it is kind of her highness to consider other ways girls can become princesses. Her royalty has not blinded her to the care and concerns of her people. Yes, she wears elegant jewelry, gorgeous gowns while attending sumptuous parties, but all the while, she is extravagantly kind to the poor, being a charitable person supporting those of less regal standing. I love living in an age where such largess of the royal class has been well documented and lauded.

*Coffeer*  SUGGESTIONS
 
I enjoyed this story just the way it was written.


*Coffeer**Coffeer*  IN SUMMARY*Coffeer**Coffeer*

"Dreams of Being A Princess" Open in new Window. reminds us that the call to be a princess may be a higher calling than we could ever imagine. I was reminded, though I needed little help, that I have been blessed to be married to a princess. I have been her prince for 47 years, and we are just getting started!   *Smile*
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr**MugR*
 

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#1300305 by Maryann Author IconMail Icon






(101@100513)_(101x2@030614)_(101x3@021515)
(101x4@111615)_(100x6 031820)_(100x7 020923)
 (YCM_@122313) 03.09.23
(Recognition 300 11.29.22)


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" Open in new Window..
18
18
Review of Tempered Hearts  Open in new Window.
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: 13+ | (5.0)
Inspirational Story of the Month *Horse*


Good Morning Madelyn Stone Author IconMail Icon, I have enjoyed your writing and was pleased to read  "Tempered Hearts" Open in new Window. from your portfolio and delighted to give your writing a review. I think this is the most inspirational story I have read this month. I am glad you are making such a great contribution to WDC.

February 28, 2023


*Books6*  FIRST IMPRESSION
 

Welcome my friends to Willow Springs. A picture postcard from the early part of the last century could not have conveyed better the blissful charm of a time gone by than the eloquent description of my new favorite place at Christmas, Willow Springs. Despite the hostile winter environs, holiday cheer ushers a weary Melinda in to a welcoming world of charm, grace and comfort.

*Bookstack2*  THEME
 
Melinda, "Milly," is on a mission to meet with her Aunt Lena. On the way there are mysteries to be uncovered concerning life with her mother. And while Milly in every way is a practical, sensible woman, it seems life with its joys, sorrows and challenges, takes her by surprise more than she would care to admit.

 
*Books1*  STRUCTURE
 
"Tempered Hearts" Open in new Window. is a pleasant, warm and engaging tale written from the third person perspective of the main character, Melinda. The balance between narrative, scene setting, dialogue and action is nearly perfect. The tone of the story is lively and works well with the pace the author has set. Melinda's reflective moments are intriguing and her engagement with other characters in the story helps move the narrative along beautifully.
 
*Books3**Bookstack*  MY FAVORITE MOMENT
 
This was my favorite moment:

“Melinda had just found her phone but didn’t bother waking it up. Instead, she slid it into the pocket where it was supposed to go. “I guess this isn’t like trying to check in at the big hotels in the city.”

“Goodness, no, dear,” the other woman said with a chuckle. “We’ve got a personal touch here. Now, let’s get you settled. I have some hot chicken soup on the stove, fresh baked bread just out of the oven, and mugs of cold apple cider.” She slipped around Melinda, got hold of her luggage, and headed towards the stairs. “Follow me, dear.” ”

Two of the dearest gifts in the sometimes chaotic world of humanity are "favor" and "hospitality." For Melinda, "favor" is shown in the immediate connection she has with Delilah, her hostess for the evening and for her stay at Delilah's Cozy Nook. "Hospitality" is conveyed by the warm, comfortable surroundings within the inn, and the supper that has been prepared for the visitors who may check in for the evening. For Melinda, she needs both, though she may be unaware of just how much she needs them. We all need favor and hospitality in this life, and I can easily identify with Melinda's deeper need. The need of her heart and the need of her soul.


*Books2*  SUGGESTIONS
 
The story is so well balanced in all of its elements I hesitate to make a suggestion. But there might be a spot or two in the narrative where you could incorporate one or two more "show moments."

I'm not sure it would improve the story a lot, but there are probably some reviewers who would like to see a bit more "showing."

This is one I picked out. See what you think.

