<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:8.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
line-height:106%;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
p.MsoPlainText, li.MsoPlainText, div.MsoPlainText
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Plain Text Char";
margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.PlainTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Plain Text Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Plain Text";
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>2-23-23 Group-2 Critiques <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1. Valerie’s piece:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>A relationship definitively ends badly. This piece paints the picture of the thoughts and feelings of the Aftermath i.e. post ending . Some favorite lines: “The balance wobbles, falls through. Too many conditions<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>bully-streaks” vividly recalls similar feelings. In the past there were more than one of your poems that alluded to a similar relationship loss. Was there a final confrontation and the end of one of the relationships described in one of the previous poems resulting in this pain filled “Aftermath?” What does this mean: “pinpricks of rezilliance breaking again?” Is it reappearing or coming apart?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>***<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>2. Leonard’s piece:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>A poem written earlier but being reviewed 28 days (more or less) before the beginning of spring. It describes some ambiguous telltales. So, the title is: “Mixed Signs.” But the last line says: “<span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>I will follow the signals of Spring.” The poem seems to detail how difficult it is to actually discern clear indications of spring. Therefore, perhaps the last line might say something like: I shall continue my vigil, seeking clear signals. There is some appealing imagery in this pre-spring piece. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>***<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>3. Alice’s piece: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>First, I wasn’t aware of the evolution of the phrase. A creative tracing and connecting of the lyric line: “he’s not heavy, he’s my…” I am unclear re this allusion: “</span>With tears, I heard Neil Diamond sing.” Does this refer to Alice’s tears or Neil Diamond’s? I was unaware of the Kelly Gordon rendering. In this critiquer’s (yes Spellcheck, not a word) humble opinion, the Prose Poem format is an excellent vehicle for delivering this story. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>***<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:justify'>4. Joan’s piece: <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p><p style='margin:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:200%'>Love’s Tea Cup: love can have the delicacy and beauty of porcelain and yet also have a component of “blue” as in wistful sadness; wherever one may swim, <span style='font-size:18.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'>within without and through. It is love’s very nature. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:justify'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>