Peter Goulding dons the Bus Driver's uniform this week and steers us towards three prompts, one of which is to compose a rondeau, the example he gives being John McCrae's World War 1 poem "In Flanders Fields". I'm sure many writers will produce examples more hauntingly beautiful than McCrae's, or mine here. Others will miss the point completely.
First Class Tickets Only on This Bus!
We're wonderful! Let us agree
each sonnet, haiku, etheree
airing our self-pitying dirges
or priapic faux erotic urges
"awesome" they are, collectively.
For certain you will never see
"Your poem mopes! Your verse is twee!"
"Empty of thought! "It limps. It splurges"
It's wonderful!
Worthwhile "critique" can never be
part of the comment-recipe.
For sure all such would fall to purges
by "comment moderated" surges
of "Please don't prick my vaniteeeee!
I'm WONDERFUL!"
brilliant ride in your words here, keep it up.
ReplyDeleteplease share one piece with poets rally today, thanks.
ReplyDeletePPPL . . sounds like these comments come from your Catalogue of Stock Responses. Maybe you did miss the point?
ReplyDeleteOh dear, how is one to answer without resort to the 'Wonderful'? Let us say I am very impressed by the dirges / splurges rhyme and I think all we bloggers should keep a copy of this poem by their PC when reading comments!!
ReplyDeleteOh hang it, its wonderful!!
There are only two words for this my dear - BLOODY MARVELLOUS! A completely honest assessment of the pitfalls of Blogland's nightmare 'niceness', expressed in a poetic form well beyond the capabilities of many aspiring blogwriters. You have MADE my day - made it fun - as well as having restored a little faith in the survival of the art and craft of writing poetry.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, your comments are being recognised as 'Spam' by me email filter system, despite my telling it you are friend, not foe. I do however, 'hoick' you into my inbox ASAP!
Lucy . . Jinksy (above) referred me to this post. Here are TWO LINKS to posts on the subject by another Grande Dame who doesn't take any prisoners. You said very well something that really needs saying. Nobody learns anything about poetry or is helped to improve by being told they're awesome.
ReplyDeleteBTW . . I sounds to me as if PG (the Driver) has missed your point!
Your poem mopes.
ReplyDeleteOr even, Doctor FTSE, a THIRD LINK HERE! for the updated Hellish Fencing blog
ReplyDeleteGreetings, Lucy. I haven't seen you on the Poetry Bus before but I've been hit or miss lately. Your dirge on bland niceness is a hoot. You made me laugh out loud with these:
ReplyDelete"For sure all such would fall to purges
by "comment moderated" surges
of "Please don't prick my vaniteeeee!"
My personal least-favorite comment is "Thanks for sharing." Arrrggg!
I loved this! It's good I come up short in the vanity category!
ReplyDeleteOops, should NOT have said those three dreaded words ... I'll just say 'you rock Lucy Girl'
ReplyDeletePadhraig Nolan . . why does the poem "mope" rather than "sulk" or "whinge" or "drag" or "fail" or a whole array of other monosyllabic verbs? Lucy is clearly poet enough to know why she chose "mope" Are you?
ReplyDeleteLucy, thank you for visiting my posts linked by Dr.FTSE. Good to know some bloggers are in agreement on these points, but I guess we (along with Jinksy) are p**s**g in the wind.
Lucy, I am not sure why you are saying on other blogs (and Dr FTSE is saying here) that I missed the point? The first line of my comment shows the dilemma. I thoroughly enjoyed your poem but the whole point of the poem means that I can't say that.
ReplyDeleteIf anything, Mrs Trellis has completely missed the point of Padhraig's comment.
I agree Peter G that you were having a laugh, and totally got the point! Isn't it odd how different people interpret the same words?
ReplyDeleteAnd Mrs Trellis is renowned for getting bees in her bonnet at the drop of a hat, as you might say! I know her well... LOL
LOL, nailed it, my friend.
ReplyDeleteThis cult of constant Uplift for the Unworthy bugs the heck out fo me, too.
If a poem's dogs***t, I simply won't comment on it. However, if I say something's 'excellent' (or whatever other Shorthand/Code Word I use), I mean it.
It's the only way (for me) to read so many poems, stay honest - I won't overpraise anybody - while not stomping on anyone's work unnecessarily.
Come on Peter, Padhraig . . why she use "mopes"? I'm waiting.
ReplyDeleteI am speechless or should I say commentless! Enjoy the ride.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that whatever I say will fall short of your exacting standards. I'm not keen on banal comments, though guilty of making them, I know, in the limited time available to visit other blogs. However, I see no point in telling people I think their work is a load of tosh or that they're being excruciatingly precious. If bloggers really want constructive criticism there are other ways to achieve it.
ReplyDeleteDespite this sour response to your clever verse, you did make me laugh!
I'm a bit lost after all the comments, actually. I think there's too many syllables in some lines.
ReplyDeleteOuch! But also, Oooh!
ReplyDelete