Reviews from

Feeding the Bums

They would sit on the tracks and beg for food

37 total reviews 
Comment from Marilyn Hamilton
Excellent
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An excellent entry for the One Day at Five writing prompt. A very sweet poem with a touch of humor. Taking us back to the good old days! Good luck.

 Comment Written 19-Oct-2024

Comment from Debbie D'Arcy
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Aha! You were the baby of a large family eh? You inject so much atmosphere and a sense of the past into this charming episode in your childhood. Your poetry is beautifully crafted with excellent rhyme and an entertaining, evolving story, all complemented with a great visual. Well done and good luck! Debbie

 Comment Written 19-Oct-2024

Comment from Barry Penfold
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Yes, political correctness has invaded many parts of the world. I liked your contest entry and at five you could pretty well get away with most things. Love the image. Good rhyming. Thanks for sharing and all the best in the competition.
Regards
Barry Penfold.

 Comment Written 19-Oct-2024

Comment from Kahlani
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Lucky you! I'm in two minds here about whether or not you should help the homeless. First, we must show compassion for other people less fortunate than us. Second, there is stranger danger. But then again, you were only five. Well done.

 Comment Written 19-Oct-2024

Comment from Nicki.B
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This is a fabulous story, I enjoyed it so much. The nostalgia in there was just lovely! Its so sweet that as kids you had the kindness and empathy to feed the bums. I absolutely loves that punchline, to compliment the poem prompt. Good luck with the contest.
Best Wishes
Nicki

 Comment Written 19-Oct-2024

Comment from T B Botts
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Hello Debi,
I'm surprised that the bums or tramps were around when you were a child. My mother-in- law grew up on a farm in rural Ohio, and she mentioned during the depression that the used to come to her back door for food. Her mom always fed them on the back porch steps. I know that you're not that old, so I guess it must have been the particular area where you grew up that was still an issue. Well done gal. Oh, by the way, Happy Birthday! I heard from Pam Lonsdale that the two of you shared a birthday. I hope this is one to remember for all the right reasons. God bless and keep you gal.
Tom

 Comment Written 19-Oct-2024


reply by the author on 19-Oct-2024
    Hi Tom, yes Pam and I are birthday twins because we not only share the same day, we share the same year. We were born the exact same day. So that is special to us both. So we are having a toast together. We are each having a drink. Mine is a margarita, and we will send the picture to each other and toast each other then. Every year we do something special. This is our third year together. So thanks for all your kind comments. Pam maybe didn't tell you which one it is but I will. It is our 70th. OUCH! But I am having a fun day with all my friends here. Tomorrow is with my family.

    We lived in a place called St Cloud, MN. It was a big city. But we lived on the edge in an industrial are down an alley. Seven kids all the way from two years at this time, I was five and my oldest sister was 14. So yeah, believe me, we knew what bums were. This would have been in 1959, so we were in the edge of the city and we didn't know them by any other names then bums.

    So I have to ask, how did you know this one was me? LOL. This is a blind contest. I will just delete my personal part when I am done. So no biggie. I would rather lose the contest than to miss a chance to see you. Thanks again, my friend. And thanks again for the sweet wishes. Love, Debi
reply by T B Botts on 19-Oct-2024
    Hello Debi,
    your name must have shown up in the article at the time. I think what it was, was I looked you up in the community, so that's probably why it showed.
    I've got your girls by a couple of years. I'll be 73 this next year. I honestly only wanted to make it until my boys graduated from high school, but that's been years ago, and I'm glad I didn't check out too soon, I would have missed out on all the great folks on Fan Story, to say nothing of their writing. There is so much talent here. I hope the rest of your day is a complete delight.
    Blessings,
    Tom
reply by the author on 19-Oct-2024
    No worries, Tom. I am just so thrilled to hear from you. Take care my friend.
Comment from gansach
Excellent
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This is a great entry for the One Day at Five writing prompt competition. While we didn't live close to railroad tracks when I was a kid, I did know who and what bums were and that, if we saw any, we were to stay away from them. Today they would be the homeless living on the streets having lost a job or a home. Your poem has a great rhythm and rhyme and that last couplet with the twist, that you escaped punishment because of your age. Very well done!

 Comment Written 19-Oct-2024

Comment from mermaids
Excellent
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Your poetic form gives a clear picture of another place and time. I remember the homeless being called bums. You have a smooth poetic flow of words and tell a tale in your poem. It reads like a mini movie in poetic form.

 Comment Written 19-Oct-2024

Comment from DonandVicki
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

I think it was the photograph that pulled me into reading your poem, We had a pump like that to get our drinking water and for bath. I like to think this was a true story/poem, an altruistic poem.

 Comment Written 19-Oct-2024

Comment from TPAC
Excellent
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An enlighten storyhandled as a professional, by my given opinion. Lovely, a conveyance capturing a past event charms; curious children: active in the world. Your parents were justly looking after your safety. Bums are unpredictable: some mentally unbalance in mind. I thought, you kids did great. You exercised your religious faith: caring fir others. God protected you from anything else intended: that day. Just my viewpoint.

 Comment Written 19-Oct-2024