September 26

At His House by Stephen Dunn

Someone could write a poem about this topic and make it so appealing, but Dunn hasn't done that here. So much in poetry has nothing to do with what is written about, but how, and this poem is a prime example of the what being unexceptionable and the how being unexceptional.

---------

distances by William Allegrezza

There's a different personality between, say, Poetry Daily poems and No Tell Motel poems. The latter take more risks, generally, and the former are more polished. This poem, though, didn't strike me as risky or particularly polished. It feels unfinished, and unfocused as well. Of course, editors picking something aside from their usual is also a risk. I don't think this one panned out, but I'm always interested to see what tomorrow brings.

---------

Osmosis by Lauren Goodwin Slaughter

In the risk v. polish sweepstakes, Verse Daily is often drawing a middle line. For some reason, being in the middle poetry-wise is rarely a good place to be. This poem, oh, I don't know. I can't put my finger on anything in particular that throws me, and I rather like the egg line, but the poem as a whole just leaves me cold. Three poems, three shrugs means it's generally me.