One Shot Wednesday - Week 19
Welcome to One Shot Wednesday! My name is Brian Miller, on behalf of the team here at One Stop Poetry, I will be your host this evening. I don't know about you, but for me this is a highlight of my week, the opportunity to interact with some of the best of best poets in the blogosphere. Look forward to seeing what you brought to the party!
Have a great One Shot everyone!
If you're new to OSW, here's how it works:
1) post a poem on your blog
2) Link your poem to One Shot using Mr Linky, where you will be prompted to enter your name and the URL for your poem. The URL is the web address for your poem.
3) Visit other One Shot Poets. Tell them how you feel when your are reading, encourage and interact with them
4) Tell others about OSW by including a link to this page on your post
91 comments:
Hurray! Back after a little hiatus! =3
Again, thank you guys and gals for this site. It's wonderful to be swimming with other goldfish.
Lady Nyo
One Shot Wednesday is the espresso that wakes the week up. It's great to be here- to read, to enjoy.
Thanks again, for this. :)
Wow! So many entries within minutes. Such commitment here. Makes me smile. :)
Loving One Shot Wednesday!
Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband!
hi all and welcome...and thanks Bri for taking the helm this evening and all day tomorrow...welcome to another One Shot everyone...pete
WOW
Here I am
Mine is a 'non worth reading' perhaps... but I like it (myself)
Thanks for this I am liking more and more, especially for the great poems one can get to read through this great blog!
happy reads!
;)
Dulce
It's like there's a guy with a starter gun who fires at 5PM and yells "GO!" And they're off. I posted at 5:02PM and I'm #18!
I’m up here.
Depressive poem! I apologise! But I'm here with you all and that's all that matters :)
well we have certainly hit the ground running! welcome to one shot everyone....
It's a great day for poetry.
We want to welcome all of you and if you are a newcomer please tell us
Enjoy!!!
Moon smiles
Many thanks for the opportunity to share my words and thoughts with you. I look forward to reading all the other pieces.
Thanks for hosting again this week. Looking forward to reading lots of One Shots this week.
It's Wednesday already? Good thing I checked in - I would've eneded up being 74th or something!
(Gotta go read my predecessors' posts now)
Wow. I'm so impressed by the enthusiasm of poets to read others and to display their art. Thank you One Shot hosts and hostesses. This is fun.
What would Wednesdays (or any day) be without poetry...good to be here again.
Thanks for the chance to participate for the second time with so many talented writers. Mine's an older poem I dug out to go with a photo I took yesterday.
Phheewww....
After missing SO MANY weeks of One Shot (grrrrr!!!), I am SO GLAD here again!!
Here is my One Shot for this week...
Great to see everyone here !! Yaaaayyy!!!
FIRST TIME - thank you
I got a slow start at the gate, but I am thankful to be in the running with all of you ready writers. Thanks for hosting, Brian. :)
I did a Haiku this evening. Thanks for allowing me play along with you all.
This almost marks the first of my week not its middle. Poetry can make time shift and I'm grateful to read and have readers. Gay
so this is my 1st time, hope yall enJoy my poem!!! cant wait to read everyone elses words... ;>
Lili
My mother will likely disown me for this, but come read my poem, My Mother is a Hooker, and see if she doesn't deserve it.
My poem is titled "From the Bridge".
Thank you for hosting. This is becoming such a huge gathering of poets. Wonderful!
And I thought I was early...and still got in late in the list! No matter, it's always great to meet new writers.
Wow, and the list of poetry grow! Love sharing here, ready to open some wine and read.
So nice to be here,again.Excited to see what kind of poems you guys have in stored this week.
Hope you can drop by mine,too.Welcome any advices.I'm a softie,but I'm also a learner.
What?! Wednesday already? :) - Thank you once again for hosting this midweek poetry party.
I actually look forward to Wednesdays now. Can't wait to get around some of the stuff posted by you guys. Mine this week is a LOT more hard-hitting than my previous entries, it's about child abuse, so be warned if you wish not to happen upon such a topic. It's just a subject close to home, and it was written in tribute to Kenneth Wooden and his work, as campaigned by another poetry site. But I look forward to reading some lighter poetry entered alongside mine this week. Bring it on!
I'm truly enjoying the encouragement and inspiration I'm finding here.
I love this site! Thanks to all who run this site!