"Even wrapped in her coat, scarf and gloves, the cold had her teeth on edge."

As Melinda opens the door of the vehicle she could shiver and pull her coat tight around her as her face is burned with the cold. When she steps out of the SUV her face could whiten with a bit of blue around the lips. She could be rubbing her hands together with teeth chattering.

Even as I am writing this, I can see how much this is out of character for Melinda. Her response to the cold would need to be more reserved, but I hope this sets in motion some thought about how to give the impressions of Melinda's dilemma with the cold and snow, instead of telling the reader about her reactions.


*Books1**Books1*  IN SUMMARY*Bookstack3*

"Tempered Hearts" Open in new Window. is a story of Melinda's journey to find something of her past in a picture post card perfect world of warm hospitality and holiday cheer. The world she has entered is one at peace with the rest of the universe, but then there is still her mission ahead. Who is Aunt Lena really and how is she to make a difference in Melinda's life? I can hardly wait to find out!   *Smile*
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr*

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#1300305 by Maryann Author IconMail Icon






(101@100513)_(101x2@030614)_(101x3@021515)
(101x4@111615)_(100x6 031820)_(100x7 020923)
 (YCM_@122313) 02.28.23
(Recognition 300 11.29.22)


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" Open in new Window..
19
19
Review of Turtlegrove  Open in new Window.
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
*CakeB* HAPPY WDC ACCOUNT ANNIVERSARY FROM "Anniversary Reviews ~ Summer Break" Open in new Window.*CakeP*


Greetings William Stafford Author IconMail Icon, Happy Anniversary! I was pleased to read  "Turtlegrove" Open in new Window. from your portfolio and delighted to give your writing a review, as my way of saying, “Congratulations On Your Anniversary On Writing.com.”

February 24, 2023


*Coffeer*  FIRST IMPRESSION
 
I do hope you complete the story. I was compelled to read the story because Turtlegrove Missouri, if it did exist, would probably be less than 100 miles from where I live in Southwestern Missouri. Coming from an urban west coast environment, small town everything is new and lovely, if not sometimes bewildering.

I imagine Turtlegrove is a snap shot of what I have experienced in most of the farm communities around my home, and the characters are just fine. I mean, just fine, as how gold and emeralds, are just fine.

*Coffeer*  THEME
 
An emerging journalist, who is about to leave his teen years behind, gets his first big assignment. As the story progresses we discover the subject of young David's first article has a secret. Since she has advanced in age to the century mark, wouldn't this be the time to share her secret? Even though it might be too much for sublime Turtle Grove to handle? I'll, tell you, I wish I knew!
 
*Coffeer*  STRUCTURE
 
"Turtlegrove" Open in new Window. is written with an omniscient point of view and conveys the story in an easy, entertaining narrative. Each character of the story is brought to life in great detail, and the lack of urgency to create a firm foundation to the story is a welcome change from the frenetic beat of "modern"/ "Post Modern" fiction. Each word and image is a treat.
 
*Coffeer**Coffeer*  MY FAVORITE MOMENT
 
This was my favorite moment:

“She could easily enjoy an uneventful interview with a young and naive reporter. Or, she could give him the story of his life, possibly exposing herself to danger even at her old age and most certainly causing a media storm if the young reporter would decide to print what he learned. ”

As Martha Berm's character is introduced, the beauty of the melodic pace of the narrative is directly, and vividly leading the reader into a twist to our expectations. Descriptive words of how she takes on her day invites the reader a peek into her life as it is routinely lived. It seems to be just like the other folk in Turtle Grove, filled with purposeful repetitions from the day before, embedded habits, and sleepy community. But Martha is a woman who has nurtured a deep, dark, dangerous secret that none of the other townspeople know of. In this moment, as the real nature of the story opens up, I am a bit more than stunned at the incredible surprise Martha is, and will be to those who have known of her, all their lives.

*Coffeer*  SUGGESTIONS
 
Everything was beautifully written in my estimation. There will be a few readers who would insist on more "showing" than "telling" and less passive voice, but I think when the writing is strong, the words and images well chosen, those suggestions are pedaling devices that only enable lazy readers. The magic is in the words. You got 'er done! Well done.


