Mark

Member since December 19, 2006

Member for 19 years, 5 months

Premium guide administrative council member advocate workshop coordinator director AC chair member new member Founding Member

456 Poems

3,308 Comments

15 Followers

Most recent

Hammertoe Limmerick

Posted Jun 2, 2026 · 5 lines · 6 critiques

In the morning, my toes feel so blue,
If I could, I would dance just for you.
With a pill in my hand,
I'll take a bold stand,
And sing out my song, feeling new!

Mark’s timeline

June 2026
03 Wed

Received a critique
on Hammertoe Limmerick from @Lavender
"Hello, Mark! Humor definitely helps! This is a gem. Thank you! L"
03 Wed

Received a critique
on Hammertoe Limmerick from @Geezer
"profess the love you feel. It's a wonderful morning! I love the exuberance! ~ Good job in making my morning. ~ Geez."
03 Wed

Received a critique
on Hammertoe Limmerick from @Geezer
"profess the love you feel. It's a wonderful morning! I love the exuberance! ~ Good job, in making my morning. ~ Geez."
02 Tue

Posted a poem
Hammertoe Limmerick
"In the morning, my toes feel so blue,"
Open thread 5 lines
May 2026
15 Fri

New follower
@JoeyRoberts2028
02 Sat

Critiqued
"The Leaf" by @wisecrone2011
"In am please that you know how to step up and post a poem so soon. Try to keep your posting/commenting ratio somewhat close. Mark 🎶🎶🎶🎶"
April 2026
28 Tue

Critiqued
"Martes, 4/28/26" by @JoeyRoberts2028
"I liked the rhythm and it is a neat theme great write IMO. More Joey ok. Now Joey you must look around at other poets and see how they have managed their profiles. 👌 read another poets Japanese and leave a comment. You…"
06 Mon

Received a critique
on Me and My Kidneys from @William Lynn
"Thanks for sharing the poem, it was well written and timely, especially for a really old guy, which I am. I hope rehab can give you some degree of comfort, I'll be thinking about you! -Will"
March 2026
31 Tue

New follower
@BlueSkies
31 Tue

Contest commendation
Neopoet.com this month recognizes National Kidney Month

with "Me and My Kidneys".
28 Sat

Received a critique
on When the Night Comes from @Wallyroo92
"The piece conveys and sense of longing as well as vivid imagery along with emotion and passion. Well done."
28 Sat

Received a critique
on When the Night Comes from @Eliza
"You have used excellent language and imagery. It's effective that you have left the woman in your poem ambiguous. I can't tell if it's your mother or a lover, even after reading it a couple of times. The last line sways…"
17 Tue

Received a critique
on Me and My Kidneys from @Lavender
"Please know you are in my thoughts. Diane"
16 Mon

Received a critique
on Me and My Kidneys from @Geezer
"how we destroy our bodies with the garbage we eat and drink, plus hereditary factors means that some half a million Americans have critical kidney disease. Well said Mark, but I think that I would have used [tend] inste…"
14 Sat

Posted a poem
Me and My Kidneys
"Two bean-shaped stones that wash the inner sea,"
Open thread 12 lines
14 Sat

Critiqued
"Let's Talk... " by @Geezer
"Geezer is a good friend of mine. Well worth getting to know. A great rhyme artist but watch out for his good The walking dead and Killer canable poetry 🤣 Welcome once again nice to see you join in, Mark"
10 Tue

Critiqued
"Let's Talk... " by @Geezer
"is the ultimate resource. Resource only. Take from it what you believe is neccessary for your purpose only. Never let AI be you. It is the ultimate resource volume NOT HUMAN! Mark"
08 Sun

Critiqued
"Let's Talk... " by @Geezer
"Sen That promotes conversation. It's not so easy to talk about poetry, A poem can be very complicated or taken for face value. Like the womans poem I wrote - very complicated! Or my Japanese - easily understood. Everyon…"
08 Sun

Critiqued
"Let's Talk... " by @Geezer
"I think a word or two that will make the poem better is what most folks want. If I have trouble understanding a poem then I throw it on my AI and ask it to tell me about it in simple terms. My AI knows me. Mark"
08 Sun

