Comments received on poems by Matthew R. Callies
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 A lovely write of historical reference set in poetic form.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 A lovely write of historical reference set in poetic form.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
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
« Return to the profile of Matthew R. Callies
