Selected Thoughts from Readers
Selected Thoughts from Readers
"You still write very well--but I've said that before...
I especially enjoyed 'Bell,' 'One Second,' and 'Sarajevo.'
- Ben Limoli (my high school journalism teacher from the early
1980's)
"I had fun reading your poems aloud to my classes. Favorites
were 'Reservoir,' 'Sonnet to Falling Stars,' 'Remember,'
'Autumn,' 'Bell,' 'Sarajevo,' 'One Second,' 'Casualty,'
'Bedouin,' (my particular favorite; the blending of alliteration, assonance, and consonance give it the music of
a desert wind.), 'Thirst,' and 'Amber Moon.' Your images are
often powerful--'wax figures,' 'a falling sun igniting...,'
'streams of sweet memory,' and more. And I'm delighted that
you are experimenting with classical forms and meters--it's fun
to craft a sonnet and make it 'work'!" -
Dave A. Young
(my high school English teacher from the early
1980's)
"Ray, Your poems are so eloquent and written with such warmth. You are
very talented and should always continue expressing yourself in verse...
Your thoughts are heartfelt and loving..." -
Gina Simpson
"You have a flair for writing that cannot be taught." -
Ben Limoli
"I have tried many times to choose a
favorite poem from the multitude that you have gifted me...but
I cannot. Each poem graces my heart with a
new feeling, usually at the perfect moment, just when it's
needed. Sometimes I do not have the words to express the
way I feel for your work. I would just like you to know,
that I am cleansed with the love that cascades freely from
your pen each time I read your poetry. Thank you." -
Tanya Lee James
"Your work is eloquent and moving. It is thought-provoking and motivating, inspiring...wonderful!! You bare your soul and allow
the reader to become an intimate friend and to live vicariously through your verses. They are each masterpieces and you should
be proud to be able to share your talents with us. And we in turn are grateful for having been enriched by your gift...Thank you!" - Sandy C.
RE: ALCHEMY (aka MESMERIZED)
"The emotions that you give off ['Alchemy'] are incredible! I could totally sense everything. It really moved me. The words you chose almost made me cry. It was so sweet. Keep up the great work!!!" -
Katrina Raasch
"In 'Alchemy' you capture the essence of reaching
for the intangible. Yet, you look upon it with the
optimistic eyes of love and the knowledge that everything
becomes intangible after its appointed time. This poem made
me feel as if I were holding onto a dream." -
Tanya Lee James
"['Alchemy'] is a lovely poem. Your theme is strong and consistent...Your technique is wonderful and a
pleasure to read. An irony that caused a pang to rise in me was the line,
'You are a sublime illusion'." - Carmien Owen
"['Alchemy'] was touching. I got the sense of that overwhelming awe of
the magic of finding someone special to love....That they may just vanish if you blink but that at least in the moment that you find them as
perfection, it's magic!" -
"Marbles"
"The miracle of life...how it comes together differently in each of us...life is fleeting...as are the connections we make with one another..." -
"elle-p"
"I feel that you are caught up with the beauty of someone and you are just taken by the beauty..." -
Mary Young
RE: SARAJEVO
"I just got done reading your poem 'Sarajevo' again...and I can see why I like it. Lidija [of Bosnia] would have liked it too. Let's just hope she isn't 'past tense' yet." -
Amy Schmidt
RE: AS YOU SLEEP
"Ray, I could read your poem 'As You Sleep' a thousand million times and
it will always give me an unusual sensation in my chest. I'm watching
my fish dance in the bubbles and wishing I could explain how
I feel." - Kimberly Lange
"Incredible, absolutely beautiful and amazing. Thank you so much
Raymond!" -
Kimberly Lange (from May 1997)
I read ['As You Sleep'] and I say sincerely that it is wonderful! Did you
write this poem with anyone in mind? I feel that you were in love when
you wrote it. -
Christine Simard (from August 1997)
RE: LAVENDER NEGLIGEE
"Amazing how 14 short lines could hold so much sexual energy!! I felt
captured in the intimate moment and moved by the sensual
feeling...Well done!"- Jenny Donner
RE: YESTER-GEMS
"My other English teacher liked 'Yester-Gems' SOOO much she
couldn't stop talking about it! I recited the poem in February, and she was still mentioning it in June! *ggls*" -
Krissy Chroninger
"I liked ['Yester-Gems']. The poem makes you want to appreciate
the little things in life that you will never miss until they are
completely gone." - Amy Schmidt
"Ray, You're poetry is beautiful, quite awe-inspiring, really.
I am especially fond of the one you sent out today... 'Yester-Gems.' It
was quite touching and I was amazed to read your notes at the end and get
a small glimpse of the metamorphisis that poem went through to become the
finnished product. It really is beautiful. The parenthetical 'sweet
moments,' as you call them, are what makes the poem work, in my opinion.
They contrast nicely with the ebb and flow of the verse itself and are
what brings it together to be one lucid thought. It is one of those poems
that leaves you day dreaming and remembering all those splendid memories
of years gone by. It encourages a peaceful feeling due to the happy
memories it does evoke, but on the other hand it left me a bit melancholy
as well for thinking about how nice it would be to live those 'carefree'
days again. But I think that is what makes a poem great....the fact that
it evokes emotions, sometimes conflicting emotions. It shows an
astounding complexity." -
Lori Campbell
RE: MOON IN SCORPIO
"It is exquisite! I can tell you reached waaaaaaaaay down deep
for that one...I read and re-read it and I am truly
impressed. And it takes a lot to impress me..." -
Sharon (from February 1997)
"Wow...I really liked ['Moon in Scorpio']...I even wrote
it down...The impression I got [is that it is] as if truly making love to
someone..truly understanding the intimacy..." -
Alaina (from January 1997)
"*smile*...Very nice...erotic!" -
Connee (from January 1997)
RE: FROM A POET
"That is a very 'revealing' poem...Isn't poetry really insight...into the soul of the poet? I believe I did see a little bit of your soul...I like what I see... great passion!" -
Janelle
RE: ONE SECOND
"Thank you, Raymond, for sharing 'One Second' with me, for
entrusting it to my heart. It and you will now travel with me on
the trails I travel." -
Phyllis Davies
"I absolutely LOVE ['One Second']! *grin* So I was
wondering if I could have your permission to share it with my English
class again! I think this poem is quite
beautiful and so true *smile*." -
Krissy Chroninger
"So true it is. We live each day thinking that each minute that passes
is taking forever...then we take some time to step back and realize
that relative to all the years that have passed on this earth, our
years here aren't that long and we need to do the most we can with each
second we have!" -
Jenny Donner
"I must say that it is
a very powerful poem. It really hit me when a member of my ward gave a
talk one Sunday on just how much time passes in heaven as opposed to
the time we spend on earth. We have so very little time to spend idle. So much can happen in a lifetime, and so little." -
Lillis Long
RE: THIRST
"I liked 'Thirst.' Nice structure and imagery." -
Carmien Owen
"...there is no doubt! You have a gift for
poetry....no matter the subject...You're a brave man to bare yourself like that..." -
"Marbles"
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