Critiqued
"Let's Talk... " by @Geezer
"Chop it down or give it in sectons. The first three lines are good ones to stand alone. Mark"
08 Sun

Critiqued
"Let's Talk... " by @Geezer
"but we can't make it drink. cannot rolls off the tongue better for me. We can lead your horse to the water,--- remove the Would they become a member? A member they coud become. Sing their song for poets on the run, Janu…"
05 Thu

Posted a poem
When the Night Comes
"Night unveils its strange, surreal design,"
Open thread 16 lines
January 2026
31 Sat

Contest commendation
01/26 Inner Storm

with "Borrowed Red".
17 Sat

New follower
@ritam
17 Sat

New follower
@Micah Stone
11 Sun

Most-discussed work
Borrowed Red

14 critiques to date.
11 Sun

Posted a poem
Borrowed Red
"One more bag to start the flow,"
Open thread 22 lines
04 Sun

Posted a poem
Galactic Soup
"Violet pupils, bloodshot yellow,"
Open thread 42 lines
November 2025
30 Sun

Contest commendation
11/25 Trials and Tribulations

with "The Shelter and the Storm".
23 Sun

Posted a poem
Woven Together
"Against the swift current, my love, a foundation laid,"
Open thread 7 lines
21 Fri

Posted a poem
💖 The Persistent Patter Forty Years
"The quiet love, past fire and quick release,"
Open thread 16 lines
11 Tue

Posted a poem
Image Limerick
"A little bird came and sat on down"
Open thread 5 lines
10 Mon

Posted a poem
🔥 The Bonfire's Ascent
"It was the privileged ranks of the school,"
Open thread 15 lines
04 Tue

Posted a poem
The Shelter and the Storm
"I feel the spectrum of your troubled gray,"
Open thread 10 lines
02 Sun

Posted a poem
Let's go to the Airport
"Buzzy, my uncle, my guide, my best friend,"
Open thread 22 lines
October 2025
24 Fri

Posted a poem
Solstice of the Soul
"The sun hangs huge, on the sea's far edge it sinks,"
Open thread 16 lines
September 2025
30 Tue

Contest commendation
09/25 I Got To Go

with "Going Home".
April 2025
19 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoet Weekly 04/13/25 to 04/19/25

with "Teen Angel".
March 2025
02 Sun

Contest commendation
02/25 A Memorable time

with "Heroes".
February 2025
15 Sat

Highest posting month
February 2025 — 16 poems
December 2024
31 Tue

Contest commendation
A Sonnet To Neopoet

with "Resurrection".
July 2024
31 Wed

Contest commendation
07/24 Mistress in the Closet

with "From the Willows".
April 2024
20 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoet Weekly Contest 04/14/24 to 04/20/24

with "Poetic Creations".
March 2024
31 Sun

Contest commendation
03/24: What My Best Friend Gave Me

with "What My Best Friend Gave Me".
June 2023
30 Fri

Contest commendation
June 2023 Challenge Write your epitaph

with "Epitaph for Mark".
03 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoem Of The Week May 27th To June 3rd 2023

with "When the Maidens from the Kitchen of Hell Rebel".
April 2023
30 Sun

Contest commendation
A Poem To Neo AI

with "Dear AI".
March 2023
31 Fri

Contest commendation
March 2023 Challenge My First Time Published

with "My First Time Published".
December 2021
18 Sat

Anniversary
15 years of membership
January 2021
31 Sun

Contest commendation
Out At Sea

with "The Boundless Sea".
31 Sun

First contest commendation
Out At Sea

with the poem "The Boundless Sea".
December 2016
18 Sun

Anniversary
10 years of membership
December 2011
18 Sun

Anniversary
5 years of membership
February 2008
08 Fri

Critique milestone
1,000 critiques given
December 2007
18 Tue

Anniversary
One year of membership
August 2007
13 Mon

First publication
When Stars Do Not Fall (since unpublished)
December 2006
22 Fri

First critique offered
on "The night Santa had to wear waders." by @dbaker
18 Mon

Joined Neopoet
Membership begins

First poem published 238 days later.

