We're Still Here, John
Upon experiencing the heart of John Steinbeck country...46 total reviews
Comment from ameen786
Many of us came here as immigrants and your profound and contemporary verse should resonate with readers; a great read, thanks for the treat.
reply by the author on 05-Mar-2018
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Many of us came here as immigrants and your profound and contemporary verse should resonate with readers; a great read, thanks for the treat.
Comment Written 04-Mar-2018
reply by the author on 05-Mar-2018
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Hello ameen786,
Thank you for your complimentary and thoughtful review. This one is dear to my heart...
diane
Comment from lyenochka
Love the conversational style in this. Reminds me not only of Steinbeck by Woody Guthrie. Without these workers, we wouldn't be able to eat the healthy foods grown in California. Thanks for sharing the plight of the migrant workers.
reply by the author on 05-Mar-2018
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Love the conversational style in this. Reminds me not only of Steinbeck by Woody Guthrie. Without these workers, we wouldn't be able to eat the healthy foods grown in California. Thanks for sharing the plight of the migrant workers.
Comment Written 04-Mar-2018
reply by the author on 05-Mar-2018
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Hello lyenochka,
This piece is so dear to my heart.
Thank you ever so much for your exceptional rating and your positive review...
diane
Comment from LaRosa
KT, your free-flowing verse reminds me not only of how Ma Joad spoke, but it has the flavor of and honest letter to her son from the son's of his time.
It is visual, from sunlight breaking through the fog to the serpentine mass of solidarity. It's a history lesson of the ever slowly changing unchanged lives of the migrant worker as he tries to maintain La Esperanza.
I enjoyed the sounds of the words themselves. I could feel the determination of generations of immigrants who have come to our shores.
Beautifully written.
reply by the author on 05-Mar-2018
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KT, your free-flowing verse reminds me not only of how Ma Joad spoke, but it has the flavor of and honest letter to her son from the son's of his time.
It is visual, from sunlight breaking through the fog to the serpentine mass of solidarity. It's a history lesson of the ever slowly changing unchanged lives of the migrant worker as he tries to maintain La Esperanza.
I enjoyed the sounds of the words themselves. I could feel the determination of generations of immigrants who have come to our shores.
Beautifully written.
Comment Written 04-Mar-2018
reply by the author on 05-Mar-2018
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Hello LaRosa,
Your words resonate with me.
Thank you ever so much for your exceptional rating and thoughtful review...
diane
Comment from Pamusart
I read that book in college. I also saw the film. I am not a huge fan of Steinbeck, but I liked Grapes of Wrath. Don't forget King City. Just south of Gilroy. The entire town is all migrants. Wonder if the ICE has decimated them. We are putting people in concentration camps if they are here illegally. Don't ever go out without your ID expecially if you have an accent or are a person of color. American citizens are being taken to these prisons and not being allowed to prove citizenship. Everyone in these detention camps can be held indefinitely without bail or trial. Thank you for calling attention to this plight. I enjoyed your poem and it evokes emotion and it made me think. Thank you for sharing and best of luck with this poem
reply by the author on 05-Mar-2018
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I read that book in college. I also saw the film. I am not a huge fan of Steinbeck, but I liked Grapes of Wrath. Don't forget King City. Just south of Gilroy. The entire town is all migrants. Wonder if the ICE has decimated them. We are putting people in concentration camps if they are here illegally. Don't ever go out without your ID expecially if you have an accent or are a person of color. American citizens are being taken to these prisons and not being allowed to prove citizenship. Everyone in these detention camps can be held indefinitely without bail or trial. Thank you for calling attention to this plight. I enjoyed your poem and it evokes emotion and it made me think. Thank you for sharing and best of luck with this poem
Comment Written 04-Mar-2018
reply by the author on 05-Mar-2018
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Hello Pam,
So pleased you appreciate my verse. It is dear to me.
Thank you for your thoughtful review.
diane
Comment from ScarletAffliction
We're still here, John.
Thousands of us.
"The Man" still exists, John.
But so do we.
Great lines here. The man still exists....but so do we. As the daughter of an immigrant, this one had personal touches for me. Nicely written.
reply by the author on 05-Mar-2018
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We're still here, John.
Thousands of us.
"The Man" still exists, John.
But so do we.
Great lines here. The man still exists....but so do we. As the daughter of an immigrant, this one had personal touches for me. Nicely written.
Comment Written 04-Mar-2018
reply by the author on 05-Mar-2018
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Hello!
So very pleased you appreciate my verse.
Thank you!
diane
Comment from Boogienights
This is a very fine entry for the free verse contest, and I agree with the sentiment as is being told to John Steinbeck. The grapes of wrath is one of steinbecks greatest works, he was an author who understood the human condition and the suffering that people can go through. Good luck in the contest and thanks for sharing.
reply by the author on 05-Mar-2018
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This is a very fine entry for the free verse contest, and I agree with the sentiment as is being told to John Steinbeck. The grapes of wrath is one of steinbecks greatest works, he was an author who understood the human condition and the suffering that people can go through. Good luck in the contest and thanks for sharing.
