New book, Shorts: Poems and Short Stories, receives great AI reviews

 

I was pleased by the wonderful reviews generated by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Microsoft’s Copilot artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots when I asked them for a 250-word review of my latest book, Shorts: Poems and Short Stories, a few weeks after its November18 publication. Each of them responded very positively about my collection of poetry and prose. I'm also quite impressed by how aligned their views of my latest work are. It’s yet another indication of how quickly and how far AI has advanced since my first book was published four years ago. 

ChatGPT stated that Shorts: Poems and Short Stories, is “an inviting and heartfelt collection that captures the beauty, humor, complexity and contradictions of everyday American life … The poems are rich with place and memory … The short stories anchor the collection with narrative depth … Bruns writes with sincerity and accessibility … Shorts is a celebration of lived experience.” 

To read the full OpenAI ChatGPT review, click here. 

Gemini stated my latest book is “a compelling and diverse collection that deftly captures the pulse of American life through dual lenses: evocative poetry and insightful short fiction … a vibrant scrapbook of observations and reflections … Bruns’ writing is accessible yet poignant … a rewarding read for those who appreciate writing that finds the extraordinary in the everyday”

For the full Google Gemini review, click here.

According to Copilot, my new book is “a vivid tapestry of literary expression, weaving together poetry and short fiction with impressive skill and heart … The emotional range displayed—tenderness, humor, melancholy—makes Shorts an accessible and memorable read … a collection that invites readers to pause, ponder, and enjoy the artistry of well-crafted words.” 

The full Microsoft Copilot review can be read by clicking here.

Thank you, AI chatbots! For more information about Shorts: Poems and Short Stories, visit my author website at: https://charleslopezbruns.com/shorts-poems-and-short-stories/.

 

New Poems for the 2023 Long Branch Poetry Festival

Sea Changes

Things are not they what use to be,

It seems times are changing for the worse,

Lamented the blonde who looked too young

To be toiling 40 years at the family pharmacy 

That would be closing in just a few days.

 

Sometimes they change for the worse,

And other times they change for the better,

Offered the sad customer who has seen many changes

In over 60 years of living in old and new  neighborhoods,

To the very small comfort of the worker losing her job.

 

The home of original music closed its doors

But hope remained the new owner would reopen it

A better place with more music, drinks, and food.

But little more than a year later it was bulldozed to the ground,

Keeping everyone guessing what will be there next.

 

Maybe it will meet the same fate as the cool cafe

That was frequented at night by kids both young and old

Who downed their Dutch coffee and grilled cheese sandwiches.

So much in fact they tired the owner right out of business,

Giving way to plans for more new homes and businesses.

 

I see many of the changes in our neighborhood.

I sense the loss people feel around our world.

Why oh why fear change while also wanting things better?

The sea to our east changes every day after all,

But to it we always flock to relax and recharge.

Meeting Up at the Jersey Shore

 

I first saw you when the packed train left the station.

I watched you with your friends during the hour we traveled to the shore,

And pretended not to while talking to my buddies and trying to act cool.

When the doors opened, my legs caught up to yours and our eyes met.

 

I started talking to you and almost forgot about my friends,

And your bright smile lit up your face as we chatted with each other 

Among the throng that moved quickly and loudly toward the beach.

I whiffed the weed and saw the bottles but only cared about you that moment.

 

And the moment was soon lost as chaos broke out in the village by the sea.

There was pushing and shoving and yelling and then fights and blood.

There was drinking and smoking and then broken glass and debris on the street.

There was dancing and twerking on the boardwalk and then stomping atop cars.

 

And then just like that you were apart from me, out of sight.

I headed back to the train station and looked but could not find you.

I searched the packed platform hoping to see you again

And desperately moved from one car to the next on the train home to no avail.

 

I remember your name but never found out where you lived,

Or what you were doing during the rest of the summer,

Nor what your plans were for autumn or the rest of your life.

But I hope the two of us meet up again at the Jersey Shore.

 

 

©Copyright 2023, Charles A.  Bruns

 

Seeing Clearly Now

I can see clearly now the mask has gone away 

And stopped fogging up my glasses.

I can walk down the boardwalk

While breathing in the fresh air.

I can sit down with family and friends

Close enough to clearly hear what they say.

No, the coronavirus pandemic isn’t quite over

But I can sense the end is near.

People are having fun together again

I know because I can see the smile on their faces.

We’re resuming business as usual

As more of us return to our workplaces.

The concerts have returned to the park

And the shows are coming back to Broadway.

They’re playing baseball for fans in stadiums 

And new movies in the cinema theaters.

We’re even able to see old cars along the beach

And read new poems in person for others to hear.

I can also see more clearly than ever the power of science

Applied by smart, hardworking and dedicated people.

I can also see more clearly now the value of healthcare professionals,

And the importance of those we refer to as essential workers,

Whether they have Ph.Ds or high school degrees,

Regardless of whether they are paid thousands or hundreds each week.

I can see more clearly now why we need to hug,

And why we need to be in the presence of others.

I can see more clearly the present and the now

And the gift of life we should cherish every day,

The love we should not hold back from those dear to us,

Or the care for one another we should willingly provide.

I can see clearly now the mask has gone away,

The trees seem greener, the flowers prettier,

Birds are more noticeable, the sound of the ocean louder.

People look more beautiful, simple pleasures more precious.

Can the world be a better place for us who survived

And make us more grateful than ever to be alive?

Copyright Charles A. Bruns, 2021