Comments received on poems by Matthew R. Callies
What the Mountain Keeps
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, I’ve known relationships that seemed to live in that space between presence and absence, belonging and distance. What resonated with me here is how the poem never forces resolution. It allows the longing to remain what it is. Really enjoyed this one, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 4th, 2026 15:23
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, I’ve known relationships that seemed to live in that space between presence and absence, belonging and distance. What resonated with me here is how the poem never forces resolution. It allows the longing to remain what it is. Really enjoyed this one, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 4th, 2026 15:23
Hushed Lexicons in Neon Rooms
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this is one heck of a poem. I love how alive the language feels here…always moving, shifting, reinventing itself. There is a real sense of community and resilience running through it, and that energy carries from beginning to end. Wonderful write, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 4th, 2026 13:13
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this is one heck of a poem. I love how alive the language feels here…always moving, shifting, reinventing itself. There is a real sense of community and resilience running through it, and that energy carries from beginning to end. Wonderful write, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 4th, 2026 13:13
What the Mountain Keeps
sorenbarrett said:
This poem is replete with symbolism from the mountain to the road. It is a journey and emotions lay along the way one blending into another as wayside scenery does in passing. Well written my friend
June 4th, 2026 03:07
sorenbarrett said:
This poem is replete with symbolism from the mountain to the road. It is a journey and emotions lay along the way one blending into another as wayside scenery does in passing. Well written my friend
June 4th, 2026 03:07
Hushed Lexicons in Neon Rooms
sorenbarrett said:
The rejections of lines and words I picked up on the rest not so much well done
June 3rd, 2026 08:50
sorenbarrett said:
The rejections of lines and words I picked up on the rest not so much well done
June 3rd, 2026 08:50
Refusing the Fixed Grammar of Self
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, wow. Extremely moving. I initially read this as a contemporary reflection on identity, but your note sent me down a fascinating rabbit hole. I had never heard of the Public Universal Friend before. What I appreciate is that the poem doesn\'t simply recount history...it captures the tension between a society demanding categories and a person refusing to be confined by them. That gave the piece even more resonance for me. Thank you for introducing me to both the poem and the history behind it, and for your focus this month. Powerful write, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 2nd, 2026 21:57
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, wow. Extremely moving. I initially read this as a contemporary reflection on identity, but your note sent me down a fascinating rabbit hole. I had never heard of the Public Universal Friend before. What I appreciate is that the poem doesn\'t simply recount history...it captures the tension between a society demanding categories and a person refusing to be confined by them. That gave the piece even more resonance for me. Thank you for introducing me to both the poem and the history behind it, and for your focus this month. Powerful write, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 2nd, 2026 21:57
Refusing the Fixed Grammar of Self
Matthew J. Bays said:
Very well written! I love your rhyming structure and the way you speak of the struggle of gender in our world, especially when linking it to history. Recently been going through a lot of self discovery regarding this topic, so it really speaks to me
June 2nd, 2026 12:03
Matthew J. Bays said:
Very well written! I love your rhyming structure and the way you speak of the struggle of gender in our world, especially when linking it to history. Recently been going through a lot of self discovery regarding this topic, so it really speaks to me
June 2nd, 2026 12:03
Refusing the Fixed Grammar of Self
sorenbarrett said:
Gender, what seems a black and white issue of either or is not always so. This poem gives a historical reference to such. Nicely done
June 2nd, 2026 09:05
sorenbarrett said:
Gender, what seems a black and white issue of either or is not always so. This poem gives a historical reference to such. Nicely done
June 2nd, 2026 09:05
June Folding into Brightness
Friendship said:
Nicely written. Happy Pride Month, my friend.
June 1st, 2026 18:09
Friendship said:
Nicely written. Happy Pride Month, my friend.