Liked Talon's piece, even if it looks like I didn't. FYI, I think reviews that don't actually engage the text in detail are counterproductive & do the poet a disservice. To thyself be enough? Or to thyself be true? Don't be a troll (Peer Gynt... you thought I was talking something else?), be the best you can be. If you can't comfortably hold someone else to a high standard, how are you going to hold yourself to one?
Poemblaze's review, because I think the guy blocked me:
re: http://poemblaze.wordpress.com/2010/11/09/why-i-write
"Self-indulgent. Why the linebreaks? I think this would be unremarkable prose & I think you know it too, which is why you broke the lines--to add 'gravitas' to the comp.
I know you think I'm being mean here, so let me use examples:
1) You use the language of lovers, but utterly ignore exploring the concept. It undercuts the poem's intention, because here you go, saying you have a deep connection to words, but then go on to act superficially. Your speech act is defied by the way you scribe it.
2) How do books with nothing in them a) transmit words, b) get called books at all, instead of sheafs of paper?
You can do way better than this. What would the books say if they saw you holding yourself to such a low standard?"
I think if you moderate comments, you're not interested in poetry--you're interested in yourself. I understand the need to block spam, but NONE of the oneshotpoetry blogs have that as a serious problem.
If you can't handle feedback, you shouldn't be putting your writing out in public.
You know it's true.
Im in!!
Here I am again, with a big smile.
Today's poem was written to go with a friend's art and it was really difficult to write. It's somehow connected to Andy Warhol and his works and thoughts. Hope you appreciate.
Happy Wednesday everyone! =*
Good evening Brian! Thanks for hosting this week. I tried to rush here this week, but still find a long list of the wealth of talent you folks attract ahead of me. I guess this just gives me that much more time to go awandering. :)
Moondustwriter: re: https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8692984&postID=7740996124199991541
1) I WILL be chagrined for the same reason a woman is annoyed when a man leaves the toilet seat up: it's 1 sided. Asking for a reader means exposing one's self to that reader. If the text doesn't survive a read, then too bad.
2) The poetry of today has degraded because it's too hard for most whiners to hold themselves to anything like a standard. I wouldn't say it's declined in all ways either; Steven M Grant writes verse that's both structurally rigid, yet with a loose fluidity like Bukowski (his stated goal). Or if you prefer more famous poets, Mark Strand writes with a strict freeness that would make ee cummings jealous (I think). So no, it's to pat to say, 'you oppose my values & therefore, you're part of what's wrong with poetry today.' Those are YOUR values, but SUPPOSEDLY poetry is ALL OUR value. But is it?
3) Where was the 'potty talk?' I think grown ups should be able to talk specifically about what irks them; not make fuzzy allusions to speech acts that may or may not have occurred.
See how much clearer that is than, 'hmm, I'm not sure this is very nice'? Censorship is censorship. If a writer wouldn't tolerate having his/her writing censored, then the writer has no business censoring others.
Anyhow, there's far more discussion on poetry w/ this conversation than without it.
As a side note (since you did 'go there') I think it's very passive-aggressive to make a note about a relevant topic of conversation in this thread, on my blog. Almost as if you demand a degree of conformity--which is rather antithetical to any true poet's purpose.
$.02
Hope you all don't mind, time is a little tight this week so I am linking to my Monday post. Hope you all enjoy.
Moondustwriter: the URL was too big & blogger deleted it, so I'll repeat my points & hopefully this won't get tossed in the memory hole:
1) Those who oppose their own words being censored, shouldn't censor.
2) Poetry has hardly 'declined.' You're using standards of conduct as a metric for the quality of the craft? That's insane & nonsensical. If anything, amateur poetry has declined, because writers don't hold themselves to any kind of standard at all. Are you saying Mark Strand is inferior to ee cummings, or that Louise Gluck is a pale imitation of Elizabeth Bishop? I don't accept this argument at ALL.
3) I feel that by posting your response to my blog, when the conversation is relevant here, is demonstrative of passive-aggression that really goes against your whole message of 'kindness.'
4) Asking for comments, but then judging which ones get through reminds me of the old complaint about men leaving the toilet seat up. Some women go, 'it's so inconvenient for me,' to which some men say, 'that's a double standard! You want to do zero steps in prepping the toilet to go to the bathroom, while a man is supposed to do two: lifting the seat & putting it down.' That's how I feel with some supposed 'poets': it's not enough that I read their poems, they want oral sex on top of it. No way! If I spent the time to read it, then I get to say what I want. Otherwise, this is just a fan club, not an opportunity to read & engage w/ poets.
