Comment from ciliverde

Excellent

Fascinating information about these ducks and the way they sift for food with those bills. Kind of reminds me of whales with baleen filter feeding. Very cool! Always fun to watch ducks, we have lots of them around here. I love that you build all this information about the ducks into your poem - it is a most pleasing form, and yes, the river does make a fine highway for them!
Carol

 Comment Written 29-Apr-2016

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reply by the author on 29-Apr-2016

Thank you Carol. Yes, I see the correlation with the whales. I am glad you enjoyed the poem and my notes.

Comment from I am Cat

Excellent

Hi Tom,
I looked throughout the poem for MY favorite rhyme with duck and never did see it... I suppose that's another poem entirely, eh? LOL ;)
well done, beautiful photograph, by the way. ;) loved it.
Cat

 Comment Written 29-Apr-2016

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reply by the author on 29-Apr-2016

Thank you Cat. Yup, no matter how hard I tried, that one didn't quite fit. Lol.

Comment from sunnilicious

Exceptional

Cute photograph. I've never seen such colorful ducks. The poetic style sounds complicated, however, I know you can meet or exceed any challenge. Well thought out. Nice details. Good flow of rhythm and rhymes. Nicely written.

 Comment Written 28-Apr-2016

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reply by the author on 28-Apr-2016

Thank you Alicia. I'm glad you enjoyed and appreciated it. It great to receive those stars too.

Comment from RGstar

Excellent

You are certainly the master of the many forms. Regardless of the complexities, selected words are so nicely bonded and closely matched. There is a quiet finesse in certain parts of the poem that is so good to the ears.
Bravo.
Well done , my friend

RGstar

 Comment Written 28-Apr-2016

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reply by the author on 28-Apr-2016

Thank you RGstar, for a great, upbeat review.

Comment from Pantygynt

Excellent

Tom, you have so many wonderful wildlife poems you could produce a beautiful coffee table book of wild life poetry illustrated of probably with your own photography. I'm not talking about an FS book but a proper large harback. This would make an excellent contribution to such a work.

 Comment Written 28-Apr-2016

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reply by the author on 28-Apr-2016

Thank you Pantygynt. It an idea I already had. I've already published 2 coffee table books and am working on volume 3. This would go in volume 4. I appreciate the thought and the compliment.

Comment from lightink

Excellent

I might be imagining things but the "-ill" rhymes were like repeated splashes in the water while the "-uck" rhymes were like clucking of the ducks! Quite an amazing onomatopoeia effect without actual sound words (well, not that many...:).
It's such a difficult format, but you used it with a lot of elegance!
Also, it was a sweet and educative poem!

 Comment Written 28-Apr-2016

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reply by the author on 28-Apr-2016

Put hank you Jyoti. I like your perspective and greatly appreciate the review.

Comment from way2gokevs

Excellent

You definitely have away with words and verse my friend, well written and flows beautifully. Your different types of poems are amazing, obviously you must study hard and spend time perfecting your verses. Credit to you mate.
Cheers, kev

 Comment Written 28-Apr-2016

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reply by the author on 28-Apr-2016

Thank you very much Kev, I do enjoy the many forms available. I is a challenge. I am pleased you liked it.

Comment from Joan E.

Excellent

Thank you for all the information about ducks and the neat photo of the Shovelers. Ducks made news in Los Angeles today, as a mother and her ducklings tried to cross a major freeway! I enjoyed your rhymes and repeats, plus smooth flow of the Rondeau Redouble. "The river" is a much better "highway"! Cheers- Joan

 Comment Written 27-Apr-2016

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reply by the author on 28-Apr-2016

Thank you Joan. For sure it river is better. What a coincidence.

Comment from Sandra Stoner-Mitchell

Excellent

Well, Tom, that was not only a very well written poem, but an education as well. The poem is a perfect Rondeau Redouble, which is one of the hardest to write, well done with that. Then you have given us amazing authors notes. I have to admit I did not know a pair of ducks are called 'it' when writing about them, or would that be, writing about it? Information like that is crucial when writing or talking to people. Then you give us that really lovely photo. It always amazes me how it is the male of the species that is the most beautiful. I really enjoy your work, Tom, and this was delightful. I just never have enough sixes. xsx Sandra

 Comment Written 27-Apr-2016

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reply by the author on 27-Apr-2016

Thank you Sandra. I have the same problem with sixes. There are never enough to go around. I am pkease you liked the poem and the notes. It is amazing the difference between male and female birds.

Comment from Susanne M. Psyris

Excellent

Loved this wonderful Rondeau Redouble! Excellent. The verbiage is awesome and intelligent and makes for a stimulating read. I enjoyed, as well, the lesson I learned in your notes. Very interesting facts. The picture is beautiful...love to see a poet use his/her own photographs. That is inspiration at its best. Good job. God bless and hugs, Susanne

 Comment Written 27-Apr-2016

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reply by the author on 27-Apr-2016

Thank you very much Suzanne for that wonderful review.