Unca Fez

Member since March 20, 2023

Member for 3 years, 2 months

member

21 Poems

347 Comments

8 Followers

Most recent

The Season of Hope

Posted Dec 16, 2025 · 8 lines · 10 critiques

As the longest night draws nigh,
Ponder the shades of the passing year.
Pan the gold from memory’s stream;
Gild the new year with its gleam.

Peace, good will, are the season’s song.
Writ gold and silver in our hearts.
Embed this message in the newly gilt.
Be hope’s emissary to all within thy ken.

Unca Fez’s timeline

June 2026
01 Mon

Critiqued
"Hungry Cat" by @patrickgadoury
"There's something about that look one gets from a cat. No matter what, it makes you feel guilty for something you should have done, even if you have no idea what it was. In that instant, all your masks fall away and the…"
March 2026
27 Fri

New follower
@Lavender
February 2026
05 Thu

Critiqued
"Love of Hoarding" by @Candlewitch
"There was so much stuff in her house, it could only be navigated with paths through the clutter barely wide enough for a rabbit. Going up the stairs to the bedrooms was a real challenge. The few times that I assisted he…"
January 2026
30 Fri

Critiqued
"Viper's Nest" by @Candlewitch
"Unholy bitches is being too kind for those three. Having heard the back story and having associated with them for years, my honest opinion is that they were lucky that Cat didn't finally lose it and eliminate all three…"
08 Thu

Critiqued
"Storms of an Inner Aspect" by @Candlewitch
"The poem describes, beautifully, your inner battle that I've witnessed over the last 44 years. The rules that your father imparted are etched in your soul and are the firewall between your passions and the outer world…"
05 Mon

Critiqued
"Bitterroot Mountain Moments" by @William Lynn
"Will, Your poem brings back vivid memories of the year that my family spent in Missoula, Montana. My father took his 10 year old son trout fishing in the streams around Missoula, including the Bitterroot River. I'm sure…"
December 2025
18 Thu

Received a critique
on The Season of Hope from @Lavender
"Hello, Steve, "Ponder the shades of the passing year..." What beautiful language and imagery! Poetry at its best. Thank you for this soft and gentle reflection of peace and hope for this season! Warmest wishes to you an…"
17 Wed

Critiqued
"Pig Corporations..." by @Geezer
"Your poem embodies everything that is wrong with corporate America. Well done! It also brings to mind an old Beatles song: Piggies. The song is the basis for another image of mine: Have You Seen the Bigger Piggies... Ei…"
17 Wed

Received a critique
on The Season of Hope from @Candlewitch
"Is so much better than the poems in the holiday greeting cards we send out! I love the style and gentle flow of your words... a rare gift indeed. much love, the other Cat in your life..."
17 Wed

Received a critique
on The Season of Hope from @Geezer
"flattered that anyone should say other than: Geezer is only interested in connecting with and helping others to connect with the rest of the world. I've always believed that a writer should make the words sing in a read…"
17 Wed

Critiqued
"Apple" by @Lavender
"Oft times, it is the sum of the scars and bruises that so endears people to us. A nice way to remind us of that. Steve"
17 Wed

Received a critique
on The Season of Hope from @William Lynn
"Hi Steven, I enjoyed the poem both in theme and content. I agree that some of the language is archaic, but somehow that works for me. Good to hear from you, I hope retirement is treating you well. - Will"
17 Wed

Received a critique
on The Season of Hope from @Geezer
"on this lovely greeting, would be in that you have used some slightly archaic wording; to go ahead and be even more so and emulate the style of some poets in the eighteen hundreds with basic lines that tell the story wi…"
16 Tue

Posted a poem
The Season of Hope
"As the longest night draws nigh,"
Open thread 8 lines
November 2025
18 Tue

Critiqued
"Reminiscence by: eddy styx" by @Candlewitch
"Is it possible that eddy is remembering fragments of a past life? The memory, although tactile, seems fleeting and tenuous, as if a "previous" eddy created the memory. Steve"
12 Wed

Received a critique
on Bjoraker, Brockman, Kedzior, and Me from @Leslie
"I don't usually comment on your poetry, but I enjoyed this a lot. I'm glad that you were able to avoid Viet Nam! I've had a few times like this, they got me going too!"
11 Tue