FYI, that was re: http://toylit.blogspot.com/2010/11/modest-haggle-todays-news-poem-november.html
Moondustwriter, cont: Furthermore, if you're suggesting there's a transaction in play OTHER than the reader/writer relationship, why not spell it out? Your game, your rules. But if this is a fan club anyone can join and if being a fan is the rule, then why read at all? If there's no investment in the text by the reader, then why does any of this matter? So if you believe that this is a mutual fan club that anyone can join, then why bother with the poetry? If poetry is a frill and not the centerpiece, then why not call it, 'self-identified artists who don't want to be judged by you, but want your unconditional adulation?'
I think that this is NOT what you want, hence my objections. Poetry is not a personality contest. It can be, but that's not really poetry--it's identity politics.
love this site but i keep forgetting to post on time ;-)
Hello and Happy Writer's Wednesday everyone! I have sent in another poem..I hope it is enjoyed! :)
I hope you all don't mind that I posted a 2nd poem... I was not expecting to be able to write anything today, but the words poured from my being, needing to be shared.
I have shared a poem to dear to me---for the image has more enigmatic you see....drop in and leave behind your precious thoughts
Matt Quinn's response to me: "The books had words in them and then poured them into the sleeper's ear. That is why they are blank in the morning.
You are mentally ill. Get help. You have a lot of knowledge, but paranoid thinking and need to be the authority are keeping you from what you could be. I suspect you are off meds or that you have never sought help though I am sure others have suggested it."
Yup, that pretty much says it all: I make a craft critique & this guy throws a hissy-fit filled with ad hominem.
Hey Matt, if you need to explain the poem, then it failed. 'kay?
Great stuff so far everyone. Wow I think we are breaking the record for and all time OSW high.
thanks each of you for your poetry and comments to others
with that I will turn it over to Pete and Claudia
Thank you, I will be back later to read and comment on some of the poems.
Anita.
hey! that Khakjaan Wessington is a real pain in the neck!
Thanks for hosting. I've gotten around to playing again.
good morning everyone! getting the coffee made...think i passed out from inspiration around #92 last night...let me get some coffee in me and i will read those of you that showed up over night...have a great day!
Hi all and welcome to another One Shot Wednesday that surely is filling its boots with some wonderful poetry. I haven’t started reading yet but rest assured I will do soon!
I have been reading the comments thread on One Shot this morning and, again, an interesting debate has been thrown open. One which was discussed recently in a previous One Shot & also through the Luke Prater Spotlight….critique V comments….
Khakjaan has brought himself to the stage with regard to this and I am sure he would respect me enough to hear my comments on this matter?
Firstly, Khakjaan is passionate about poetry and through his passion he has made some valid points. At times, and I am sure he will agree, passion can be misread as aggression when reading or hearing what some one has to say. A priest on the pulpit spitting fire & damnation…is that aggression or passion…to the priest it is passion, to many of his followers it is passion but to an outsider it may be viewed as aggression. Khakjann does not wish to be aggressive, he is just passionate about his points. Secondly, Khakjaan is also a supporter of One Stop Poetry otherwise he would not chose to post his work here and join in the celebrations of poetry that One Stop encourage…..
On saying that there are always two sides to every argument…would negative comments or positive comments make you a better writer…both can help improve you as much as both can dissuade you...if everyone kept praising me then would it encourage me to write more? ..improvement comes through continuous writing however am I being delusional that my work is better than it is? If everybody was negative would it encourage me to get better or throw in the towel?
1/2
2/3
Criticism is important as long as it is constructive….at the same token someone who has received criticism may not wish for that comment to be seen as they digest it and deal with it in their own way…does that make them wrong?
Khakjaan is correct in saying that when you chose to post your work on the internet you should also be prepared for what comments come your way…but how you deal with them is your own choice. The person making the criticism must surely accept that if the critique is read then his work is done…if they chose not to show the critique and the criticiser takes exception could this not be construed that the person writing the critique is more concerned about their own voice being heard than the actual criticism they raised?
In response to One Stop being a “fan” club, Khakjaan is perfectly correct in his assumption that this is no way what One Stop is about…when we began this Leslie, Brian, Adam & I, saw this as a platform to promote poetry, by uniting communities and helping recognise talent and put them on a pedestal, as we work with magazines with a view to helping artists achieve publication. We stand true to this and One Shot helps us identify such talent .