*Coffeer**Coffeer*  IN SUMMARY*Coffeer**Coffeer*

"Turtlegrove" Open in new Window., a small town marvel in the middle of Missouri, has an up and coming reporter who may get the interview of a life time; and from a most unsuspected source. Hold on readers of the Turtlegrove Gazzette! Martha may be spilling her secrets, even if it costs her everything, even her life! How will this story end? Tune into your "Emerson manual dial radio" for the exciting reveal!  *Smile*
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr**MugR*
 

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#1300305 by Maryann Author IconMail Icon






(101@100513)_(101x2@030614)_(101x3@021515)
(101x4@111615)_(100x6 031820)_(100x7 020923)
 (YCM_@122313) 02.24.23


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" Open in new Window..
20
20
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
*CakeB* HAPPY WDC ACCOUNT ANNIVERSARY FROM "Anniversary Reviews ~ Summer Break" Open in new Window.*CakeP*


Greetings Chariot to the Heavens Author IconMail Icon, Happy Anniversary! I was pleased to read  "Alone In The Fields" Open in new Window. from your portfolio and delighted to give your writing a review, as my way of saying, “Congratulations On Your Anniversary On Writing.com.”

February 24, 2023


*Coffeer*  FIRST IMPRESSION
 
Lyrical words, like an old tune from the '50s takes me to the rolling hills of manzanita and sage, where my soul could be opened up and revealed to the birds above me or the lizard lazing on hot rocks. Green eyed boy, I was a wallop to nature's back side back then, but cutting away from my studies at the end of spring, '66, I struck a bargain between nature and myself. I would move away one day, and the farmlands would never let me forget.

*Coffeer*  THEME
 
The place a poet belongs is found in the fields outside a village, with a bit of breeze and a friendly sun. The church brings the song as its bells ring, and birds are about the fields and peace reigns.
 
*Coffeer*  STRUCTURE
 
"Alone In The Fields" Open in new Window. is a poem written in couplets with a nice easy rhythm and rhyme.
 
*Coffeer**Coffeer*  MY FAVORITE MOMENT
 
This was my favorite moment:

“It is here that I dwell, here that I rest
Alone in the country, oh my it's the best.”

How many years I fought the notion of the under developed lands that were my home. Those who would have been my peers fled to the cities. The ones who remained frowning sullen and weary with the toil of work and family. After years in the towers of the financial hubs of the world, in the clammer and grind of earning more wealth than should be legally allowed, the bells of my serene village now soothe away the grit of climbing the corporate ladders. Today, though the northland breathes out icy winds against my body, I will embrace the fields and woodlands once more.

*Coffeer*  SUGGESTIONS
 
I enjoyed every word of your poem. I believe it is complete in every way.


*Coffeer**Coffeer*  IN SUMMARY*Coffeer**Coffeer*

"Alone In The Fields" Open in new Window. is an ode to what was once mine, and then given up. Too little appreciation for what God creates, led me to a non-life. My return is celebrated in the words and music of this sweet work of prose. Thanks for a little more rest in my day.   *Smile*
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr**MugR*
 

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#1300305 by Maryann Author IconMail Icon






(101@100513)_(101x2@030614)_(101x3@021515)
(101x4@111615)_(100x6 031820)_(100x7 020923)
 (YCM_@122313) 02.24.23
(Recognition 300 11.29.22)


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" Open in new Window..
21
21
Review of Unlabeled  Open in new Window.
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
*CakeB* HAPPY WDC ACCOUNT ANNIVERSARY FROM "Anniversary Reviews ~ Summer Break" Open in new Window.*CakeP*


Greetings Smartie Author IconMail Icon, Happy Anniversary! I was pleased to read  "Unlabeled" Open in new Window. from your portfolio and delighted to give your writing a review, as my way of saying, “Congratulations On Your Anniversary On Writing.com.”

February 23, 2023


*Coffeer*  FIRST IMPRESSION
 
A step back to an uncertain time, I meet myself on the road to finding love, but held up all along the way by how interactions, love actions, hostile actions were labeled. In the wandering, interminable waiting for clarity, there is always this part of me that wanted something more. She couldn't define it without showing more of her vulnerability. I couldn't express the turmoil inside when I saw her, or missed her, or almost forgot about her in the work of staying alive.

