You have a talent for writing to which I can only hope to aspire. This is brilliant. You've got such a unique, recognizable, and powerful voice in all your poems, and your unrivaled vocabulary never seems to fail you when you need it.

This poem hits me hard because I feel as if you've walked in my shoes and lived my life. This is totally me. I agree with Vince on your vocab. Wish I could use words like that. Adding to favorites

...therese, you ever heard two old women or men, duh, talk and one on them says, "well, i NEVER.!, well i'm one old man talking, "well, i NEVER!...this is printable as is, i'm like Vince, i aspire, i aspire...i admire you puttin' a whoopin' on the English language...ahhh, and the taste of apologies that came too late or not at all. a cresendo if ever i saw one, you're the Queen of Write on this one.

Vince says everything I feel about this poem and your writing. Your skill surpasses gifted in writing especially on such a subject. You deliver with grace and ease and brilliance.

Very insightful. I feel it speaks well for an unfortunately ever-growing part of our population and can serve as a great warning to all of us to be kinder to each other. Thanks for sharing, Therese.

I forgot to mention that, I, too, think you demonstrate well, a great, subtle, and powerful skill in putting just the write words together for consonance and assonance that greatly enhances the way your words roll off of our tongues.

Marvelous flow and imagery, matter-of-fact, unashamed - such a strength of self. I also liked the subtle bit of repetition in lines that gives a cohesive touch.

Oh, this is superior poetry: brutally honest with the accompaniment of mellifluous language to put a stamp on both style and substance. I bow, Therese, to excellence!

This painted such images of my mind... I like the theme... and it is written in such a clever manner...

Well, I don't agonise over honesty or accuracy, verity or morality in poetry; if it strips me down and sucks me up, sweeps me in and spits me out, I'm happy.
I'm delirious :>

Definition of cognitive dissonance: wanting to applaud a poem for its cadences, power, diction, imagery, and brutal honesty, but feeling that applause would be inappropriate due to the seriousness and suffering of its subject matter. Your use of French here was a perfect choice – the images called up just by the language itself couldn't be more ideally suited to the poem, and the touches of alliteration and assonance remind of the speech the speaker might actually use (in our fevered dreams of the virgin/whore paradox, that is). A great write on an touchy subject. Thanks for sharing.

The words have power, yet they flow so easy. You find yourself drawn in, not wanting the poem to end because the reading is such a pleasure.

I find that those that deny passionate discourse in its many varieties, fail to see that life, living and experiencing life have nothing to do with morality.

It looks like Vince got us started just right - we admirers of the "Queen of Write." You are a gifted surgeon - with your sharp word and mind gifts - you cut through the superficial, the obvious, that too often veils my vision and reveal (as if turning the scalpel on yourself) the oh so beautiful underground lake from whence this and so many of your poems come. This is magnificent. Thank you, my dear. My recommendation for POTD.

Let me paint a picture of myself and present myself to you one lie at a time. Soon when I go to wash the paint off, I find that I have disappeared and there is nothing left but dirty wash rags. Great read.

I really adore these lines: "A shopgirl veneer and sailor's goodbye with these pawnshop principles and cabaret charisma"

This is intelligent and clever; a rare pairing of adjectives for poetry I think. Awesome.

I want this.