The Compleat 'Thorn Forest' (A Gift for AW)

I've never been there when a climber reached a mountain's peak. Or when a painter finished a masterwork. But now I've seen a Poet do it. I recognize the hope and the wonder, the sheer exhilaration of the moment when I feel it. Reading the last two parts drove me to go back and read it complete, and some how see it all new, and get to feel it again. And it worked. I did.

This is lyric and moving, dark with subtlety, humbling in scale. Images that lead in such a way that I didn't know I was lead until I was looking back.

So, this is thank you, again. And, it is knowing that thanks is not enough for your sharing this with us. For letting me take the journey.

Thank you, Sir.

I do wish you would consider publishing this, or letting someone publish it. Somebody should arrange for us to throw money at you, or flowers or tribute or something.

Yes! Let's!!

*Throws roses*

Williebee said:

I do wish you would consider publishing this, or letting someone publish it. Somebody should arrange for us to throw money at you, or flowers or tribute or something.

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I agree. Mr Haskins, if you don't want to take it through the submissions route would you consider producing a POD version of this work? I would love a print edition of it. I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

What she said.

Williebee said:

I do wish you would consider publishing this, or letting someone publish it. Somebody should arrange for us to throw money at you, or flowers or tribute or something.

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A thousand times this ^.

Thank you so much for this gift, William. Thank you for allowing me to travel this road with you as you wrote it by your posting of the segments along the way. You have thanked me for my kind words in the past, but honestly there is no thanks needed from you as you have blessed me with your talent and skill and I am grateful for having the honor to read your work.

Thank you, William.

This, in its thirty parts, put the right words on both the aching best of our inner lives and the aching worst. So many jewels. So much grime.

I started to go through it to pluck out the phrases and full stanzas that had lit me up the most, but not long into that exercise, I stopped. It felt obscene. Once it was done to the epilogue, it felt very wrong to lift anything away from its place in the poem. I don't know if I can convey how much of a compliment I mean by that. I hope you understand.

This is wonderful.

To me this has been has been the highlight of 4 years at the Poetry Forum.
A wonderful accomplishment, William...Take a break.

Absolutely Maaaarvelous dahlink! Thank you for sharing the fruits of your impassioned labors with us. I feel like I've been part of a sublime, totally rad, avant garde poetic experience. Love the completed version of this work with the print & graphic embellishments. You are so freaking cool!!!

Print would be amazing. But I'd also love to have the entire audio with me when I'm hiking. You know, as long as you don't have anything else to do, but please my whimsy.

Beautiful work.

William, I read it all in one sitting. Bravo. Applause, applause, applause. Tipping my hat to you.

William,
I've been away from poetry and the Poetry Forum for a couple of years now, and today I thought I'd check back in and see what's new. This poem was the first thing I saw when I logged in, so I read the whole thing in its entirety.

It is wonderful. If anything could inspire me to start writing poetry again, this is it.

Thanks so much.

I, too, read this for the first time today in its entirety. I had to catch my breath several times while reading. This is amazing, life-altering stuff you've written here, the kind of thing I know will stay with me forever. I can't even figure out how to end this message properly because my head is still spinning.

I think it should get bumped at each solstice and equinox. At least.

I agree with Jamie.

William, I have no shame in bumping this again.

Haggis told me to check it out. You are right, Haggis. I'm not disappointed.

I told Haggis from the moment I set eyes on your avatar and read your work you have never disappointed me.

Haskins, you still my heart!!! This was absolutely beautiful and heart-wrenching all at the same time. I knew if there was anyone who could light a flame under me and twist my head on straight to start writing again, it would be you. Thank you.