Above us, each night, hung the question, "are we alright?" I think I said something reassuring, she gave me a gift. It's been 47 years now. We are one.

*Coffeer*  THEME
 
Will friendship remain through all of the heartache relationships can experience? Can we be back to normal? There always seems to be a price to pay to be in relationships and one of those prices is not knowing moment by moment if there is a normal, and are we in that beautiful zone, or are we somewhere else.

 
*Coffeer*  STRUCTURE
 
"Unlabeled" Open in new Window. is written in free form prose with short glimpses of wonder and speculation. The imagery is conceived through thoughts and imaginings that remain ethereal except for the solid image of "gifts" and "talking"
 
*Coffeer**Coffeer*  MY FAVORITE MOMENT
 
This was my favorite moment:

“I wish you could tell me
As I am getting dizzy
Going back and forth
Not knowing”

The label that wants to be put on the relationship seems to be revealed. I've only been dizzy for one other person in my life and it was because of the passion that would rise and fall in our relationship. At a point where I thought all was lost, five years into our marriage, I stood in the middle of a street, nearly out of my mind with dizzy. I knew in my heart she was gone, but then we had been so close to this moment before. I couldn't go home for not knowing. Yet, I had to know. That moment has gone unlabeled for many, many years, until now.

*Coffeer*  SUGGESTIONS
 
I enjoyed every word. Thank you!


*Coffeer**Coffeer*  IN SUMMARY*Coffeer**Coffeer*

"Unlabeled" Open in new Window. poetically inspires a memory of how lost one can be when a relationship refuses to be defined. Even when the cultural, societal, laws and boundaries are applied to define what is normal, the emotional reality within a relationship is that all of that stuff doesn't matter. Only an open heart can cry out to another for love, and normalcy. Will all human effort close the distance between two friends? How desperate the soul can be in the unlabeled moments of love. Beautiful.   *Smile*
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr**MugR*
 

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#1300305 by Maryann Author IconMail Icon






(101@100513)_(101x2@030614)_(100x6@031820)_____
 (YCM_@122313)(02.23.23)
(Recognition 300 11.29.22)


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" Open in new Window..
22
22
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
*CakeB* HAPPY WDC ACCOUNT ANNIVERSARY FROM "Anniversary Reviews ~ Summer Break" Open in new Window.*CakeP*


Greetings Smartie Author IconMail Icon, Happy Anniversary! I was pleased to read  "Depiction of Guiding Spirit" Open in new Window. from your portfolio and delighted to give your writing a review, as my way of saying, “Congratulations On Your Anniversary On Writing.com.”

February 18, 2023


*Coffeer*  FIRST IMPRESSION
 
With extremely strong images, a picture of the spirit world all around us is brought into a clearer, more focused view. There are sights and sounds that stir up images from my own wonder years, hoping to find something significant in every breeze getting through my makeshift tree fort, always disturbing the carbon copies of drawings I wanted to recreate. Then, a disease hits and then there are the moments when movement was impossible and recovery was spent watching mom's soap operas and game shows.

*Coffeer*  THEME
 
The poem takes on the thoughts that have a random pattern sometimes, but then suddenly make a picture of how it was to be in a moment of time. It is almost like awakening in the arms of a guiding spirit. Some angelic in nature, some positively not.
 
*Coffeer*  STRUCTURE
 
"Depiction of Guiding Spirit" Open in new Window. is written in a prose form keeping the rhythm and tone open to any image that may find its place in the stream of writing, be they thoughts, memories or multiple time points.
 
*Coffeer**Coffeer*  MY FAVORITE MOMENT
 
This was my favorite moment:

“The splintered fence boards, bent and twisted

the product of childhood rough-housing

A game of charades with post-nap movement

The building blocks played with by a child

stacked and rearranged, new blueprints every hour”

When visiting actual places in time where remain scars, and deformities, there is probably a reason for being there. After all there are always reasons why we acted out as a child, despite the hurts and pains that became monuments to childlike folly. As words connect with a now moment, sitting at my computer, pounding out the legacy of three quarters of a century on earth, all I have left to do is smile, and enjoy what was done unhindered by the giants in the spirit that opposed my growth, my assimilation of knowledge, and my search for love.


