A reading call

topic posted Thu, April 6, 2006 - 1:54 PM by  Michael
I am looking for readers to critque a 37 poem poetry mss. that I wish to self publish. I can't offer money, but will return the favor. tks for your time in reading this.
posted by:
Michael
SF Bay Area
  • Re: A reading call

    Thu, April 6, 2006 - 2:04 PM
    there are some 200 members on this tribe maybe we could take one poem each or something.
    • Re: A reading call

      Thu, April 6, 2006 - 2:16 PM
      anything would help. tks
      • Re: A reading call

        Thu, April 6, 2006 - 3:01 PM
        send me one. Be warned that I don't hold much back in terms of a critique.
        • Re: A reading call

          Fri, April 7, 2006 - 2:22 PM
          Dave,
          Tks . here is a taste

          cheerleaders

          for Debbie Gordon




          after 20 years I can still taste my nuts as
          i sat on the bench, praying
          to the Virgin Mother to
          help me not to peak at their blue panties.

          i still hear my screams in Olangapo’s whorehouses
          from nightmares of their smudged waxen lips
          fresh from their boyfriend’s cocks beneath
          back seat high school letter jackets
          admitting in 5th period lunch how their fathers
          cried to stupor begging
          tenderness while their mothers drank to
          oblivion beseeching death.

          i still feel their porcelain…
          porcelain hands attempting to touch my withdrawing
          cheek w/ a word that is still unknown,
          friend,
          instead of touching my heart, my body
          like I prayed for every night.

          i still taste my rage
          running rivulets off their perfect
          boobs bathed in bleached white wool
          broken off the pedestals I put them on.
          in my failed paragon
          I wanted them whole
          i wanted them pure
          i wanted them for myself.
          after 20 years
          i am haunted by how much I haven’t had to confess
          by how much
          i missed.














          • Re: A reading call

            Sat, April 8, 2006 - 12:54 AM
            It looks like you gave me a tough one. Okay, here’s what I think. There’s a lot of good stuff in here. I instantly could tell it must have been a lot of fun to write. There are some powerful lines here but what I think is it needs to be compressed. Strip it down a little, focus more on core and revolve around it. If you were going to leave it basically as is then some periods would help in some places to handle the shifts.
            First Stanza:

            after 20 years I can still taste my nuts as (delete “as”)
            i sat on the bench, praying (maybe say “sitting on..”
            to the Virgin Mother to (maybe even delete “to” here)
            help me not to peak at their blue panties. (I’m not sure who they are so maybe use “her blue panties” instead)


            Second Stanza
            I still hear my screams in Olangapo’s whorehouses (I don’t understand the reference to “Olangapo’s” and since it’s called “whorehouses” it leads me to believe perhaps it’s a franchise or something)
            from nightmares of their smudged waxen lips (I don’t like “waxen lips”)
            fresh from their boyfriend’s cocks beneath (I like how this sounds it seems to not flow with the previous lines)
            back seat high school letter jackets (like it)
            admitting in 5th period lunch how their fathers
            cried to stupor begging (confusing)
            tenderness while their mothers drank to
            oblivion beseeching death. (more confusing, I feel lost in what you’re trying to say)

            3rd
            I like the last line. I’d rework the rest of it

            4th
            I don’t get the 2nd and 3rd lines.
            Like the 4th line
            I’m later confused by what wasn’t confessed. I like it but I would like it to be clearer to help tie this piece together. I think the last 2 lines work well with that too.

            I hope that helps.
            • Re: A reading call

              Mon, April 10, 2006 - 12:18 PM
              tks and here is another one.

              all the world and you babe

              for Marge Gibeau


              the world beat across the City
              and back until you found yr. passage
              into the corner cave.
              into it’s cool darkness amidst the noonday sun
              you fell.

              there among the weak, the wounded
              the gossamer trapeze artist
              you found us.

              and we held you
              and we laughed and imbibed the grape,
              the drippings of the grain and forgot
              who
              we
              were.

              but forgetting forged fiercer
              screams finally heard only by you
              alone
              in a room
              without a view.

              and again you found us,
              now
              the broken bent gargoyles of your dream
              and we held you
              and we cried
              and we laughed
              and fought for serenity in our hearts.


              and we watched
              you grow
              into the proud rose
              of you
              amongst the wine, gin, tangerine
              memories.

              and it was good,
              and it was enough,
              and it was gravy,
              just like
              he said.

              but the dampness of the earth has kissed your lips
              and you left us and I will miss you,
              will miss you long,
              long
              after
              the last
              call.
              • Re: A reading call

                Wed, September 20, 2006 - 9:41 AM
                I really like this one; you can feel the beauty and angst in a nice quick rythym. The only thing I'd do differently is take the apostrophe out of "it's" in the 4th line. The apostrophe means "it is", which is not what I think you mean to convey.

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