Comment from Katie Solis

Excellent

Very interesting ruminations. I like the ruminations, I don't know if there was a intended parallel to humans, but eventually we all come to an end I wonder what our ruminations will bring to us. Excellent structure and flow.

 Comment Written 04-Mar-2018

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reply by the author on 04-Mar-2018

Thanks for your review, Katie. Yes, there was a parallel intent. This poem was designed to be more about the self-destructive nature of dwelling on the inevitable catastrophes of the future rather than on enjoying the blessings of the present.

Comment from Ben Colder

Excellent

Hard to say what the beast of the fields think. I suppose if they knew what awaits them , they would all run for cover. Best wishes in the contest. Hope you win.

 Comment Written 04-Mar-2018

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reply by the author on 04-Mar-2018

Thanks for your review, Ben, and for the good luck wishes. This one isn't in fact entered into any contest, so I am assured of being a winner in a field of one. All the best, Tony

Comment from F. Wehr3

Excellent

I enjoyed the introspection of this piece, and the way you described the animal's thoughts. Really well done in my opinion. Deeper thinking would probably trouble her more, give her a reason to be afraid.

Take care,
Russell

 Comment Written 04-Mar-2018

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reply by the author on 04-Mar-2018

Thanks, Russell. I appreciate your comments. Perhaps this is true of humankind as well. It is easy to destroy the perfection of the present by worrying about the inevitability of death or the possibility of future disaster.

Comment from krys123

Excellent

Cheers, Tony;
-I don't know if you're familiar with the band Queen but there's one thing that Freddie Mercury says one of his songs and that is "It doesn't really matter." Well, you think it really does?
-that's the question whether it does or does not it's how you proposed it slightly most unthinkable thing to think about or to address what you've done it so beautifully making it almost a philosophical wonder. Whether, or not these animals or specifically this cow, or bovine has the consciousness ability to recognize his fate. I do believe they do, right before they die.
-you sure made me think about it for the day and I kinda like that.
-Thanks for sharing this, Tony, take care and have a good one.
Alex

 Comment Written 04-Mar-2018

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reply by the author on 04-Mar-2018

Thanks, Alex. I appreciate your comments. I saw a documentary about Queen just a few days ago. Freddie Mercury was quite a character. It is easy to destroy the perfection of the present by worrying too much about the future. These things are better faced when they actually come, though, in the case of humans, some preparation is always sensible!

reply by krys123 on 06-Mar-2018

You're very welcome, Tony, and may peace and blessings fall upon your family.
Alex

Comment from Pantygynt

Exceptional

Ooooh! This is enough to turn an omnivore into a vegan. The stomach of her mind is a magnificent line and the comparison between the biological ruminant ant the human equivalent in the second stanza lulls the reader into an even deeper sense of security until the human variant exercises innate superiority and sends her to the slaughterhouse -- a brutal word if ever there was on with none of the euphemistic softening of the French "abattoir". Excellently chosen words.

 Comment Written 04-Mar-2018

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reply by the author on 04-Mar-2018

Thanks, Jim. I appreciate your comments and the sixth star. One can destroy the perfection of the present by worrying too much about the future. These things are better faced when they actually come, though, in the case of humans, some preparation is always sensible! Life and death are much easier to face when slaughter's leading 's' is removed.

Comment from Brett Matthew West

Excellent

Leading a tranquil, peaceful, life does the cow even realize that all it has to look forward to is the slaughterhouse? Poem asks how deep does thinking need to go to find contentment? The two lines "Between those horns there lies the bovine essence of eternity" set the poem apart. Well constructed writing.

 Comment Written 04-Mar-2018

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reply by the author on 04-Mar-2018

Thanks, Brett. I appreciate your comments. One can destroy the perfection of the present by worrying too much about the future. These things are better faced when they actually come, though, in the case of humans, some preparation is always sensible! Life and death are much easier to face when slaughter's leading 's' is removed.

Comment from Ulla

Exceptional

Hi Tony, here goes my first six, to this wonderfully written poem expressing some deeper thoughts about the purpose of life itself. Maybe it's as well that this Highland cow cannot think quite as far ahead. On a total tangent, they are the sweetest creatures.
I loved your poem, which gave me food for thought. No pun intended! All the best. Ulla:))

 Comment Written 04-Mar-2018

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reply by the author on 04-Mar-2018

Thanks, Ulla. I appreciate your comments and the sixth star. One can destroy the perfection of the present by worrying too much about the future. These things are better faced when they actually come, though, in the case of humans, some preparation is always sensible. I agree with you about the Highland cattle - wonderful beasts! All the best, Tony

reply by Ulla on 04-Mar-2018

So true, and I do live up to that. Some planning is always sensible, but some times life has to be taken as it comes. In my present situation that is the best philosophy. All the best. Ulla:))

Comment from jppoet

Excellent

Congratulations on this artistic bovine reflection. Now only for its free verse text, but in the photo which adds mood and imagery to this masterpiece. john

 Comment Written 04-Mar-2018

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reply by the author on 04-Mar-2018

Thanks, John. I appreciate your comments. One can destroy the perfection of the present by worrying too much about the future. These things are better faced when they actually come, though in the case of humans some preparation is always sensible!