Comment Written 04-Mar-2018
reply by the author on 05-Mar-2018
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Hello!
So very pleased you appreciate my verse.
It is dear to my heart...
Thank you!
diane
Comment from BeasPeas
Your piece is well composed. It notes the plight of the migrant worker and the importance of these workers to our system. However, your piece sidesteps the issue. The question is whether to have open borders or not. All sovereign countries understand the importance of borders. On an individual basis, some people care about that and others don't. The cost of education, medical and social benefits creates an enormous tax burden on citizens. These should be considerations for Californians, but they're not. California is a beautiful state, but many taxpayers are leaving, as I have done. Only the very rich or the very poor will be able to stay--the rich because they are, the poor because they are subsidized. All others can't afford it. Marilyn
reply by the author on 04-Mar-2018
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Your piece is well composed. It notes the plight of the migrant worker and the importance of these workers to our system. However, your piece sidesteps the issue. The question is whether to have open borders or not. All sovereign countries understand the importance of borders. On an individual basis, some people care about that and others don't. The cost of education, medical and social benefits creates an enormous tax burden on citizens. These should be considerations for Californians, but they're not. California is a beautiful state, but many taxpayers are leaving, as I have done. Only the very rich or the very poor will be able to stay--the rich because they are, the poor because they are subsidized. All others can't afford it. Marilyn
Comment Written 04-Mar-2018
reply by the author on 04-Mar-2018
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Hello Marilyn,
Thank you for your thoughtful review. What is so riveting about poetry is the perspective of the reader and the writer. From my perspective, my poem is a tribute to the workers of whom John Steinbeck wrote: the disenfranchised - legal or illegal. Did I risk thinking that readers might politicize what I wrote? Certainly. That wasn't my intent, but my words may be construed as such. I wrote of what I saw and how it made me feel...
I appreciate your comments and your voice. I value your comments and your voice.
Thank you again,
diane
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I agree, Diane. Our writes strike people in different ways. Your poem was wonderful for me as I feel similarly for all people trying to make an honest living. Where the piece changed for me is when racism was brought into the post. I think that is an intimidating word meant to put people in their place. Many causes would garner more sympathy for everyone if race was left out of it. It's a turn off. Readers like me just say, "Oh, here we go again, harping on the same tired buzz word." Marilyn
Comment from Wabigoon
Mrs. KT--
Thanks, good poem. What you say is no doubt true. The Joads have moved to Mexico or Mexico has moved to the Joads. I do think old John deserves a thanks somewhere along the way. See the poem as that in a lot of ways, but it would be simple enough to just say, "Hey, thanks, John, for noticing."
That's all.
Thanks KT
Wabigoon/Jeff
reply by the author on 04-Mar-2018
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Mrs. KT--
Thanks, good poem. What you say is no doubt true. The Joads have moved to Mexico or Mexico has moved to the Joads. I do think old John deserves a thanks somewhere along the way. See the poem as that in a lot of ways, but it would be simple enough to just say, "Hey, thanks, John, for noticing."
That's all.
Thanks KT
Wabigoon/Jeff
Comment Written 04-Mar-2018
reply by the author on 04-Mar-2018
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Hello Wabigoon/Jeff!
Many people of Salinas Valley and beyond despised John Steinbeck because he championed the disenfranchised and exposed the realities of his times. He noticed. He wrote. And I thank God he did...
I am so humbled and honored by your exceptional rating and thoughtful review. This one was very difficult for me to pen. It's been on my heart for years. I just had to see "it" for myself before I could put pen to paper...
Thank you!
diane
Comment from LIJ Red
Wasn't it Ma Joad who said, "If you ever need help, go to the poor people?" I did a take off on the "two for a penny candy" scene once...excellent post.
reply by the author on 04-Mar-2018
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Wasn't it Ma Joad who said, "If you ever need help, go to the poor people?" I did a take off on the "two for a penny candy" scene once...excellent post.
Comment Written 04-Mar-2018
reply by the author on 04-Mar-2018
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Hello!
Yes! Ma Joad said the above quote.
And her words ring true today...just as they did a lifetime ago.
So pleased you enjoyed!
Thank you!
diane
Comment from zanya
What an interesting poetic reflection on the work and penmanship of the writer Steinbeck( I too am a fan) - he saw with a very clear eye how society functioned -morphing here into the equivalent situation in our world today
reply by the author on 04-Mar-2018
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What an interesting poetic reflection on the work and penmanship of the writer Steinbeck( I too am a fan) - he saw with a very clear eye how society functioned -morphing here into the equivalent situation in our world today
Comment Written 04-Mar-2018
reply by the author on 04-Mar-2018
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Hello zanya,
I am honored and humbled by your exceptional rating and complimentary review. I wonder what Steinbeck would have to say about our society if he were alive today?
Thank you again. This one is very dear to my heart...
diane
