I really liked this. Your imagery was so sad and your words really captured the situation well. It is always nice to find someone addressing real events like this.

I reviewed "Neck" earlier, but for some reason it showed up as an anonymous review. Anyways, just letting you know that was me.

First off, I love the title. It takes on several different meanings. It works well as a bit of an alliteration, with gulf, gushing, etc. And it's also one of those words that has a SOUND to it, you know? I mean, a gulch is a gulch, but it sounds like something a disguting human being would do, like a belch or a fart.

[On the fiftieth day of the oil spill I became an environmental activist] I'm surprised it even took that long.

[putting myself up to the ear lobe of the / ground to listen to the maddening shriek of the / gulch-fed gully's of the Gulf] *earlobe* I love this image, love the alliteration, and love the earlobe analogy.

[taste / the innuendo of a dead dolphin in a wandering / man's arms on a beach otherwise conceived / from the hyperbolic henchmen sincerely wishing / for his life back.] Damn!

[On the fiftieth day of the oil spill I became an outcry] I'm wondering if maybe the first line of the poem should be changed to a shorter number, like twenty or thirty or something, and then leave this line at fifty. That way there's a progression. And, like . . . it would also illustrate BP's continuing ineptitude and your increasing anger and frustration.

For whatever reason, I like the first stanza a lot more. It's just . . . more powerful, or something. Better imagery.

I'm not surprised you wrote about this subject. I think we're all disgusted and incredibly saddened at what is happening to our ocean and its wildlife. I can't even stand to watch the news anymore because seeing all those poor birds covered in oil just makes me want to cry. I was against offshore drilling anyway, even before this whole catastrophe.

The saddest part is, even a couple weeks after you originally posted this poem, the oil spill CONTINUES to gush with no apparent end in sight.

BRILLIANT!

Ayx

Ha I applaud you!

That is so beautifully passionate. I could try to give critique, but I do not write quite so well, or about anything more important than my own feelings. I really envy this ability of yours to feel passion for real things.

*agrees with a/n*

I concur!

About time someone addressed this issue, although I honestly never expected it to come from one of the authors on my favorites list. A pleasant surprise indeed :D.

The title 'Gulch' immediately caught my attention, had he hanging 'til the summary. As is expected of you, you never fail in the imagery department: taste the innuendo of a dead dolphin in a wandering man's arms on a beach otherwise conceived from the hyperbolic henchmen sincerely wishing for his life back.'

Great job, Juliet!

I wish they'd hurry up AND DO SOMETHING! :

This would be excellent read as slam poetry.