What a beautifully crafted ending...this one's got such great mood. I am going to ask you a question or two...questions that I have long wanted to ask...How long have you been writing poetry, who are your biggest "influences", and what kind of professor are you/where do you teach?

You're almost too good. I particularly like "Does the flame know how dark the sky is?" I'll be reading more, but maybe not just yet. My brain is too tired for poetry of this quality.

One of your best poems, I think

That was really beautiful. It had different parts to it, and that was nice, it kept attention well. I also liked the imagery near the end and that personification of the cheap bic lighter. Odd thing to choose, but interesting. :) Great work, I enjoyed this.

-ali

Really neat poem. I can't say I understood it all, but I enjoyed it all the same. The line "but her eyes said no before her mouth did" really stuck out for me.

A river's flow is like the sun's shine: the river continues to move all day to new places and the sun's shine illuminates those places without shade. Thus, a lover's heart always shouts out their most profound desires! The meaning of life one desires, they must first seek the One whom invented life. For what is life without the Creator whom created everything under the sun, including the sun itself. For even life shall cease in an hour, but Life itself will truly always exist. Excellent work!

Very good! I love the part about the discarded lighter. Sometimes I think we get the answers to alot of our questions that way, only we don't usually notice it. Very powerful.

What a fabulous piece.

I'm always intrigued by authors who can say a lot without saying a lot. The imagery and metaphors are perfectly clear in your piece. I don't read a lot of poetry, so a lot of really "deep" (READ: confusing) pieces get lost on me. You language is straight forward - layman's terms are good - but yet you still manage to convey powerful and very deep ideas.

That says quite a lot about your talent.

Congratulations.

Fascinating philosophical poem! I love the depth of feeling and thought in this piece!Psychologists have said that creativity born out of the need to express who are and to define ourselves within this world. By the same token, many of the greatest works of creativity are born after having endured painful chaotic experiences in our lives. I know we could get into a philosophical debate over this, but I will refrain from doing so. :-) I am placing this in my 'favorite stories' list.