Category: Poetry Crit

Artists Supporting Artists, HSTQ, Poetry Crit, Writers, Writing Community, Writing Male Characters

John Tustin

J.A. Carter-Winward

This piece taps into some pretty heavy themes on manhood, male-ness, and the human condition. Yes, I know, how *dare* I–but I highly doubt I’m gonna get “canceled” by a bunch of cis-white men. Ahem & *wink*
This poem is spectacular, really. The nuances are stunning.
“…Loses his arrogance.
Confidence? He never
Owned any.”
What a fantastic use of language and what an engaging character he is. I found myself aching a little inside for him while “recalling” the glory days of his youth, his arrogance and bluster serving as a mask for his lack of confidence, but surely he got there at some point in his life. Don’t we all fake it ’til we make it a little when we’re young, consuming life rather than recycling it, careening instead of pacing?

It’s a compelling life-sketch of one man, every man. Looking forward to more from this poet.

Horror Sleaze Trash

Arrogance

Pity the young man who,
As he grows older,
Loses his arrogance.
Confidence? He never
Owned any.
His insolence,
Once interesting,
Is now merely crankiness:
His resolve stubbornness.
His desires fantasies.
All he owned,
Once so indelibly carved
Into his heart and his words
Was shown to be illusion.
He considered the palpable
Tangible.
He knows better now.

Pity the man whose words were once braver,
His eyes alive with the clarity
Of the zealot.
He rarely saw choices –
He just acted.
He doubted himself
But not his beliefs that were
Imbued by the books he read
And the feelings he felt
When he would lie in bed at night,
Alone but
Just knowing things should be a certain way
And that if he were true to himself,
They would be.

Pity the young man who,
As the skin of his trust and belief
Was peeled away,
Left…

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Adult language and themes, Archetypes, Symbolism, Metaphor, Motif, Artists Supporting Artists, Author J.A. Carter-Winward, Author/Poet J.A. Carter-Winward, Book Review, Christmas, Contraries and Contrasts, deconstruction, Human Nature, the Psyche, Human Psycho-Sexuality, India LaPlace, Life, Light and Dark, New Voices, Poetry Crit, Poetry-Parenting-Mothers, Poets, Rude words, Salt Hive Press, Sex and Other Fun Stuff, Subjective Experience, The Word, Trauma, Writers, Writing, Writing Community, Writing Life

“Sad Discoveries,” by India LaPlace, A Christmas Eve Review

J.A. Carter-Winward

{Warning:This review contains explicit content and language. If you are offended by explicit language and content, feel free to not be. Or feel free to skip this review.  I'm good, either way.} “And if I’d learned that, My marriage might have survived, Or, at least, Maybe my dad wouldn’t tell me That I’m the kind… Continue reading “Sad Discoveries,” by India LaPlace, A Christmas Eve Review

Archetypes, Symbolism, Metaphor, Motif, deconstruction, Human Nature, the Psyche, Life, Life and Death, Light and Dark, Mortality, Personal, Poetry Crit, Poets, Psychology, Subjective Experience, The Word, Vita Brevis, Writers, Writing, Writing Community, Writing Life, Writing Process

Thoughts on “Grief – A Poem” by Cynthia Pitman

J.A. Carter-Winward

Today I’m going to address this poem because it was more than what it seems—and is, if you know anything about loss. Find the original poem HERE on Vita Brevis Poetry Magazine. Every so often I come across a poem that feels like a perfect poem. What does a “perfect poem” look like, read like?… Continue reading Thoughts on “Grief – A Poem” by Cynthia Pitman

Author/Poet J.A. Carter-Winward, Contraries and Contrasts, deconstruction, Featured Poet, Light and Dark, Poetry Crit, Poets, Proper-schmoper: Form and Formality, Subjective Experience, The Word, Vita Brevis, Writers, Writing Community

Under the Plum Tree—by Linda Lee Lyberg: A Deconstruction

J.A. Carter-Winward

This poem was originally published in Vita Brevis, and was chosen by the editor as a favorite, so I re-read it again today, and it still tugged at me the way it did when I first read it. It begged me to take it apart. Dismantling/deconstructing a poem is not as horrific or callous as… Continue reading Under the Plum Tree—by Linda Lee Lyberg: A Deconstruction

Archetypes, Symbolism, Metaphor, Motif, Contraries and Contrasts, deconstruction, Featured Poet, Light and Dark, Poetry Crit, Poets, The Word, Vita Brevis, Writers, Writing, Writing Community, Writing in Blood

Delmarva by Katy Santiff: a Commentary

J.A. Carter-Winward

  Good morning and welcome to another edition of Writing in Blood's deconstruction of a poem entitled Delmarva—A Poem by Katy Santiff. I enjoy the unfolding of a new dimension. When I open a book of poetry, never at the beginning, but in the middle, it’s an immediate immersion. You don’t do it with a… Continue reading Delmarva by Katy Santiff: a Commentary