Comment from Mrs. KT

Excellent

Hello Friend,
"How deep need ruminations be?" I have often shared similar thoughts when thinking about writing poetry: If I choose to write a piece of verse while employing vocabulary that is less than grandiose, do those words lessen the validity of my writing? "Will deeper thinking make her more secure or happier?"
Your poetic offering truly causes one to pause and think...not about my writing...but about life itself. We all have one life. We all have purpose. We die.
Not too different from the subject of your poem. Thank you for your gift of poetry and your gift of allowing the reader to ruminate about life...

diane

 Comment Written 04-Mar-2018

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reply by the author on 04-Mar-2018

Thanks, Diane. I appreciate your comments. One can destroy the perfection of the present by worrying too much about the future. These things are better faced when they actually come, though, in the case of humans, some preparation is always sensible! Life and death are much easier to face when slaughter's leading 's' is removed. You are right, too, about poetry. It does not always need to be deep to be memorable!

Comment from catch22

Excellent

Hi Tony, how is the dream work going? I am finding it very challenging to remember details of my dreams, or even recall if I did dream. I told Jeff and he had some suggestions for me. Mainly, I am trying to catch myself in the middle of the dreamscape by waking myself up deliberately. I am having some success so far, but not enough to really write a poem. I've only remembered imagery from 2 dreams in the last four months. It is a struggle, but I am trying to stick with it.

In this poem, you pose a question about how great our impact can be in life and whether thought is enough to change things. I would argue it is when coupled with emotion. That is what comprises our belief systems that motivate and sustain us. THat is what sparks revolutions and change--deep thought coupled with deep emotion. That is why we are not the same as cows, but can be stewards of the earth. I believe our intellect gives us responsibility to do so, and to do so effectively, we must use it to our full capacity. I thought the free verse was well executed until the very end. That part felt a bit weak for the poem's end, especially in comparison with the fresh images in the first two stanzas.

 Comment Written 04-Mar-2018

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reply by the author on 04-Mar-2018

Thanks, Pam. One can destroy the perfection of the present by worrying too much about the future. That was the general premise of this poem - in my mind, at least! We are, of course, unlike cows in having the gift f forethought and a very much more sophisticated brain structure. Deep thought and emotion are powerful twin forces which can be used not just for our own good but for that of the world at large when handled in a responsible way. You are not the only one to have commented on the weakness of the last two lines. Perhaps I need to look at them again.
I have just recently written to Jeff withdrawing from the course. I find myself unable to recall anything more than the odd meaningless fragments of my dreams. Any efforts I have made to influence the direction of them in a way that enables me to access a deeper level of thinking have so far been entirely fruitless. Also, having read more widely into his premises about the dream world, I am not convinced that it is a path that I want to pursue. It has, however, been interesting to look into these things a bit more deeply and I don't deny that some people have a much greater ability to access the power of their subconscious. There have undoubtedly been savants in the past and are doubtless many still in existence. An enviable ability that I do not possess.
Nonetheless, I should be most interested to hear of your future progress and to read more of your poetry arising from the ideas behind this course. I struggle with Jeff's poetry a bit and although i do sometimes take the time to analyse and respond to it, I confess that much of it makes little real sense to me. However, now that I am more aware of its genesis, I may find it easier to understand.
I have been a little surprised that Jeff has not taken advantage of the facilities set up by FanStory to enable a more direct dialogue than occasional messages by PM. In previous classes that I have taken with Mountainwriter and Pantygynt, I found that regular weekly meetings via Teamspeak were valuable. This apart, he has provided some valuable input and comment.

reply by catch22 on 04-Mar-2018

Thank you Tony for the gracious response and I get where you are coming from, a different place and set of priorities. I admit I probably would not be as open to the process if I had not noticed a change in my writing and POV since this course and working with Jeff on site. I think we must all weigh what we value in this world and hold it dear. That being said, I enjoyed having you in the course because you are talented and empathetic to others. As for the course's structure and communication medium, I've never used the new platform for communication. I took courses with Brooke and she used another platform to chat and create assignments. I'm not quite sure about it either.