About Me

About me

Your best friend! 😍
The other "Real Deal" from Lowell...

https://youtu.be/6TlcPRlau2Q?si=X4zHgdWSAQjzW-Tm

Location: USA the bay state, United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, Nigeria, Canada, Europe, USA

Favorite Poets

Mary Oliver: Known for her accessible and spiritual poetry that draws heavily on observations of the natural world. She often finds profound lessons and connections in the mundane, from a walk in the woods to the flight of a bird.

Robert Frost: While sometimes seen as a poet of rural life, his work is rich with observations of nature, which he often uses to explore themes of human isolation, choices, and the relationship between humanity and the natural world.

Walt Whitman: A central figure in American poetry, he celebrated nature as a force of unity and a reflection of the human spirit. His work often connects the individual to the vastness of the cosmos and the natural world.

William Wordsworth: A key figure in the Romantic movement, he emphasized the spiritual and emotional connections.

Jess Taper: his profess of concentrated awareness of experience in poetry in true freestyle was profound.

>> View all work

Contest Wins

Winning Submission	Contest	Contest Date
Me and My Kidneys	Neopoet.com this month recognizes National Kidney Month	15 March, 2026 – 31 March, 2026
Borrowed Red	01/26 Inner Storm	1 January, 2026 – 31 January, 2026
The Shelter and the Storm	11/25 Trials and Tribulations	1 November, 2025 – 30 November, 2025
Going Home	09/25 I Got To Go	1 September, 2025 – 30 September, 2025
Teen Angel	Neopoet Weekly 04/13/25 to 04/19/25	13 April, 2025 – 19 April, 2025
Heroes	02/25 A Memorable time	31 January, 2025 – 2 March, 2025
Resurrection	A Sonnet To Neopoet	3 December, 2024 – 31 December, 2024
From the Willows	07/24 Mistress in the Closet	1 July, 2024 – 31 July, 2024
Poetic Creations	Neopoet Weekly Contest 04/14/24 to 04/20/24	14 April, 2024 – 20 April, 2024
What My Best Friend Gave Me	03/24: What My Best Friend Gave Me	1 March, 2024 – 31 March, 2024
Epitaph for Mark	June 2023 Challenge Write your epitaph	1 June, 2023 – 30 June, 2023
When the Maidens from the Kitchen of Hell Rebel	Neopoem Of The Week May 27th To June 3rd 2023	27 May, 2023 – 3 June, 2023
Dear AI	A Poem To Neo AI	1 April, 2023 – 30 April, 2023
My First Time Published	March 2023 Challenge My First Time Published	1 March, 2023 – 31 March, 2023
The Boundless Sea	Out At Sea	3 January, 2021 – 31 January, 2021

Workshops

		Skill level:
Earn A Poem Workshop 1	(syllabus)	Olympic Pool	Started 2023-11-06	Closed to new participants (and underway)
Navigating Neopoet: New Member Workshop	(syllabus)	Wading Pool	Started 2023-03-30	Concluded
Poetry in the Age of AI	(syllabus)	Wading Pool	Started 2023-03-03	Concluded
IMAGERY IN POETRY( ready to start?)	(syllabus)	Splash Pool	Started 2017-06-24	Concluded
Meter... The Workshop.	(syllabus)	Olympic Pool	Started 2017-04-29	Concluded
Super Quickie Critique	(syllabus)	Shark Pool	Started 2016-09-11	Concluded
THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY (poetically speaking) Beginning	(syllabus)	Splash Pool	Started 2013-05-17	Concluded
Eternal Renga Continues	(syllabus)	Wading Pool, Splash Pool, Olympic Pool, Shark Pool, Plunge Pool	Started 2012-11-07	Concluded
Eternal Renga	(syllabus)	Wading Pool, Splash Pool, Olympic Pool, Shark Pool, Plunge Pool	Started 2012-08-22	Concluded
FROM PROSE TO POETRY	(syllabus)	Splash Pool	Started 2012-04-21	Concluded
Working With Meter in Poetry	(syllabus)	Splash Pool	Started 2012-03-20	Concluded
Working With Titles	(syllabus)	Wading Pool, Splash Pool	Started 2012-01-30	Concluded
More Meter	(syllabus)	Shark Pool, Plunge Pool	Started 2012-01-11	Concluded