Comments received on poems by Matthew R. Callies
No Fence Can Finish Us
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, what a powerful piece. The movement, the dust, the horses, the crowd...everything works together to create a sense of people fully inhabiting the moment rather than standing outside it trying to define it. And that closing image leaves the poem still moving long after it ends. Wonderful write, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 20th, 2026 09:28
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, what a powerful piece. The movement, the dust, the horses, the crowd...everything works together to create a sense of people fully inhabiting the moment rather than standing outside it trying to define it. And that closing image leaves the poem still moving long after it ends. Wonderful write, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 20th, 2026 09:28
No Fence Can Finish Us
sorenbarrett said:
Rodeos are a place to prove one\'s skill and courage and this poem aptly describes the feeling and atmosphere of one. Nicely written
June 20th, 2026 03:47
sorenbarrett said:
Rodeos are a place to prove one\'s skill and courage and this poem aptly describes the feeling and atmosphere of one. Nicely written
June 20th, 2026 03:47
Donny\'s Price
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, one thing I’ve appreciated throughout this series is how human you’ve kept these pieces. Here, the tension between the public name and the private person really lingered with me. It reminds us there’s always more to a life than what most people ever see. Powerful write, my friend. 🖤🙏🦇🐦⬛
June 19th, 2026 21:27
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, one thing I’ve appreciated throughout this series is how human you’ve kept these pieces. Here, the tension between the public name and the private person really lingered with me. It reminds us there’s always more to a life than what most people ever see. Powerful write, my friend. 🖤🙏🦇🐦⬛
June 19th, 2026 21:27
A San Francisco Requiem: Elegy for Harvey Milk and George Moscone
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this hit me hard. Harvey\'s story has always carried that painful mix of hope, courage, progress, and loss...and you captured all of it here. By the end, I found myself thinking less about the tragedy and more about the people who kept carrying the torch forward. Powerful piece, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 18th, 2026 20:30
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this hit me hard. Harvey\'s story has always carried that painful mix of hope, courage, progress, and loss...and you captured all of it here. By the end, I found myself thinking less about the tragedy and more about the people who kept carrying the torch forward. Powerful piece, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 18th, 2026 20:30
A San Francisco Requiem: Elegy for Harvey Milk and George Moscone
sorenbarrett said:
A tribute poem based on a real person that I remember from the news of the time. Well written in good rhyme and flow. Nicely done
June 18th, 2026 04:26
sorenbarrett said:
A tribute poem based on a real person that I remember from the news of the time. Well written in good rhyme and flow. Nicely done
June 18th, 2026 04:26
Under the Same Cold Star
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, the idea of myth functioning as a shelter for forbidden language stayed with me. That image beautifully captures how symbolism can become both protection and expression at the same time. A powerful observation, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 17th, 2026 11:47
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, the idea of myth functioning as a shelter for forbidden language stayed with me. That image beautifully captures how symbolism can become both protection and expression at the same time. A powerful observation, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 17th, 2026 11:47
Under the Same Cold Star
sorenbarrett said:
This poem seems to use Greek history, culture, myth and art as metaphor for its message. Well done
June 17th, 2026 04:19
sorenbarrett said:
This poem seems to use Greek history, culture, myth and art as metaphor for its message. Well done
June 17th, 2026 04:19
Beacon on the Barbed Wire
Tristan Robert Lange said:
My friend, this brought me right back to that era as well. The internet was still young, yet somehow people found ways to gather, mourn, and bear witness together. I remember those early online memorials and vigils feeling surprisingly powerful. Reading this stirred some of those memories. I sadly remember Matthew\'s death like it was yesterday. 😭 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 16th, 2026 09:27
Tristan Robert Lange said:
My friend, this brought me right back to that era as well. The internet was still young, yet somehow people found ways to gather, mourn, and bear witness together. I remember those early online memorials and vigils feeling surprisingly powerful. Reading this stirred some of those memories. I sadly remember Matthew\'s death like it was yesterday. 😭 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 16th, 2026 09:27
Beacon on the Barbed Wire
sorenbarrett said:
Sad one of many instances such. A person I know was beaten by a gang of five or six nearly to death but latter got justice in court against all. Well written
June 16th, 2026 08:14
sorenbarrett said:
Sad one of many instances such. A person I know was beaten by a gang of five or six nearly to death but latter got justice in court against all. Well written
June 16th, 2026 08:14
A Face Rewritten in Marble Air
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, what I admire most here is the determination at the heart of it. Again and again, forces try to define, contain, erase, or rename...and again and again something human remains. The recurring images of silence, memory, and persistence all work together beautifully. Another powerful entry in the series, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 15th, 2026 08:22
