A message from: Matthew Cariello

One of the things I look for in poetry is a sense of context, of the life that surrounds the poem. Whether or not this particular piece is autobiographical, it resonates in ways that go beyond the moment of the poem, out toward the politics of daily life, history and on to the moments when the outer and inner world collide. While the commitment to the “triggering constraint” has been maintained, it’s also been transcended in ways that suggest a subtle and sensitive mind. The bold subject matter, the strong images, the consistent rhythm of the quintain (broken with a sestet at a crucial moment) all suggest a writer with both natural ability and great potential. Well done, and buona fortuna!