Fantastic, Damian.

This is a dark piece, but it is really good. Thank you for sharing it.

Excellent piece.

Well look at you being all dark after Christmas:)
Each section had its own dark point of view.
I really enjoyed the stanza about evil hiding in the mundane
It reminds me of the saying in the Bible. Idle hands are the devils workshop.

Great piece amigo!

hello dearest Damian very darkly powerful ❤️

Fantastic piece of dark poetry my friend. Wonderfully executed.

Heavy hitting vibe, bro This moves the mind down some chambers

Much respect

Naaj

A bittersweet piece, so beautiful and sad! I am glad that you reassured us that you are doing well , dear Damian!

This reads like a slow descent through psychological aftermath—the kind that doesn’t announce itself loudly but corrodes over time. The imagery stays grounded while the emotion escalates, especially the idea of evil hiding in the mundane. Quiet, heavy, and effective.

I can see why others see this is dark, but I read it more as a reflective piece on darker moments. Like sitting under moonlight and remembering full darkness of troubled days…having just enjoyed the warmth of a fire and full spirit. There are definitely elements that lean into darker aspects, but if we’re not peering into those corners, are we really paying attention, or are we just living in denial? To be all sunshine and daisies in the current environment is pure folly. I don’t see dark, I see the shadows that follow us wherever we go. The hope that we still find light. Follow that muse where it takes you, my friend. It never leads you astray

this is extraordinarily noir if you don’t mind me saying .. just saying .. Neville

Dear R,

For me, in this moment I feel as though in this write, I can hear and feel the pain of loss and missing someone so much every muscle hurts. It’s a beautiful piece of love and doing ones best to keep moving along. H 🌷

I’m a sucker for people who split Spanish and English.
So this write was a pleasant surprise!
The whole poem is a gem but the ending is perfection:)

Merry Christmas 🎄

Let it out, Rob. The grief subsides, but the hole remains. We try to find a corner of our soul to store such things in, because they aren’t going away. So, we adjust. Writing is and always will be a tonic for us. You make a good medicine man.
I had a horrible habit of sticking up for anyone that needed it, back in the day. All the younger years of fighting my brother, I didn’t realize at first how good I was at it. Nowadays I have to be smarter. I’m older, etc. But… LOL
I loved your write. The capacity to find the words to convey your thoughts isn’t always easy. But you found a way, with a great result. Write on.

Merry Christmas dearest Tim I will miss you until then ❤️

Merry Christmas Tim and have a wonderful New Year

You better get back in here! You’re missed!

Merry Christmas, Tim. You’re missed my friend. Appreciate you.

Damian

I miss you my friend. Looking forward to reading more of your great writing next year.

John

Merry Christmas Tim!🎄
See ya next year amigo!

Thanks, Adelly. Same here. 🙂

hello dearest Styxian so much of what you wrote gave me comfort I’ve been pondering today different things and this gave my racing mind some peace Snow must be beautiful indeed if she inspired this from you ❤️

This is a very well-written piece, and I can tell she means a lot to you with how you thought every minute detail to put in it. Form the way you eat to conversations, of her writing will be met with the fire. Nice done. I would love to read her writing.

I’ve asked her if I could post something of hers, several times, both on DUP and now here. She always says no. I respect her wishes.
I can’t stress enough how much her own writing changed my “limitations” on what is considered creative writing. Some argue what is and isn’t actually poetry. I do not care. I enjoy writing, and that is what matters. Yeah?
Merry Christmas Fia!

Dear M,

Wow! I love her commitment to writing for herself and like Buddha whomever is lucky enough to catch a fleeting glimpse of her words will last them a lifetime. Im choked up by the influence she has given you in this telling story. It’s a lovely tribute and beautiful write. H🌷

Beautifully penned, Mark. Such a heartfelt tribute my friend. Grabs at the old heartstrings, she sounds like a wise and humble mentor. That is a special bond indeed, we learn so much from the people who have influenced and guided us. Some people are meant to alter our lives for the better. Excellent work, thanks so much for sharing. Merry Christmas to you and Adel. Appreciate you.

Damian

This is tremendous poetry Mark. I consider myself to be blessed to have encountered good folk like yourself in the DU dark portals.

I buy a fair amount of contemporary poetry and your scribbles could easily sit beside the writers. Betty actually has a paperback to hit the shelves shortly and it’s an absolute privilege to be friends with you all.

I wish A and you the most beautiful 2026 and everything you wish for yourselves.

Your Welsh comrade, Rob

This is one of the best pieces I’ve read from you:).
All the details and meanings behind them.
All the mini scenes flow into each other just like currents of snow:)
That is my favorite writing.
As writers we tend to connect instantly with other writers who are able to express themselves uniquely. It’s a talent we tear ourselves up with because it takes a unique ability to express it with words. Written or spoken. It’s not easy so when we spot talent we tend to get inspired. It’s part of being in the creative field.

Beautiful tribute sweetie! I hope she reads this!

This is fierce and intimate at the same time—hunger, devotion, and grief braided together. The stork/swan/fire imagery carries real weight, and the way poetry becomes both sustenance and sacrifice feels earned, not romanticized. There’s a hard honesty here about loving words that were never meant to last, and still needing them anyway. This stayed with me.

Her influence did you well. She affected you in a way that made you a better writer. I can’t top what others have said, so I’ll just say: great poem, Styx.

Thank you, Tim. I was an okay writer back then. But when I started reading her material, and others like it, I really amped up my sense of creativity. I get so much motivation from good writes. So write!

The white bird play is so evocative. Like, holy shit, the symbolism shoots you between the eyes; a stork is a harbringer of life while the song of a swan is a harbringer of death. The interchange between a character at the end of a story to a character bringing a new story… and then you wend in the scrolls and smoke and narrative fusion.

FUCK IT’S GOOD!

I’m basically a product of my environment, when it comes to creative writing. I will read a few good writes and get some cool ideas. Then hopefully it just spews out pretty flawlessly. I live in my head too much. LOL.
Hey, good to see you around!

Perfectly poemed in my humble opinion good sir .. and correspondingly muchly enjoyed .. Neville

Thanks a bunch, Neville. I’m supposed to be assembling my material into a book. Yet, I end up creating new material to add to the stack instead. LOL.
Stay awesome, fine sir!

Having read the note, I think appreciate the friendship between folks who have never with an affinity for poetry. The line where you canceled real bodies to read shows a beautiful and meaningful this can be. Not many people can claim they’ve had friendships that last decades, let alone a friendship with a poet in another part of the world.
Amazing write.

There are words that warm you even after winter.

Yep. Some we carry around for ages after.