Ph: Beary Tales: Beary Tales (Apparently More Than One) Comments

comments continued: 10- favorite lines: “His hand'S proud on my head as he calls me Grandson! There IS one farmer who we catch splitting firewood, Boy IS taught to swing ax while gas transfer gets done.” ………….so you had more good times than I knew about! I did not know my Grandfathers, so I don’t miss them. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 11 - …. “Cicadas lay eggs on back elm; it’S home tree, ” ……….. “it’S” or “its”? ? I guess “it’S”. “Climbs a tree, back IS splitting, 'Cicada hello! ' “…………..i well remember finding white (red-eyed) nymphs/larvae in cavities in the soil as a kid in New York State. And I liked finding the split shed skins, similar to shed snake skins; both were/are translucent, hollow models of their former selves. Amazing. I wish I could do that! ! ! Bri :) and I didn’t mind your interjection of “science” (note #2) . Maybe my favorite ‘bear poem’ so far of the group. I’ll review more another day.

OOPs! i see a typo in second line of my last comment. men should be mean! ! ;) ======================================= [almost a month later]: this is the message i just sent you, Brian Johnston! : I READ YOUR NOTES THIS TIME. VERY INTERESTING AND INFORMATIVE. THANKS. BEAR TALES BY BRIAN JOHNSTON Bri’s comments continued: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - some favorite lines: (from 5: fishing with the neighbors) 'Bear plays with the bait until hook IS worm’s match, He'S in stitches as bluegills make bobber go wild, ……….[IS “stitches” a pun? ] There’S one fish that steals bait (with more skill I might catch) , But boy's string cleaned for supper, IS never reviled.' ….is the “string” a ‘string of bluegills’? I caught them also, in ‘farm pond’. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (from #6) : “A hole dug clear to China IS Bear's scheme one day; After hours of hard digging, we settle on book! ” …………I’ve dug some deep holes. Once I heard Chinese voices but never saw the speakers. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - #7 ”“Even mouse loses appetite! ” Granddad’S all smile, ” “Definition of granddad in US English: • granddad (also grandad) noun informal • One's grandfather. • [“grandad is more popular in U.K.” says a Google site] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Favorite “Ode” so far: 8. Ode To An Elm*** One favorite tree IS our backyard’s big elm, It’S one path to the sky that for us brooks no fear, Low limb reached from our swing, once we're there, it’S new realm, Soon there’s nothing to see. Boy and Bear disappear. This tree'S superpower; it gets used a lot, Earth IS left far behind; play with clouds when we dare, What roams high in the sky, ISn’t caught, Camelot, There IS peace all around with Bear Twins in the air! ***Bri Edwards does not know what the *** stand for above. He looked. I have very fond memories of climbing trees as a kid, and at times in adulthood, including this year (with the help of a ladder this year) . One maple tree was my favorite when I was a boy, overlooking the road in front of my boyhood home. I climbed into it one last time after I retired and returned to my hometown for a few years; other people lived in the house, but no one chased me away. The lowest branch seemed LOWER than it did when I was a boy. Some trees were just used to get to look into birds’ nests. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9. these two lines seem to need a little help, but so far I’ve found the bear tales quite entertaining and the writing quite good: “IS our safety valve when dark events make us blue, Danger looks, but its news ISn’t much to report! ” I’ve read about your father’s abuse of you before now. I don’t recall abuse by mom. “It'S scary whenever my folks get upset, So much bigger than boy IS, sometimes forget strength, Though when boy'S wrongly punished there'S always regret, Belt's abuse IS much stronger than thickness or length. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - REMIND ME IF I DON’T RETURN TO COMMENTING HERE SOMEDAY. BRI :) ==================== and to MyPoemList bri :) and, ok, a 10 rating.

