woop! i'm glad my scary clown poem had an effect!
thanks for reading another of my scribblings--i read 'cud' and really liked it, but i don't think i've actually commented/critiqued yet. will have to get on that! i remember liking how you juxtapose something so earthy with something more complicated--i love unexpected turns of the mind like that.

hi, debbie--
thanks for reading. you are completely right, of course. i've been struggling through a bout of block, and honestly was happy just to get something written--anything--regardless of how incomplete or rough. i hope to return to this chicken story and give it an ending worth reading!
i appreciate your feedback, as always.

Hey, Debbie - thanks for your comment on Water Bottle Musings - I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

Aha!
I can tell you were here on July 11th even though you were invisible ->. Anyway, I've made some changes to the FFF to make it work better. Please check out my Forum thread on the topic to see if you are interested.

-Ben

Thanks for the kind words, Debbie!

Thanks for the great critique! I'll have to contemplate what to do with the foreign languages. "Je vous déteste, anglais" actually means "I detest you, English" So not even that was translated. I feel the foreign phrases added to a soldier's confusion while fighting in a strange land, or maybe I was just reading too much James Joyce at the time

Thanks for the note, I will read more of your stories and hope you'll read the two of mine when you get a chance. They are restricted because they are both out to publishers at the moment.

Hey,

Thanks so much for your critique. Just to comment back about something you mentioned:
"What you may not realize, at the shy, young age of 21, is that the world deals up an unending ration of crap to some people and they are simply lacking in the skills to lift themselves above the frustrations and fears and frozen numbness of stasis. Or that , with some people, it takes a very long time to learn those skills or believe in themselves enough to move forward."

I do, however, realize that and it's exactly what I was trying to say in those lines. What turns moments of trial into lifetimes is just that.

You and I are sayin the same thing, I think maybe my message got lost in the lines. However, I really appreciate you takin the time to critique my work. Thanks again. --EMF

Hey Deb, do you have time to read The Castle in my Mind? I am needing some help here.. I know that there are typos and dropped words. I didn't know that I could copy and paste from original, so I tried to type going back and forth between screens,, and in the middle of the night,,, it was a challenge with small print. Thanks so much... Jeanie.. I tried to become your fan and haven't yet figured out how...????

Finally, someone comments this poem! Thank you for your kindness and giving it a read.

Great! I'm really glad you found my critique helpful!

Debbie,
Thanks for the critique of The Beautiful! I'm new to flash fiction and it is very hard to keep it from sounding like a summary of a longer work, but I'm trying. I might expand the piece eventually. Thanks again.

-Ben

Hello, Debbie. I am sorry to see what you have gone through in The Molester, you poor, poor soul. Your words opened my heart in that story, and I wish that I can help you in some way. May those thoughts be purged from you and may happiness be with you...

Hey! I fully intend on commenting on your revision, I've read it though, at least. I just need to get to a printer so I can print out both versions and compare them.

Thanks for your critique!!

I really enjoy reading your work. I hope the best for you, always.
-Angel