Porcelina posted a 'filk' -The Beautiful Pizza. I'm looking forward to 
seeing what Porcelina will start writing with all the skills she has 
developed during her work on these filks.

       The beautiful pizza
       The beautiful pizza
       Our pizzas cost but our crust is cheesier
       How many times do I have to say
       "Will you eat it here or take it away?"
 

Terry Bowden continued the apocalyptic series with Come the Horsemen. I've discussed this poem at length in a separate message, here it is in uninterrupted entirety for us to think about all over again.

        These sickly plagues on procreation
        put flies on the face of population
        scientists pressed blind past the edge.
        Make theirs the screams of poesies
        that stripe night airs on ruban bands,
        that scratch and grow in fading furrows,
        that grade and till through silky sands
        then deep as dearth calicivirus burrows.

        Love's head song lorn has poison penned
        the ultimate racial cleanser, pitched
        face forward into world millennium three:
        we sold our bethlehems for seven silver sins.

        Full term a tyrant's birthling pangs
        line tanks avail that swords would swallow
        below the scorched face earth renewed
        avengeful darklord sky burns glow,
        raiment skies flame remnant signs
        on rivers bled of torment floods
        and emptied words more empty fail:
        there's no redemption, we stay in jail.
 

Tricia Hague-Blackford shared a beautifully balanced poem in the Death of a child

       I hear
       an angel
       speaking

       "Be not grieved
       at the death
       of thy dear daughter.."

               But my heart
               bleeds softly
               at the memory
               of her playful games

This is beautiful in its direct simplicity.

       "and that ray betook
       herself to the
       Most Great Orb..."

               Oh my daughter
               You tiny candle in
               the darkness
               How will you
               lighten up
               my life
               from where
               you are?

and beautiful in its gentleness. Thank you Tricia.

Zaid returned after a year long absence. He posted Five poems of varying quality each written in the past.  The most easily read, and immediately enjoyable was

               Weather o weather.

       Thunder is rolling in off the sea
       Lightning is shooting ahead
       Rain is a tumbling, falling and calling
       Clouds are around today

Three changeable verses which conveyed a true sense of atmosphere and showed a talent for observation. Me is a large poem filled with
interesting things, many of them poignant. This, for example:

       Since I was a little child
       All I ever wanted
       Was a little love
       Or someone to say I was special
       Even though nothing special was done
       Just saying it cos it was
       What they thought at the time

       Maybe I expect too much
       To feel special

I Need expressed some basic human longings, perhaps even basic human rights..

       I need to know I exist
       I need to know you care
       I need you
       I need to know you're there

I could say the same to the poets of this Echo:)

Postludum:
Meanwhile, I'm impressed by the standard and variety of this month's
postings. I see that technique and quality have improved across the
board and I'm rather proud to know you folk. I see also that we 'topped the pops' again this month. I know art is not about quantity, but this is after all, one way to measure the appeal of what we do. As a rough rule of thumb it takes some beating, because if there weren't the
quality there wouldn't, so to speak, be any width to feel.

April is already galloping toward the west. I hope to catch up soon with
my compliments.