3/3
With regard to commenting…I will say that personally I am self-taught and feel that I have no right to offer critique about somebody’s work when I, myself, am learning all the time. I will say how the poem made me feel and I will offer words of encouragement…I believe encouragement is vital. We must also remember, at times, that blogging for some is a way to be heard…we do not know what their lives are really like behind the mask of the internet, and if being involved in poetry is a way for them to breathe then isn’t poetry of any genre, a positive thing?
On a last note, I am open to criticism, I know only too well my work can, at times, be self-indulgent, The My Struggle with Unemployment series has to be for this to be expressed. I also know that my work can at times be “sameish“…but it will not deter me from continuing to do what I love and embracing the very ethos of One Stop Poetry
I hope that all who enjoy what we have achieved at One Stop appreciate what I have to say, Khakjaan, if you seem singled out by this reply, it is only because you, more than most, have brought yourself to the table of discussion.
In the meantime, regardless of my views, Khakjaan’s views or your views….this is only one winner…..and that is POETRY…………….
Happy One Shot Pete
please forgive my numbered comments error..i didnt realise i would have to seperately post my comments..all three of three are posted...cheers pete
actually you are still early...we are only about 15 hours in at this point and another 23 to go...so enjoy...
i saw someone called us a poetry flash mob....that is awesome and and apt description...lol
I am late again as usual...but here and glad to be....happy Wednesday everyone! :-)
A wonderful place this! So happy to be there..
Submitted a poem I wrote in September, The Abyss. I'm happy to be part of One Shot Wednesday for the second time! :)
http://thebeatofmydrum.com/2010/09/04/the-abyss/
Ok I am back, I sort of like this. It pulls me out and up.
My poem is "Don't You Remember?" It's not completely finished...still in draft form. I want to play around with the last line a little more to make the context more clear, that Alzheimer's is the root of the questions being asked of the husband by the wife. I'd love some ideas!
http://meditativemeanderings.blogspot.com/2010/11/nov-pad-challenge-day-8.html
Thanks, Maureen, for mentioning this wonderful place! I am so glad to join and post here for the first time.
The poem I'm submitting was originally posted for Big Tent Poetry, a couple of weeks ago.
Thanks for hosting this fun one shot. Victoria
First time at this, can't wait to read all the poems....
Pete, thoughtful posts. Thanks for that. It was very kind of you to explicate my position. You were very accurate with your assessment. That said, I should probably speak for myself. Yes, I am extremely passionate about poetry. Language shapes cognition and cognition determines actions. So I feel that poetry is the ultimate 'battlefield' for enacting change in consciousness. So I don't really see poems as 'just poems,' I see them as prayers, or machine-code for humans. I understand that it's very common to elevate one's ego above the thing one serves, but I think through my daily speech acts, I demonstrate a degree of dedication to poetry which is probably 'counterproductive' to my ego. In short, I see myself as a vessel through which poetry manifests itself--and therefore, I take the discipline VERY seriously. I admit I am impatient with those who do not approach verse with a similar degree of seriousness, but as Pete stated, this is less due to aggression (though obviously, there's a channeling of natural propensities in the act) than due to passion.
I feel that if one is going to spend the time to write poetry, then poetry means something to the poet. And by extension, that poetry is an end that we can all agree is an unmitigated 'good.' I think the ultimate insult is to hold other poets to a lower standard than one holds one's self. However harsh my words may be, the very act of communicating should be proof that I'm not simply here to 'dine & dash' (leave a link, but never read the links left by others). If poetry is important enough for you to spend time upon, it's probably important enough for you to want to improve. And critiques improve poetry & poets. That's just a fact. Furthermore, dishonesty is toxic. I love compliments as much as everybody else, but I am very suspicious of them, because I know how often a compliment is delivered insincerely. I would rather get a 'I liked a, but x, y, z had the following problems...' than a 'very nice!' Obviously, the source matters: those who are not generous w/ compliments are those whose compliments matter most to me.
As a final note, OSP has gotten me to reexamine poets I had initially dismissed. This INCLUDES poemblaze, which is why I was shocked by his response to me. But I was impressed w/ Talonted's OS for this week. If it wasn't for OSW, I wouldn't have reexamined Terresa Wellborn's poetry--something I'm glad I did. I like OSP & have an emotional stake in it--for that reason, I hold it to a high standard.
Regards,
-KW
I can't say this enough....This is an incredible service you offer to poets and writers. Thank you so much. I look forward to reading some wonderful poems by all the incredibly talented writers posting today.
