I have a friend I met years ago on WordPress who is consistently supportive and kind. He published a book that I just received in the mail. It’s so clever.

Over the years he would comment on a poem with his own poetry. Not just for me but for so many other poets.

So this is his book… of poetic comments. Each poem links back to the poem that inspired it. I love it.

For instance in 2021 I wrote this piece:

People you love will leave
It’ll hurt and you’ll cry
Your brain will have
A million things to say
You’ll blame yourself
Wish you could have done better
Wish you could have changed
Wonder what you could have done
But babe
If you loved them and you tried
If you were there for them
If you were honest with them
If you listened to them
Gave them what you said you could
Then it’s not your fault
When they want what you can’t give
When they change the rules
When they refuse to listen to you
You didn’t love wrong
Love isn’t a guarantee
Doesn’t make people stay
So let them go
And use that love
Where it’s needed
Because it is needed
Even if only for a season
And maybe when people leave
That’s love too
Maybe you deserve better
Maybe your love deserves better
And there are plenty of people
Who want, need, crave
Your kind of love

He commented:

Some will come into your life will be loved,
but time may tell,
or time May come —
that loves needs a distance
or a silence
in which it need not die.

Thank you Robert Wertzler for the many kindnesses you’ve shared with me. 💕

His blog is here