Parker Owens

And so a first connection is made. You write Roku’s initial confusion really well; the DemiShou will be feeling his disconnection from the current moment for a while. I’m looking forward to new developments.

My own mom passed just a couple of years ago, and the memories are still fresh. And like you, I still sometimes feel the flicker in the heart and know she’s there. Such a lovely poem. Thank you for posting it.

I think Jordan is more in the right of this. Even so, the prospect of losing one’s family can’t be minimized. Jordan risks doing that; Noah is paralyzed by it. But Noah risks losing Jordan - and his very self - by retreating into fear. Incidentally, I’m completely floored by Noah’s mom. What year does she think this is? Is John Diefenbaker still Prime Minister of Canada? Need another, sweeter chapter soon, please...

I will add my voice to @Valkyrie‘s in care and support. You have every reason to be frustrated, and I’m okay with listening. Nothing you’ve said seems out of line to me. If a long distance hug would help you rest, I offer you one of mine.

I’m really enjoying the way you’re weaving the tale and drawing in more details of Jerry’s past - things he might have forgotten to narrate. Jerry got his chance to tell Brandon off, and unload his hurt since the fourth grade. Brandon made a few good points too, if it comes to that. But what happens now? Do Zack, Brandon and Jerry all try to go back to their previous positions and move on, or has some new dynamic begun that can’t be stopped? Looking forward to the next chapter.

This is a marvelous work. I’m there at the market; I can follow your poet’s camera, see the color, and hear and sense everything, even as I understand the story you tell. Wonderfully cinematic, I want more!

What a grand poem; thank you for taking me along with you on your walk in the snow. I loved what you made me see and sense and hear. Crushed diamonds is very apt, and the air is indeed charged especially in the deep cold.

Fantastic. I’m taken by your rabbit, and by the creek beneath the ice.

I felt a thrill of excitement reading this. Well done! And the moon was fantastic, wasn’t it?

This was such a sweet tale. Thank you for bringing us Bliss.

With the plummeting temperatures, I hope these birds will have found some warm place to weather the storms. They were an incredible surprise, capping off a lovely hike. And I’m glad you liked the terriers at play, too. They’re such fun to watch. Thank you for reading these!

Thank you for reading these, and for taking the time to look up bluebirds. Usually, we think of them as summer residents, but there they were flitting about the scrub and low trees. Tanka are fun to write; such concentration of emotion and image.

I enjoyed your poetic story of loves found and faded. I hope you write more poetry and post it here. tim mentioned Live Poets and Zero to Hero; I’ll heartily second his suggestions. Great poem! More, please?

The trip to the cottage was surely something special. So much got said that needed to be aired, and you set up important future action. Really good. And then we get to anticipate Noah’s mom visiting. Noah could use this opportunity to seize the initiative and the high ground and come out. Just don’t back her into a corner, Noah...

Thanks for coming along on the hike. I’m glad you enjoyed the experiences and sights of the park.