I've slogged through over 140 posts to leave comments. I hope a few of them will return the favor.
(If we get many more participants I don't know where I'll find time to read them all!)
nice...some good pieces this week...still a few more hours....
what an amazing one shot...quarter of the way through..and enjoying every part...thanks for taking part everyone...cheers pete
You are all darling!!! Trying to make as many rounds as I can but also working along a novel for NanoWrimo (deadline Nov. 30) But once again no matter, still try to get over/read/post & keep up with OneShot!!! *hugs all* thanks for bearing with me!
I'm late.. but it is still Wednesday -- been fighting through fog. Poem is posted.. now to read...
My life is an empty wasteland because the Poetry God hasn't deigned to come down from the heights and hand down the Golden Wisdom. Oh woe, us benighted rabble. If only I could have the opportunity to touch the hem of His garment! To be corrected by such an Olympian, even if by blows and curses, would be the greatest privilege. I am not worthy!
I read through the comments here and found the conversations between KW and the OSP crew interesting. I too agree that constructive criticism is perhaps more helpful at times, as it can help the poet/writer to look at a piece with fresh eyes and assess it more honestly. We do come here to suss out what other people think, but as Pete suggests most do not want to be out and out slagged. I think that many have a hard time handling critique, as it is just seen as negative. When I have felt that something didn't work in a piece I have tried to nicely point it out to the author, but know that sometimes I am at a lack as to how to politely phrase critiques. I debate if it is better to leave a comment (to let the person know I was there and I read) or say nothing at all, if I cannot come up with anything magical to offer. There are some awesome poets here, but I believe that we are all growing and as pete suggests Practice make Perfect! (well, improves us anyway)
Hope you all like my simple piece of poetry...
so we say farewell to another amazing one shot...and thanks to all new and old alike for sharing...i am looking forward to reading all your wonderful work over the next few days....thanks for taking part...keep writing...keep being inspired...if the world was made of poets what a wonderful place it would be to live!...see you next week cheers Pete
I came back and found a few more - it's over 150 now!
(A pretty fair participation level!)
I've read them all and commented.
(And I challenge everyone to do the same)
the challenge is on and what an enjoyable challenge....i have just reached 75...i am half way there..but pausing..will continue later..cheers pete
I am having a bit of a reaction to the comments regarding "slogging through" the entries in One Shot and the challenge given, and accepted, to read them all.
There are over 150 entries, folks. Many people find it a challenge just to get something written and entered. Reading every entry is not possible for everyone. If you make this an "obligation," with guilt assigned if one fails, what you will do is discourage those who simply cannot read them all from participating at all.
I'm sitting on that verge myself, though I'm trying to resist falling over.
And,frankly, I find the idea that anyone felt they had to slog through something I wrote to be pretty demoralizing.
Please don't ever feel that the challenge is to read all of the poetry here. The admins can't even do it.
Poetry is meant to savor not gobble.
Beauty becomes paltry when it is looked at as something to consume
hi pattiken.....please dont ever feel that way...we called it One Shot purely for that...it is your choice entirely to how many you wish to read...last week i read them all, which was the first time in a while, and i enjoyed it...this week i also wish to read them all, but believe you me iwill savour that...i will probably finish monday...i am halfway there at the moment...but if i rush then i have not enjoyed the read...
my comment with the challenge was addressed to eric but this is entirely my choice and i do not expect anyone else to feel the same...
i hope this helps address your concerns and, as always, thank for supporting One Shot...cheers Pete
PattiKen (and everyone) –
I chose "slogging" as a verb to emphasize the HUGE number of posts we had this week, not as a comment about the works themselves. (Sorry if it seemed otherwise!)
Reading them isn’t slogging, but all that browser navigation sure is! It takes FOREVER to go through that many posts and give them a fair reading. I also realize that many people just don’t have that kind of spare time.
My intent was to (hopefully) get more people reading poems, not just posting their own and running off each week like some folks do.
(What would be the point if we ALL did that? Give and take, people!)
Perhaps "challenge" was too strong. Maybe I should have said "encourage" instead...
How about this then:
I highly encourage everyone to visit as many posters as they can each week, because there are many wonderful poets and poems to be found here!
Too late for my One Shot Wednesday. Catch it here: Monuments.
one my best poems,
hope you enjoy it too :)
http://chinmay28.wordpress.com/2010/11/11/when-i%E2%80%99m-walking-with-you/
Ok, so when is the deadline to post your poems for OSW?
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