*Coffeer*  SUGGESTIONS
 
I enjoyed every word. There is great space in the images to see my own life. Thank You. A rare treat.




*Coffeer**Coffeer*  IN SUMMARY*Coffeer**Coffeer*

"Depiction of Guiding Spirit" Open in new Window. is a rare ballad that gives my soul license to imagine something the artist may have never intended. It invites a revisit where what I saw in this hour, may be completely different years from now. Beautifully done!   *Smile*
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr**MugR*
 

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#1300305 by Maryann Author IconMail Icon






(101@100513)_(101x2@030614)_(100x6@031820)_____
 (YCM_@122313) (02.18.23)
(Recognition 300 11.29.22)


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" Open in new Window..
23
23
Review of Redland's Revenge  Open in new Window.
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: ASR | (5.0)
*Boat2*    Welcome to WdC from the "Newbie Welcome Wagon" Open in new Window.*Boat2*



Hello Moonstone Author IconMail Icon,  I am so glad that you are a committed contributor to Writing.com’s wonderful community! Thank you for your informal request for a review. I was pleased to read  "Redland's Revenge" Open in new Window. from your portfolio and it is my pleasure to give your writing a review.

February 9, 2023

*Books1*  FIRST IMPRESSION
 
One is not often given the opportunity to visit the grim reality of the educational world of an all boys school. But when one can make the journey, at least in a vivid tale with extraordinary characters, one should get into it.

Remember the institution called middle school? The place where teacher's rule and administrators execute justice. Where the students had, what one might called, a secondary kingdom all their own? I remember that there were times of great power struggles, and then, of course, the pain of capitulation and submission. And I remember too, the over arching equalizer for both kingdoms: "what grades did we, as students, actually earn?"

If a teacher can't teach and a student can't learn, the school is just a "care giving institution" so that parents can have freedom to do what they do!

Ahhh, so the story goes, and Welcome to Redland Academy's seventh grade science class, where boys will be boys; and where science hardly ever has a place in the day to day transformation of those boys, into men.
 
*Books2*  HEART INSPIRED
 
For Robin, the task of learning seventh grade science has taken a bad turn. Through some outrageous events, Robin's mother sets in motion a revolution. And as mother's go with their somewhat demanding ways, she could easily raise her palms up and outward and claim, "no responsibility here boys!" But wasn't she the one that got the tutor, which led to study groups, which led to Noah's science notebook being destroyed, and...well, it goes on with great and glorious energy.

The story becomes an inspirational tale of how one event can lead to others, and others, and ultimately helps build a man out of a boy with enough fortitude to shake up the establishment.
 
*Books3*  SPECIAL ELEMENTS
 
The dialogue is strong and true. The action of the story, recounted from a first person narrative, suits the world of the story's pre-teen boys. The interaction between the teacher and the boys is spot on, and the depiction of how hungry the boys become to learn science and get good grades in their tests was elevating and hopeful.
 
*Bookopen**Bookopen*  MY FAVORITE MOMENT
 
These were a few of my favorite sentences:

“I began, 'Well, Mr. Parriott was talking about something--"

'What was he talking about?' My mother interrupted.

'Girls.' I cringed at the word. Since starting a boys' school, I have rarely hung out or even been around girls other than my mother.

'Girls? Why?' Her voice was curious, but also worried.

'I dunno. He does that sometimes,' I looked out of the window. 'Are the boys playing soccer?'"


I had dozens of these kinds of conversations with my mother when I was about Robin's age. I don't remember any of them, but this mother-son moment is the essence of what I remember. Subjects I remember? Girls, girls, girls, girls, etc. As I recall, my mom was opposed.

I love Robin's forthright words with his mother. I can't recall ever being quite that honest. And in every way it is endearing and shows his trust in her. He gives his mother the opportunity to know what he knows, despite the possibility she will take the side of his teacher.
 
