poem for critique

Posted by Michele Fermanis-Winward on 7/20/2025 10:26:19 PM
Anemoia When crows commend the day as thunder rolls across the sky and icy winds serenade the trees it sparks a longing for the wild of oceans and deserted farms that I have never known a memory held within my cells from those who travelled far to reach this unkempt land their islands of Atlantic storms which lost the name of home tie me to abstract history I sought and never found a place to claim my soul somewhere the heart enclosed.

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Comment by Nubile Miscreant on 10/15/2025 4:56:34 PM

I want to read this with better formatting. I like the imagery of deserted farms, pretty uncommon. The sense of urgency is strong and i like that it was balanced with a lengthy analysis of movement and still beauty through weather, nature. The use of the word abstract seems too on the nose because the poem is abstract and that feels like the point. The last like is nice with the "heart enclosed" but feels a bit stubbed. Maybe easing into that a bit would be cool? Overall very nice

Comment by Michele Fermanis-Winward on 7/28/2025 11:09:44 PM

Thank you Jeanette Swan, I value your suggestions and will look closely at how they can add to the poem. I really dislike how all the layout of a carefully structured verse has been turned into a bowl of noodles by the hosts of this site.

Comment by Jeanette Swan on 7/28/2025 9:50:07 PM

I agree with Jami - an evocative write! I can feel the low clouds and wind and love the verb for the crows - they 'commend the day'! Your use of 'unkempt' and 'sought', less common old-style words, adds to the time warp, longing for an unknown history. As a reader I generally like a bit of punctuation to guide me, but the blustering wind, and longing heart in this write might override that. The assonance in 'place to claim' helps the phrase ring with truth. 'abstract' and 'history' have similar sounds that tie them together too. I like the long vowels in 'the wild of oceans and deserted farms'. This makes the landscape stretch out. IDEAS: 'Serenade' doesn't work for me, with both the sound and weather: perhaps, torment/ harrass/ like banshees scream...... Maybe change the 'and', to 'yet never found'? I definitely need a punctuation pause before the last words of longing, perhaps, '...to claim my soul: somewhere my heart belongs (or a dash). p.s. It appears as a long continuous write - your 3 stanzas are gone.

Comment by Michele Fermanis-Winward on 7/21/2025 2:35:13 PM

Thank you Jami, For taking the time to read and generously comment on my poem. Hopefully it appeared to you as laid out by me in three line stanzas.

Comment by Jami Patterson on 7/21/2025 11:42:38 AM

That's a beautiful and evocative poem! It speaks to a deep sense of ancestral memory and a yearning for a past that isn't your own, yet feels intrinsically connected to you. The imagery of crows, thunder, icy winds, and the wildness of oceans and deserted farms creates a powerful atmosphere. The line "a memory held within my cells from those who travelled far" perfectly encapsulates the feeling of anemoia, which is a great word to describe this kind of longing for a time or place you've never experienced. Your poem captures the essence of how our personal histories are intertwined with the broader currents of human migration and the enduring search for a sense of belonging. The "islands of Atlantic storms which lost the name of home" is particularly poignant, highlighting the loss and displacement that can come with such journeys. It truly conveys the search for a place to "claim my soul," a spiritual home that remains just out of reach, yet is deeply felt within your being.

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