Comment from Raul1

Excellent

When you have nothing to do and life is totally hopeless we are left with nothing. Excellent work! It's beautifully written. No mistakes found. I like it. Thank you for sharing!

 Comment Written 21-Sep-2023

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reply by the author on 21-Sep-2023

Thanks so much for the kind comments! Craig

Comment from John Ciarmello

Excellent

This is super cute, and I love the message this has behind those beautiful little fish eyes.

All life here on earth is fleeting and should be lived without expectations or the yearning for riches.

If we could only channel LIFE along with the purity of not knowing of things we long for, like these two goldfish. Great message! Best, JohnC

 Comment Written 21-Sep-2023

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reply by the author on 21-Sep-2023

Thanks for the super comments, John. I'm glad you enjoyed. All the best, Craig.

Comment from TPAC

Excellent

I got a kick out of Monty, also enjoyed the sound of Pink Floyd, you must be Brit. I enjoyed this view, agreeing with your thoughts, if you don't think it, you'll never live it. The roulette, chances of life, I found compiling to my interests. Keep on truckin.

 Comment Written 21-Sep-2023

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reply by the author on 21-Sep-2023

Not a Brit, but I love a lot of their films, TV shows, and music. Thanks for the positive comments :)

Comment from Janet Foor

Excellent

A thought provoking 15 syllable poem. I'm always impressed with the word economy in these short poem. It is truly a gift to accomplish this task and have it make sense to the reader.

Well done you !!!

Boy
Janet

 Comment Written 21-Sep-2023

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reply by the author on 21-Sep-2023

Speaking of word economy, I think it's easy to bite off more than we can chew. I'm pretty sure I did that with my previous 4-line entry. It was so concise, few got my intention!

Thanks for the kind comments :)

Craig

Comment from Dawn Munro

Excellent

Oh my, this is very bleak for some people then, isn't it, if there is no meaning to life but what we make of it... What about those whose circumstances are terrible and who can do nothing to improve those circumstances? (i.e. - starving countries)
Without hope, there would be no point to charity...

I know we are really not reviewing or at least rating on content, but I had to offer my two cents worth... And your poem IS a well-written 15-syllable poem...

 Comment Written 21-Sep-2023

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reply by the author on 21-Sep-2023

It's interesting that I've had a couple of comments about the poem being "bleak" or "depressing", yet that wasn't my intention at all. I regard it as simply "realistic". We live, we die, and in between, we try to make the most of it. That was one reviewer's summation, and basically what my intention was.

I'm not certain of the point you're trying to make about the starving person - or maybe I have an inkling, but just don't agree with it. It seems to me to be cold comfort to tell a person who is in terrible pain and dying of hunger and malnutrition that everything will be OK because there is something better waiting for them in the hereafter (providing they tick all the appropriate boxes). A far better solution is to give our own life meaning by giving them food, no?

Speaking of rules, we are not meant to defend our work, and I'm not doing that -- as far as I'm concerned you have every right to like it or not. You also have every right to speak your mind about the content, and to disagree with me. After all, I'm not a priest or any other representative of God!

Lovely to hear from you, Dawn. Thanks for your thoughts :)

reply by Dawn Munro on 21-Sep-2023

Thanks so much, Craig, for understanding where I am coming from in voicing my opinion...
I disagree with the idea, however, with the first part of your argument -- "providing they tick all the appropriate boxes" and completely agree with the second part -- "A far better solution is to give our own life meaning by giving them food, no?"
My faith teaches me that we live in grace -- there are no 'boxes we can tick', in fact. It was all accomplished with the death of Christ on the cross and His resurrection -- we need only believe in our redemption and accept it. (My own faith is Christian, hence Jesus, but I do not discount others... The Messiah is/was the Messiah.)
As for feeding others, if each one of us did what we could to help, we would eradicate hunger -- the problem is, we don't. All we can do is enrich our own lives by keeping our own corner of the globe clean, yes? And of course, I don't mean that literally, but figuratively. There are so many areas of the world that could be so much better off if we would ALL just care for one another, yes? Sadly, that is not humankind...

reply by Dawn Munro on 21-Sep-2023

We are a selfish bunch, who live in fear.

Comment from royowen

Excellent

I remember reading Ecclesiastes that suggests that life really has no meaning, it's a fabulous book of poetry, containing sheer irony, "vanity of vanity, behold is vanity" what has been done, will be done again, life is meaningless", so beautifully written Craig, good luck, blessings

 Comment Written 21-Sep-2023

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reply by the author on 21-Sep-2023

I believe there's a subtlety in play here that may have eluded Solomon the Wise (whose English, after all, wasn't that good). Meaningless doesn't equate to pointless. Thanks very much, Roy :) Craig

reply by royowen on 21-Sep-2023

The book contains a lot more, and is incredibly subtle, such as chapter three, which was a famous song based on that by the Byrds, Turn! Turn! Turn,

reply by the author on 21-Sep-2023

Just as Moses inspired The Animals with Exodus - "We gotta get out of this place, if it's the last thing we ever do!" :)

Comment from JSD

Excellent

Love the way the piece dwindles as one reads on. Cleverly constructed and you say a great deal in a mere fifteen syllables. Well done and good luck in the competition.

 Comment Written 21-Sep-2023

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reply by the author on 21-Sep-2023

Thanks very much for the kind comments and good wishes. Craig

Comment from Terry Broxson

Excellent

This is a very good and thought-provoking poem for this contest. Good luck. I have read enough of your work to know you are very astute. It occurred to me that if you wanted, you could write another poem taking an opposite position and make it just as thought-provoking. Excellent. Terry.

 Comment Written 21-Sep-2023

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reply by the author on 21-Sep-2023

That thought is strangely appealing to my contrarian nature. Thanks, Terry, for the kind comments. Craig

Comment from BenThrone

Excellent

And so perhaps the moral is to always look on the bright side of life, and shine on like crazy diamonds. Thank you for this very zen poem. Good luck in the contest!

 Comment Written 21-Sep-2023

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reply by the author on 21-Sep-2023

Thanks for the good wishes and the fun comments. Between us and them and a fish called Wanda, I think you may be right. Thanks, Ben :)

Comment from Eternal Muse

Excellent

Wow, this is so true. We bring the meaning to our life. And life goes so fast. Someone said that life is a moment between past and future

The cutest picture of those fishes. Nice artistic presentation.

 Comment Written 21-Sep-2023

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reply by the author on 21-Sep-2023

I like that way of putting it - the moment. Thanks for the positive comments!