Comments received on poems by Matthew R. Callies
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
What Becomes Public
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this really moved me. There’s such a quiet dignity running through it...a refusal to let public reaction become the center of a person’s life. What stays with me most is the humanity of it all. Powerful work, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 6th, 2026 08:20
Tristan Robert Lange said:
Matthew, this really moved me. There’s such a quiet dignity running through it...a refusal to let public reaction become the center of a person’s life. What stays with me most is the humanity of it all. Powerful work, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
June 6th, 2026 08:20
Electric Saints
sorenbarrett said:
It is so difficult for most to accept anyone different than themselves in belief. physical appearance (be it skin color, weight), sexual orientation. We are a prejudiced lot. A poem very nicely written that addresses this. Well done my friend
June 6th, 2026 03:54
sorenbarrett said:
It is so difficult for most to accept anyone different than themselves in belief. physical appearance (be it skin color, weight), sexual orientation. We are a prejudiced lot. A poem very nicely written that addresses this. Well done my friend
June 6th, 2026 03:54
What Becomes Public
sorenbarrett said:
A recognition well stated and a tribute to differences. Well done
June 5th, 2026 07:54
sorenbarrett said:
A recognition well stated and a tribute to differences. Well done
June 5th, 2026 07:54
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
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