June 1st, 2026 18:09
June Folding into Brightness
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Happy Pride Month! Matthew, what a beautiful poem. What struck me most is the way this celebrates visibility and belonging without losing its sense of joy. The repeated movement toward light, shared names, and community gives the whole piece a warmth that lingers. As someone who is LGBTQIA+ (trans/non-binary), I found a lot to appreciate here and a lot that resonated with me personally. Thank you for sharing this, my friend. Wonderful write. I always look forward to reading you, but I\'m especially looking forward to this month. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 1st, 2026 17:41
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Happy Pride Month! Matthew, what a beautiful poem. What struck me most is the way this celebrates visibility and belonging without losing its sense of joy. The repeated movement toward light, shared names, and community gives the whole piece a warmth that lingers. As someone who is LGBTQIA+ (trans/non-binary), I found a lot to appreciate here and a lot that resonated with me personally. Thank you for sharing this, my friend. Wonderful write. I always look forward to reading you, but I\'m especially looking forward to this month. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 1st, 2026 17:41
June Folding into Brightness
sorenbarrett said:
This poem that focuses on pride and Pride can apply to any although directed toward a few. Well written
June 1st, 2026 04:00
sorenbarrett said:
This poem that focuses on pride and Pride can apply to any although directed toward a few. Well written
June 1st, 2026 04:00
Where the Trail Ends
sorenbarrett said:
A beautiful picture painted in this verse. It is full of images close to my heart and an activity I have done for years. Cutting new trails through forest and at times over sand dunes, through marsh and up mountain sides. One is never so close to nature. Lovely
May 31st, 2026 12:10
sorenbarrett said:
A beautiful picture painted in this verse. It is full of images close to my heart and an activity I have done for years. Cutting new trails through forest and at times over sand dunes, through marsh and up mountain sides. One is never so close to nature. Lovely
May 31st, 2026 12:10
Where the Trail Ends
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this really grabbed me. There is such a spirit of adventure running through this piece...not reckless adventure, but the kind that embraces uncertainty and trusts the journey. By the end, it feels less like a hike and more like a philosophy of living. Beautifully done, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
May 31st, 2026 11:18
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this really grabbed me. There is such a spirit of adventure running through this piece...not reckless adventure, but the kind that embraces uncertainty and trusts the journey. By the end, it feels less like a hike and more like a philosophy of living. Beautifully done, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
May 31st, 2026 11:18
Caps in the Air
sorenbarrett said:
This poem ecoes a different culture but similar enough to other South American cultures to make it familiar. It calls to me of simple enjoyment and fun in poverty where a game can case immediate worries away. Your mention of bottle caps brought me back to Brazil where as a youth I learned how to spin them like a frisbee off a finger snap. A lovely poem that brought many feelings and a fave
May 30th, 2026 10:56
sorenbarrett said:
This poem ecoes a different culture but similar enough to other South American cultures to make it familiar. It calls to me of simple enjoyment and fun in poverty where a game can case immediate worries away. Your mention of bottle caps brought me back to Brazil where as a youth I learned how to spin them like a frisbee off a finger snap. A lovely poem that brought many feelings and a fave
May 30th, 2026 10:56
Caps in the Air
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this is such a joyful celebration of community and imagination. I love how a bottle cap and a broomstick become enough to create an entire world. The poem reminds me that the spirit of a game matters far more than the equipment. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
May 30th, 2026 10:26
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this is such a joyful celebration of community and imagination. I love how a bottle cap and a broomstick become enough to create an entire world. The poem reminds me that the spirit of a game matters far more than the equipment. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
May 30th, 2026 10:26
The Curse That Ended
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, even as someone who isn’t a Red Sox fan, I can feel the emotional weight of this. The poem captures how sports stories become larger than sports themselves…turning into shared myths, heartbreaks, and ultimately redemption. Strong work, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️
May 28th, 2026 20:48