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, what I admire most here is the determination at the heart of it. Again and again, forces try to define, contain, erase, or rename...and again and again something human remains. The recurring images of silence, memory, and persistence all work together beautifully. Another powerful entry in the series, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 15th, 2026 08:22
A Face Rewritten in Marble Air
sorenbarrett said:
Powerful poetic words about a traumatic historical ruler and one that he subjected to his will. Sad stories of power and abuse of individuality and institutional suppression. Well written and a fave
June 15th, 2026 04:34
sorenbarrett said:
Powerful poetic words about a traumatic historical ruler and one that he subjected to his will. Sad stories of power and abuse of individuality and institutional suppression. Well written and a fave
June 15th, 2026 04:34
The Last Imitation
sorenbarrett said:
Watched the movie and have read about him a genius trapped in a dark age world where morals and sexuality was still legislated and punished. A sad story of man\'s intolerance and government\'s attempts to legislate morality that never works. Nicely written
June 14th, 2026 08:40
sorenbarrett said:
Watched the movie and have read about him a genius trapped in a dark age world where morals and sexuality was still legislated and punished. A sad story of man\'s intolerance and government\'s attempts to legislate morality that never works. Nicely written
June 14th, 2026 08:40
The Last Imitation
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this hit me hard. There is such a powerful sense of injustice woven through this piece...not only mourning the man himself, but what was done to him by the very society he helped transform, which was nothing short of horrifying. A moving tribute and a vitally important reminder, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 14th, 2026 08:16
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this hit me hard. There is such a powerful sense of injustice woven through this piece...not only mourning the man himself, but what was done to him by the very society he helped transform, which was nothing short of horrifying. A moving tribute and a vitally important reminder, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 14th, 2026 08:16
Fragment of Sappho
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this is one heck of a poem. What struck me most is the affection and reverence running through it...not as history, but as connection. The imagery is rich throughout, and that sense of an enduring flame surviving the centuries lingers long after the final line. Excellent write, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 13th, 2026 22:09
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this is one heck of a poem. What struck me most is the affection and reverence running through it...not as history, but as connection. The imagery is rich throughout, and that sense of an enduring flame surviving the centuries lingers long after the final line. Excellent write, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 13th, 2026 22:09
Fragment of Sappho
sorenbarrett said:
Relying on classical legend and myth this poem is well set in Greek culture and history with great flow it is a fave
June 13th, 2026 04:07
sorenbarrett said:
Relying on classical legend and myth this poem is well set in Greek culture and history with great flow it is a fave
June 13th, 2026 04:07
After-School Cartography
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, thank you for this. What resonates with me most is the simple idea that nobody should have to hide just to make it through the school day. Finding community, being believed, and knowing you belong can change a life. Always grateful for your voice and your presence. So thankful for this series, my friend. 🖤🙏🦇🐦⬛
June 12th, 2026 13:05
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, thank you for this. What resonates with me most is the simple idea that nobody should have to hide just to make it through the school day. Finding community, being believed, and knowing you belong can change a life. Always grateful for your voice and your presence. So thankful for this series, my friend. 🖤🙏🦇🐦⬛
June 12th, 2026 13:05
After-School Cartography
sorenbarrett said:
Once again a cascading and rotating of the lines produces a feeling in the write that echoes in the mind. Well done Matthew
June 12th, 2026 02:49
sorenbarrett said:
Once again a cascading and rotating of the lines produces a feeling in the write that echoes in the mind. Well done Matthew
June 12th, 2026 02:49
Private Truths in a Public Room
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, what a thoughtful sonnet. The imagery of coded silence, careful speech, and unseen courage creates a powerful portrait of people navigating systems that often fail to recognize their humanity. Yet what stays with me most is the ending. The poem doesn\'t conclude with fear, but with voice...and the realization that speaking itself can become an act of courage. Beautifully done, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 11th, 2026 08:33
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, what a thoughtful sonnet. The imagery of coded silence, careful speech, and unseen courage creates a powerful portrait of people navigating systems that often fail to recognize their humanity. Yet what stays with me most is the ending. The poem doesn\'t conclude with fear, but with voice...and the realization that speaking itself can become an act of courage. Beautifully done, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 11th, 2026 08:33
Private Truths in a Public Room
sorenbarrett said:
A beautiful and powerful sonnet that has wonderful lines set in great rhyme. Very nicely done a fave
June 11th, 2026 04:22
sorenbarrett said:
A beautiful and powerful sonnet that has wonderful lines set in great rhyme. Very nicely done a fave
June 11th, 2026 04:22
Refusal in a Public Light
sorenbarrett said:
This style of poem I have often thought I would try but as of yet have not attempted. I find it quite engaging and very useful in projecting a certain echo feeling to the poem. Nicely done
June 10th, 2026 08:16
sorenbarrett said:
This style of poem I have often thought I would try but as of yet have not attempted. I find it quite engaging and very useful in projecting a certain echo feeling to the poem. Nicely done
June 10th, 2026 08:16
Refusal in a Public Light
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Mattjew, this really hit me hard. There is a fierce energy running through this piece...not celebratory in the conventional sense, but determined, defiant, and unwilling to be softened for anyone else\'s comfort. Powerful write, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 10th, 2026 08:16
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Mattjew, this really hit me hard. There is a fierce energy running through this piece...not celebratory in the conventional sense, but determined, defiant, and unwilling to be softened for anyone else\'s comfort. Powerful write, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 10th, 2026 08:16
Held Beyond Division
Tristan Robert Lange said:
My friend, I found myself appreciating the generosity of spirit in this. Rather than arguing, it invites the reader to widen their perspective and consider a reality larger than the one they may have inherited. I really enjoyed that approach. Wonderful write. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 10th, 2026 08:07
Tristan Robert Lange said:
My friend, I found myself appreciating the generosity of spirit in this. Rather than arguing, it invites the reader to widen their perspective and consider a reality larger than the one they may have inherited. I really enjoyed that approach. Wonderful write. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 10th, 2026 08:07
Held Beyond Division
sorenbarrett said:
What is in a name so said the bard and it is true taking on a name meant ownership and today this has in many cases been dispensed with in straight marriages where the woman retains her maiden name but in gay marriages it becomes a question of statement as opposed to ownership. And what is law but accepted group norms codified. Something I will be writing on soon. Well done my friend
June 9th, 2026 06:49
sorenbarrett said:
What is in a name so said the bard and it is true taking on a name meant ownership and today this has in many cases been dispensed with in straight marriages where the woman retains her maiden name but in gay marriages it becomes a question of statement as opposed to ownership. And what is law but accepted group norms codified. Something I will be writing on soon. Well done my friend
June 9th, 2026 06:49
Statute Written in Smoke and Ink
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this really hit me. What I appreciate most is the restraint of the piece. Rather than relying on outrage, it quietly traces how prejudice can become embedded within institutions and then mistaken for order. Powerful work, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 8th, 2026 11:00
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this really hit me. What I appreciate most is the restraint of the piece. Rather than relying on outrage, it quietly traces how prejudice can become embedded within institutions and then mistaken for order. Powerful work, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 8th, 2026 11:00
Statute Written in Smoke and Ink
sorenbarrett said:
When ever man desires to impose his values upon another such problems exist. A lovely write of historical reference set in poetic form. Well done Matthew
June 8th, 2026 05:17
sorenbarrett said:
When ever man desires to impose his values upon another such problems exist. A lovely write of historical reference set in poetic form. Well done Matthew
June 8th, 2026 05:17
Mimeograph Light
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this really moved me. What stays with me is the quiet bravery at the heart of the poem. The passing of pages, the careful language, the creation of community in places where visibility carried risk...all of it speaks to people finding one another despite the pressures around them. The final turn lands beautifully because it honors those small acts of courage that helped make larger ones possible. Powerful work, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 7th, 2026 08:57
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this really moved me. What stays with me is the quiet bravery at the heart of the poem. The passing of pages, the careful language, the creation of community in places where visibility carried risk...all of it speaks to people finding one another despite the pressures around them. The final turn lands beautifully because it honors those small acts of courage that helped make larger ones possible. Powerful work, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 7th, 2026 08:57
Mimeograph Light
sorenbarrett said:
Hidden love marks this poetic sonnet very nicely written
June 7th, 2026 04:23
sorenbarrett said:
Hidden love marks this poetic sonnet very nicely written
June 7th, 2026 04:23
Electric Saints
Syd said:
Conversion therapy is shocking. Love is love. I read they used to use lobotomies years ago. Truely awful.
- Syd
June 6th, 2026 12:02
Syd said:
Conversion therapy is shocking. Love is love. I read they used to use lobotomies years ago. Truely awful.
- Syd
June 6th, 2026 12:02
Electric Saints
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this really moved me. What stays with me is how relentlessly human the poem remains. Beneath the institutional language, the arguments, and the attempts to reshape people into something else, there are actual lives bearing the consequences. The anger feels earned because it grows from that reality. A powerful and uncompromising piece, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 6th, 2026 08:27
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this really moved me. What stays with me is how relentlessly human the poem remains. Beneath the institutional language, the arguments, and the attempts to reshape people into something else, there are actual lives bearing the consequences. The anger feels earned because it grows from that reality. A powerful and uncompromising piece, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 6th, 2026 08:27
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