[Barbara Lee]

Hello James,

Thank you so much for the great questions. I will consider them all. I am glad both you and Matt pointed out the “I have/I hear ect as line ends and tense change. Those lines were was certainly one of my concerns when posting. I had not thought of the issue of line end to what follows here. Thanks for that. I will think on it.


Hello Hilary Biehl,
I liked your reading of strangeness intruding on the familiar. I had some general inspiration from the idea of where poetry sits off maps [without all the dots connecting.] I wanted to leave room for the reader. Thanks so much for commenting.


Hello Roger Slater,
I am glad you liked the poem. If the poem is on the resistant side, I think I am happy with that.


Nick McRae, thank you.



And ditto. I am looking more closely at the close as several readers have wondered about that ending.

Matt, I am glad you enjoyed the poem.



I am very grateful for the time you took to say how you were reading. I especially am glad you said that “you were left to supply my own interpretation of what falling off the map might mean”. You make a good observation about the balance between dragons/treasure/beauty in the poem. A good thing to consider is balance in a poem and I will be considering what you said.



Hello Carl Copeland,

Please always presume away with comments. All feedback is welcome. I think that is a good call on close and I am going to change it to close. That tell bit—I was having a bit of fun with meaning. A tell can be a signal for a bluff….


Hello Jim Moonan,

Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. I appreciate your reading/experience of the poem. I am so happy you mentioned the “I smell smoke” line. Again I was having a little fun and am glad someone picked up on it however they may read it. I hear you on that close. Re-order may work. Especially on that wild gleaming line. Thanks again.