 
*Bookstack3*  SUGGESTIONS *Bookstack3*
 
There was just one line that seemed a bit awkward to me, and believe me it might just be me. This was the line:

"He wasn't that much older than me, with long black hair and was wearing a Redland T-shirt.

I think it would read a bit smoother if it was two sentences. He wasn't that much older than me, with long black hair. He was wearing a Redland T-shirt. This would also add emphasis that Matthew is or once was a Redland Academy student.

Checking the sentence in my grammar checker, if you decide to keep the sentence as is, it should have a comma between the words "hair" and "and."

*Horse*  IN SUMMARY*Horse*
 
"Redland's Revenge" Open in new Window. is a wonderful story of how relationships, and the right motivations can give our young people the education that will serve them well as they grow up. What every society needs is that edgy blend of a distaste for tyranny that keeps the soul in bondage and complete respect for those who have our best interests in their hearts. Well done!*Smile*
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr*
 

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#1300305 by Maryann Author IconMail Icon






(101@100513)_(101x2@030614)_(100x6@031820)_____
 (YCM_@122313)(02.09.23)
(Recognition 300 11.29.22)


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" Open in new Window..
24
24
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
*CakeB* HAPPY WDC ACCOUNT ANNIVERSARY FROM "Anniversary Reviews ~ Summer Break" Open in new Window.*CakeP*


Greetings Sparky Author IconMail Icon, Happy Anniversary! I was pleased to read  "Ssspths...Done...JUST PERFECT! Mmm!" Open in new Window. from your portfolio and delighted to give your writing a review, as my way of saying, “Congratulations On Your Anniversary On Writing.com.”

February 9, 2023


*Coffeer*  FIRST IMPRESSION
 
Not only am I reverential when it comes to the subject mater of your article, I have gained support for my belief that one can be religious without a spiritual experience, but can't be spiritual without the support of highly codified religious rites. There. A nod to the liturgy of all great makers of the good stuff of life.

I'm searching for a source for vegemite right now. (*note: Article link did not take me to the correct website. Walmart appears to carry it in America)


*Coffeer*  THEME
 
The focus of the article is on turning a good cut of meat into a sumptuous main course that sizzles, smokes and invokes a rapture of the soul. It strikes home with some excellent advice and clear concise instruction on how to best cook up a steak. (My interest in the subject is highly elevated because at $22 a pound American, perfection in the cooking process had better be attained!)
 
*Coffeer*  STRUCTURE
 
"Ssspths...Done...JUST PERFECT! Mmm!" Open in new Window. is recipe for cooking steak the proper way. It is written from a first person perspective with immediate assurance that everything about the process of cooking the best main entre' ever will be covered. The good news is that it did!

Written with a great deal of humor and some explicit advice about how to avoid injury, or losing your steak, or mis-seasoning your steak, the piece is an excellent blend of insight, foresight and instruction.
 
*Coffeer**Coffeer*  MY FAVORITE MOMENT
 
This was my favorite instruction:

“Dribble some olive or canola oil* (Edit August 2017 *I no longer recommend Canola oil. Do NOT use it at all for anything) on the hotplate. After it's sizzling, wipe the plate off with paper towel. Then re oil but not too much. Spread around the oil until its all over the place, and plate. Make sure your dog doesn't jump up on the barbecue and nick off with the steak.”

Using the right oil in the BBQ process is essential. Old ways must give way to the new and improved. I use a bit of Avocado Oil myself. As far as the dog? Animals have their use in life and the best use of course, is being seared to perfection on the grill...all others have no place around the preparation of the meal, or in my case, my neighborhood.


*Coffeer*  SUGGESTIONS
 
Perfectly executed and entertaining. I think I got all of the nuances in your article, just one question: what is "laughing gear." I don't want to be improperly attired as I launch my next "steakathon."


