The Changing Of The Sun Comments

Beautiful piece of poetry well articulated and nicely brought forth with clarity of thought and mind. An insightful creation elegantly crafted with conviction. Thanks for sharing, William.

Your poem strikes me as the most wonderful way to pay witness to your religious faith, If one of your goals is to show the truth and comfort of religious belief, you have found a persuasive vehicle in a personal story like this one which dramatizes faith in action. Milton wrote VIRTUE UNTESTED IS NOT VIRTUE. The death of a loved one certainly is one of those tests, and your poem shows how loss can lead to religious growth. But the part I found most convincing was the evocation of Nature at its most responsive to our human needs for companionship and beauty. The forest itself is SACRED, and that is fulfillment enough for me.

In the Italian sonnet there is a VOLTA or turning just past the middle, that is, a turning to a different perspective or subject. Well, this poem has one of the most devastating VOLTAS I have ever encountered. After some 20 lines glorying in the beautiful weather and the beautiful church service, the message of death of a brother hits with extra force. It seemed to be a blessed day, everything cooperated in increasing and sustaining the joy. Then - Paradise Lost, so to speak. Your poem makes us confront both sides of human life - and not flinch.