Received a critique
on Bjoraker, Brockman, Kedzior, and Me from @RoseBlack
"How as we get older we look back on such memories from a different perspective. Great write."
11 Tue

Received a critique
on Bjoraker, Brockman, Kedzior, and Me from @Geezer
"I was intrigued with the story, [so like one that I might [or might not] have had. Sounds like... anyway, I loved the visuals too. Can just imagine that cop's hand deep in a rolf of beer and greasy hamburger! LoL Great…"
10 Mon

Posted a poem
Bjoraker, Brockman, Kedzior, and Me
"Another night at the Kollege Keg,"
Open thread 64 lines
June 2025
08 Sun

New follower
@kowque
08 Sun

Posted a poem
Trapped
"I wake from a dream,"
Open thread 24 lines
August 2024
31 Sat

New follower
@Clentin
March 2024
20 Wed

Anniversary
One year of membership
February 2024
05 Mon

Posted a poem
Memories of Timothy Leary
"Little white pill, so innocent in my palm."
Open thread 24 lines
January 2024
30 Tue

Posted a poem
Underway, U.S.S. Garcia, In Heavy Seas
"Mount the flying bridge"
Open thread 18 lines
11 Thu

Posted a poem
Poison
"Brussel sprouts, spinach"
Open thread 3 lines
December 2023
31 Sun

Contest commendation
12/23 Granma's Kitchen

with "Grandma's Kitchen".
31 Sun

First contest commendation
12/23 Granma's Kitchen

with the poem "Grandma's Kitchen".
24 Sun

New follower
@William Lynn
23 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoet Weekly 12/17/23 to 12/23/23

with "Anticipation".
20 Wed

Most-discussed work
Anticipation

20 critiques to date.
20 Wed

Posted a poem
Anticipation
"The white blanket"
Open thread 25 lines
12 Tue

Posted a poem
Closing Thoughts
"(Co-author: Candlewitch)"
Open thread 21 lines
07 Thu

Posted a poem
Today
"Look not forward."
Open thread 12 lines
03 Sun

Posted a poem
Grandma's Kitchen
"On cold winter mornings,"
Open thread 15 lines
November 2023
28 Tue

Posted a poem
Winter Night
"Clear, starry heaven"
Open thread 3 lines
24 Fri

Posted a poem
Ashes of a Life
"Quarter-twenty bolts mixed with tie clips in the jewelry box"
Open thread 10 lines
March 2023
26 Sun

First critique offered
on "When a Child Gave Me Advice (The Girl in the Red Coat)" (since unpublished) by @Ekaterina Alexandrovna Sherbatskaya
26 Sun

First publication
A Cat's Life (For Benny)
20 Mon

Joined Neopoet
Membership begins

First poem published 6 days later.

About Me

About me

Candlewitch is my better half. I am a retired software engineer that is more comfortable writing in the Python programming language than in English. However, I do foray into that area occasionally. Poetry had not been a part of my life until Candlewitch introduced me to it. Mostly, I read Sci-Fi and Fantasy. As I grow older, poetry is becoming more a part of me, so here I am to see what grows.

I've also started another project utilizing AI to create whimsical images that parody a wide variety of subjects. All images are of pigs as they appear in my imagination. They are displayed on https://www.mythramuse.com/PorcineProfessions/.

Location: Wisconsin, USA, USA

Favorite Poets

Candlewitch: I've been reading her poetry for over forty years.

Paul Simon: "The Sounds of Silence" got me interested

but "Patterns" and "A Poem On The Underground Wall" really hooked me.

Gordon Lightfoot: I acquired his "Sundown" album while in the Navy. "Circle of Steel" resonated with me and I have been an avid fan since.

Contest Wins

Winning Submission	Contest	Contest Date
Anticipation	Neopoet Weekly 12/17/23 to 12/23/23	17 December, 2023 – 23 December, 2023
Grandma's Kitchen	12/23 Granma's Kitchen	1 December, 2023 – 31 December, 2023

Workshops

		Skill level:
Navigating Neopoet: New Member Workshop	(syllabus)	Wading Pool	Started 2023-04-01	Concluded
Navigating Neopoet: New Member Workshop	(syllabus)	Wading Pool	Started 2023-03-30	Concluded