I love your natural imagery and metaphors, the stars, the buzz, the way you express the inevitable....a feeling of sadness is evoked..but a beautiful sadness. This was a pleasure to read. Thanks, Charlie.

A great one. I love the images, the sounds, the flow. OUTSTANDING! Beautiful and sad. A poetic triumph- thanks!

Tis time to look to the next "Big Band" Charlie and the next time around the old block. Which time will you be in next? Will you be Aeschylus, Archimedes, Einstein, or Tolstoy? Good write sir.

I always get this perception of you through your comments of this stream-of-consciousness, mind-meandering poet, and then you put out these poems that are just crystalline in their clarity, and utterly focused in the sharpness of your delivery.

You know, I wish Wordsworth made poetry about life as fascinating as you do...that guy makes me sit through 25 pages of drivel to tell me that he took a walk -a WALK! But the way you handle all of these day to day things -age, children, love, pain, loss, changing seasons/technology/landscapes etc -and you manage to insert a bit of whimsy and generational perspective into each one along with your gift for imagery and intuitiveness...it's really just wonderful.

Some wise and wonderful buzz in this one, the pool with stars; "all wobbling, seeking entropy" was my fav line until I got to the pirate patch flipped up to make you un-recognizable, and of course the echoing buzz. I bow....

Stellar piece!!! There are so many fabulous lines in this, Charles! I have to share my favs: "i turn while Nature undresses./a salmon-pink horizon blushes." and "i'm in age's back alleys now;"--these struck me the second I read them as lines u wish you had written yourself, just brilliant...also loved: "zero-sum trading with gypsy winds." and "sliding down a slope, a secant/ of more years on a level plane." --I am always impressed when mathmatical terms are used in poetry, esp. when they don't feel like math, so refreshing, well done with that too...the overall feel for me was one of mature acceptance for the circle of life as it comes to a close, but the looming doom referred to does tinge the skies a bit with a silver sheen....a pleasure to read u always, you are a shining star in your own right, peace, jewels

It was fun reading the comments on your poem. I feel all warm and fuzzy inside seeing how much others not only appreciate your poems - which are indeed stellar - but YOU, dear Chaz, in all your brilliance and shadow. Oh to match your creativity while being in "ages back alleys!" I can relate so much to the aging stuff. I do have to admit that I feel a bit of a shadow descend into my consciousness when I read you speaking about days being numbered, etc. Then I realize that your persistent sparkle on these pages make your days (however many they might be) so worthwhile for us, your adoring public. You STILL rock, Chaz!

"soon the clover will have one less bee.." I am in awe sir of your analogy...when my eyes stop to read a line thrice or more than I know I'm enthralled!

My My My
The pirate in me recognized you
write away
in "i flip-up my pirate eye-patch;
so as to be unrecognizable." AHhhhh...
It's good to be at home and read of it in your writing. I find you so on a roll when I study your inkblots.

What can one say to this? Excellent!