I agree. An excellent effort.

When you are 'on' Bratsche, you are really 'on'. I suspect that this is the face of poetry as it will be in the years to come, and I am sure that I am the last to realize it, rants and raves and rages aside (whatever the screaming 'poets' call themselves): the strobe-light capturing of images that attracts or might attract the MTV crowd with its apparent limited attention span; the vividness of the images and, yes, again, Bratsche, what I sense as an element of, if not violence, at least latent anger; the most definite hit on affairs of concern, the cosmos and the carrots, the sky and the skunk, rather than laments about what is becoming perhaps regrettably mundane, love and death and living.

This is a strong and vibrant piece of work, Bratsche! I see in it the same sort of thing I see in Ted Burke's work from time to time, albeit he seems to be experimenting, with all due respect, while you, when you DO get it, have it nailed.

I truly believe, Bratsche, that the best of what you do, what you've done, will outlive you. I really do. (That was not a threat but the highest possible praise :))

Take care,

Joe