Ouch. Too real for me today. I was homeless years ago and Montana has a high vet population struggling with personal issues. This literally could be today's headlines here.
My comment is based on professional editing points. It is meant to be honest, encouraging, and respectful in accordance with WDC guidelines.
THE POEM
The poem is a nice tribute to a military mother.
WHAT I LIKED
I can totally relate to this poem having served in the military myself. There are often times one worries and finds things to pass the time, but their loved one is never far from their hearts.
STRUCTURE
This is a villanelle. A villanelle is a highly structured poem with 5 tercets and ends with a quatrain. There are 2 repeating rythmes and 2 repeating refrains. The poem followed the structure. I thought the repeating refrains were very respectful and reverent. There's a nice rythme and flow when spoken outloud.
MECHANICS
I did not spot any spelling/punctuation mistakes. Good use of WDC ML to increase font and make easier to read on the website.
DESCRIPTIONS
I liked: With steadfast devotion, she prays to relieve the anxiety" The description draws up a visual of a mother, prayerful, with a holy book, or a passage, heart on their sleeve, looking to find peace. It's a great description and taps into somber emotion well.
PARTING THOUGHTS/SUGGESTIONS
The opening engages the reader. The title is a nice fit for the poem. Good luck in the Bard's Hall Contest.
He missed Christmas while serving overseas,
but now the family is coming together
to welcome him home on leave.
They will celebrate the holiday
a little late this year.
Still, it will be a jolly July
with peppermint candy canes
hung around the patio
and cold chocolate milkshakes
to replace traditional hot cocoa.
The hot summer sun casts an eerie glow
on cotton snow spread across the ground,
as the joy of giving intensifies
when friends and relatives deliver
gifts for military still serving overseas.
The Minute poem is twelve lines divided into three quatrains, with each stanza having line structure of 8, 4, 4, 4 written in iambic meter. The rhyme scheme is aabb, ccdd, eeff, as described and demonstrated in the following link: http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/minute.html .
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