*Coffeer**Coffeer*  IN SUMMARY*Coffeer**Coffeer*

"Ssspths...Done...JUST PERFECT! Mmm!" Open in new Window. not only gives the reader the full roadmap to a perfect steak experience, but also gives some sage advice on how best to enjoy the whole spiritual journey at a higher plane. Prepare to be sizzled!   *Smile*
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr**MugR*
 

Please Visit ▼


GROUP
WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group Open in new Window. (E)
Join the fun! We inspire reviewers through kindness and learning! Winner of eight Quills!
#1300305 by Maryann Author IconMail Icon






(101@100513)_(101x2@030614)_(100x6@031820)_____
 (YCM_@122313)(02.09.23)
(Recognition 300 11.29.22)


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" Open in new Window..
25
25
Review by ♫~ Kenword~♫ Author IconMail Icon
In affiliation with WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
*CakeB* HAPPY WDC ACCOUNT ANNIVERSARY FROM "Anniversary Reviews ~ Summer Break" Open in new Window.*CakeP*


Greetings Natsby Author IconMail Icon, Happy Anniversary! I was pleased to read  "Sailing in my Relation-ship - REVISED" Open in new Window. from your portfolio and delighted to give your writing a review, as my way of saying, “Congratulations On Your Anniversary On Writing.com.”

February 9, 2023


*Coffeer*  FIRST IMPRESSION
 
Single words trigger a solemn journey through a hurting soul. The prose is filled with the tension of a person whose life never met expectations, and yet still contains some of the promises that may yet be fulfilled. "Is it a woman?" you may ask. "Isn't it always," says the patron to the bar tender, who just laughs.

In my case I'll just call her J. There was never a resting place where I could be safe in my pity. Beautiful? Yes. But no tolerance for too much "me time," to reflect on "could I have done better?" When I brought her into the family my mother laughed hysterically. She knew her mission to "fix me" was in capable hands.


*Coffeer*  THEME
 
But wait! Maybe its not a woman. Maybe its time. Time too has a way of playing with our ego, mocking the wicked loves of our past, the long record of losses, and defeats, and chaos. It all disturbs my peace. The theme of the poem is actually a delight to play with, because if I am able to write out my soul's deepest regrets about past relationships, I, through my Savior, can begin to have a map that shows the exit of all my past longings experienced in a hopeless, tragic life.
 
*Coffeer*  STRUCTURE
 
"Sailing in my Relation-ship - REVISED" Open in new Window. is written in free verse, with introspection as its driving rhythm. There are heart beats occasionally followed by rumblings from the soul. The tone is heavy, reflective and mysterious.
 
*Coffeer**Coffeer*  MY FAVORITE MOMENT
 
This was my favorite moment:

“Good and evil are my family, constantly fighting to define me, they move around, never can they quite settle down. And always there is that one that I must let down.

These acquaintances always come to find me, sometimes I invite them, saying, "please, join my pity party".


Before there can be "the one," there has to be a family called: "good and evil." They will come to find me in my sweet misery. Weren't they the ones that warned me against bad friends, bad women, bad, bad, bad, but did they ever really know what was good??? besides themselves?


*Coffeer*  SUGGESTIONS
 
Every part of the poem reads very well and is clearly written. I do not have any recommendations for improving the piece.


*Coffeer**Coffeer*  IN SUMMARY*Coffeer**Coffeer*

"Sailing in my Relation-ship - REVISED" Open in new Window. speaks partially of "Good and Evil" as my family, constantly fighting to define me, moving around, never quite settling down. And always, there is that one that I must let down. But the poem calls me to a reflection of what I wasn't, as a friend, a child, a love, and a person of faith.

In the end, memories, regrets, ego, cunning, and irony help me to be prepared for the beautiful beast who will prepare me for the great bye and bye. Oh so lovely, sweet and mystifying!   *Smile*
 
I hope my thoughts and impressions have been a help. Let me know if you have any questions about my review.
 
Kind Regards,

*Music2*~Kenword~*Music2* *Mugr**MugR*
 

Please Visit ▼


GROUP
WdC SuperPower Reviewers Group Open in new Window. (E)
Join the fun! We inspire reviewers through kindness and learning! Winner of eight Quills!
#1300305 by Maryann Author IconMail Icon






(101@100513)_(101x2@030614)_(100x6@031820)_____
 (YCM_@122313)(02.09.23)
(Recognition 300 11.29.22)


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" Open in new Window..
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