i like the Poet's Notes; they actually might 'help' readers, or at least amuse them. Damn...........i men DARN it all! ! ! brian, i guess i THOUGHT i'd sent a comment to this page for at least 1 or 2 or 3 of the above tales. but it seems now that the only comments were sent to you as messages. here i will start with an edited version of my message to you about Bear Johnston: and then i shall continue .......[[[ SOME DAY ]].....(in Microsoft Word) to comment on the rest of them before i copy and paste to the poem(s) 's page. comment (ETC.) on THE mini-poem: Bear Johnston: Damn...........i men DARN it all! ! ! brian, i guess i THOUGHT i'd sent a comment to this page for at least 1 or 2 or 3 of the above tales. but it seems now that the only comments were sent to you as messages. here i will start with an edited version of my message to you about Bear Johnston: and then i shall continue (in Microsoft Word) to comment on the rest of them before i copy and paste to the poem(s) 's page. =================================================== To: Brian Johnston Date Time: 8/18/2017 4: 40: 00 PM (GMT -6: 00) Subject: Re: Re: Re: Beary Tales Brian, i don't 'do' imagery/symbolism well, either using it or noticing/interpreting it! ! ! i guess you/i missed the mark on your use of 'knife'. yes, you like discipline and you can HAVE discipline! i want NO PART OF DISCIPLINE! ! ! ha ha. THANKS btw for some clarification re 'IS'......AND re the zoo story, BUT.....i believe i recall your note about not being sure where 'Bear' came from; i KNOW i read it! i think i was just running the story by you to verify that THAT story is what you decided to use (in your disciplined head) to explain his appearance in your miserable (somewhat) life! ! : ( and 'WHAT A GIFT' Bear Johnston turned out to be! ! ! ! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [[as a kid i had two plastic dolls, about 8' high each. one was a Native American 'squaw', dressed in plastic buckskin dress; i made some anatomical markings on her plastic body under the dress; i wonder who, if anyone ever discovered my markings! ! that one was purchased at an 'indian village' at the NYS Fair; a 'village' of real (local) NYS native americans. yes, there ARE 'reservations' in NYS also, and not JUST at the Holiday Inn! . the second doll was an 'eskimo' guy, maybe in actual deerskin? eskimo clothing. i don't think i marked HIM up. i made a tiny bow and arrows and quiver for him. they, the dolls, 'slept' together in a cloth in a cigar box.]] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - who's using the 'mush' word! ? ? ? it depends, Sir Brian, on one's definition of (the) 'present'. Google time! ! ! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - from a Google source: 'noun noun: present; noun: the present 1. the period of time now occurring. 'they are happy and at peace, refusing to think beyond the present' synonyms: now, today, the present time/moment, the here and now 'forget the past and think about the present' ' SO, BRIAN, YOU SHOULD SEE (above) that present is not just the split second occurring just before the 'future' and immediately becoming the 'past'. Unless.... maybe YOU ARE A physicist. physicists don't count for much in My Book! ! ! hee-hee. thanks for taking up so much of my time and ink and eyesight this time! ! ! bri :) ============================================================= From: Bri Edwards To: Brian Johnston Date-Time: 8/15/2017 11: 06: 00 PM (GMT -6: 00) Subject: Re: Beary Tales - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (Remembrance of Innocence) 1. Bear Johnston “Bear Johnston, ” a stuffed bear, IS boy’s friend for life, He’S a bit worse for wear but boy’S missing stuff too, But the strength of their bond ISn't wary of knife, Unexpected, bear’S there, post a trip to the zoo. (1) There're IS's he IS, and some IS's he ain't, Though his name IS quite obvious (when mother asks) , And no mystery he IS, to me, quite a saint, He’S an angel that guards me through everyday tasks! Bri’s (aka Brian W’s) comment to Brian J: [[SENT AS A MESSAGE TO THE AUTHOR ON August 18th]] I don’t get the line about ‘wary of knife’ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - “War-y adjective adjective: wary; comparative adjective: warier; superlative adjective: wariest 1. feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems. 'dogs that have been mistreated often remain very wary of strangers' cautious, careful, circumspect, on one's guard, chary, alert, on the lookout, on one's toes, on the qui vive; attentive, heedful, watchful, vigilant, observant; informal wide awake 'he was trained to be wary' suspicious, chary, leery, careful, distrustful, mistrustful, skeptical, doubtful, dubious 'we are wary of strangers' - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - “Unexpected, bear’S there, post a trip to the zoo. (1) “ …………after a visit to the zoo (with Mom?) you found the bear in your room? Maybe. :) AND I read your note about the use of “IS” in each line. Interesting idea, but I think it is a gimmick which may backfire. And I sometimes use a capital letter to emphasize part of a poem, but I think here it is distracting. Besides, I thought this is supposed to be for kids (and YOU, ya big kid) , so your cleverness may be lost on kids as well as adults. Then again, I’m no kid (exactly) now, so maybe I can’t know about how kids will think of it. Will kids understand what an “IS” is? ? But perhaps Dr. Seuss would have (did?) used/use it this way. YOU named the bear? An obvious choice ……………for a Narcissist! Ha ha. I like ain’t/saint, the rhyme, BUT are ‘we’ teaching kids less-than-‘proper’-English? NO, I GUESS NOT, according to this Google entry: [seems it is now considered “informal”] “ain't ānt/ informal contraction unpunctuated: aint; 3rd person present: ain't 1. am not; are not; is not. 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' o has not; have not. 'they ain't got nothing to say' - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - “And no mystery he IS, to me, quite a saint, ” ……………I am tempted to suggest commas after “And” and “mystery” OR kick out the comma after “me”. Yes, I AM being picky, as ALL EDITORS MUSH BE! ! ! But perhaps an experienced editor of children’s books would know better about some points I’ve mentioned! ! [[ brian used “mush” to me so I use it instead of “MUST” here]] “He’S an angel that guards me through everyday tasks! ” ………”guides” could at times be used about an angel, but if you need a “guard” more than you need a “guide”, so be it. It’s your (and Bear Johnston’s) tale after all! ! I’ll stop here for tonight. I have a long day tomorrow, other poets are waiting for my spectacular wisdom, and I have to eat more! ! ! Bri :) :) p.s. if you really want the feeling of “the present”, would you want to change “Remembrance” to “Remembering”? ? ? ============================== i NEED a break, maybe for a few days! and i KNOW i have bliss ads waiting; i have not read them yet! bri ;)