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, even as someone who isn’t a Red Sox fan, I can feel the emotional weight of this. The poem captures how sports stories become larger than sports themselves…turning into shared myths, heartbreaks, and ultimately redemption. Strong work, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️
May 28th, 2026 20:48
The Curse That Ended
sorenbarrett said:
A poem of baseball history well written in poetic form. Well done
May 28th, 2026 14:43
sorenbarrett said:
A poem of baseball history well written in poetic form. Well done
May 28th, 2026 14:43
Beneath the Frozen Sky
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this is beautifully atmospheric. The poem carries that immense Antarctic stillness so well...a place both hostile and awe-inspiring at the same time. There’s a quiet reverence in the way you describe the landscape and the people enduring within it. Powerful work, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
May 27th, 2026 21:49
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this is beautifully atmospheric. The poem carries that immense Antarctic stillness so well...a place both hostile and awe-inspiring at the same time. There’s a quiet reverence in the way you describe the landscape and the people enduring within it. Powerful work, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
May 27th, 2026 21:49
A Whitechapel Haunting
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this carries the feel of an old gothic serial unfolding chapter by chapter through the fog. The atmosphere is thick from the opening lines onward, but what really elevates the piece is how the city itself becomes part of the horror...the soot, the rain, the alleyways, the fear feeding on itself. “The Thames, a black serpent, coils through the city” and the repeated presence of whispers and shadows create a haunting continuity all the way through. Dark, immersive, and deeply cinematic work, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️
May 27th, 2026 10:12
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this carries the feel of an old gothic serial unfolding chapter by chapter through the fog. The atmosphere is thick from the opening lines onward, but what really elevates the piece is how the city itself becomes part of the horror...the soot, the rain, the alleyways, the fear feeding on itself. “The Thames, a black serpent, coils through the city” and the repeated presence of whispers and shadows create a haunting continuity all the way through. Dark, immersive, and deeply cinematic work, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️
May 27th, 2026 10:12
Beneath the Frozen Sky
sorenbarrett said:
A great write of a place foreign to most where weather extremes are studied in a land of ice and night. Well written my friend
May 27th, 2026 04:30
sorenbarrett said:
A great write of a place foreign to most where weather extremes are studied in a land of ice and night. Well written my friend
May 27th, 2026 04:30
A Whitechapel Haunting
2781 said:
That was interesting, I didn\'t know he was never caught.
London seems to have its fare share of ghost\'s though.
May 26th, 2026 07:58
2781 said:
That was interesting, I didn\'t know he was never caught.
London seems to have its fare share of ghost\'s though.
May 26th, 2026 07:58
A Whitechapel Haunting
sorenbarrett said:
A dark story well told in rhyme. A legend of a serial killer that is enhanced by the lack of resolution in never finding who it was much like the Zodiac killer not being found makes it creepier. Love the style of writing that leaves a feel of the era. Well done my friend and a fave
May 26th, 2026 07:58
sorenbarrett said:
A dark story well told in rhyme. A legend of a serial killer that is enhanced by the lack of resolution in never finding who it was much like the Zodiac killer not being found makes it creepier. Love the style of writing that leaves a feel of the era. Well done my friend and a fave
May 26th, 2026 07:58
Fields without Footsteps
Tristan Robert Lange said:
My friend, this reminds me why Memorial Day always feels heavier than celebration to me. Beneath the flags and ceremonies are interrupted lives and families still carrying absences that never really leave. The humanity throughout this piece feels deeply sincere, Matthew. Wonderful work. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
May 25th, 2026 15:27
Tristan Robert Lange said:
My friend, this reminds me why Memorial Day always feels heavier than celebration to me. Beneath the flags and ceremonies are interrupted lives and families still carrying absences that never really leave. The humanity throughout this piece feels deeply sincere, Matthew. Wonderful work. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
May 25th, 2026 15:27
Fields without Footsteps
sorenbarrett said:
A commemoration a memorial day to those gone that gave all for the cause. Well written
May 25th, 2026 09:57
sorenbarrett said:
A commemoration a memorial day to those gone that gave all for the cause. Well written
May 25th, 2026 09:57
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