Marian's comments (member since Mar 02, 2008)

Marian's comments from the ¡ POETRY ! group.

Alas!Stix or big cities, library budgets are cut to the bone & the magazine collection is really feeling the pinch.

Thanks, Ruth. Yes, two, but I'm a long, long way from catching up to you!

The new issue of Pirene's Fountain has included two of my poems, "Orion" and "The Poor souls".

Marian

Hi
Heavy Bear (HB4) accepted 3 of my poems

I sent 3 poems to a journal in Feb. 2008. In June 2009, I received a rejection notice. However, there was a nice note enclosed, apologing for the delay & saying they hoped I would submit again. So in early August I sent 3 more poems & we will see how long it takes this time. That was my 1st. poetry submission in almost 20 years. I had given up poetry for short stories, 2 novels & later some CNF. Then when family events happened, I stopped writing altogether for almost 4 years. Actually, it was reading stuff people had sent in to Goodreads that got me started again. No big goals, just a few things here & there.

A problem is that the voice of the poet who writes "I saw my Daddy die today" is the same voice of the child who skips off to school. At the beginning of the poem, we hear the emotion of sorrow, then at the end, well... it's a little confusing.
Otherwise, it's a good start, well put-together & good images.

I remember during the Watergate hearings in the 1970's, someone took Nixon's speeches & put them in poetical form - complete with interesting stanza breaks.

Hi Sue
I also returned to school after my family was somewhat raised (youngest in 4th grade), It is a lot of work, being both Mom & scholar, but a lot of fun when you meet others like you. Our college had a group organized for us late bloomers. I have a BFA. major in creative writing. When I went to college the first time, there were no classes at all on creative writing - only journalism which is hardly the same thing. Good luck to you. It's important to have the support of your family. I was lucky that way.
Marian

No, Ivy I did not use the word "want" in my post about traditional poets. Please, read it again, carefully. What I want is a discussion that includes ALL kinds of poets, from Homer onward to Billy Collins. I was trying to explain to Christopher that we have studied the tradional poets and even when we are discussing "modern" poets, those poets of an earlier era are often included, sometimes in comparison. Ivy - ( I have a grand-daughter named Ivy) I hope you will not jump to hasty conclusions until you have carefully examined the materiel. If you are still in school, please study Chaucer, Shakespeare, all the romantics, everyone, century by century. It will help you to understand where & how modern poetry evolved. Actually, I do not care for the term "prose poem." I believe it will merge with the essay form known as "creative non fiction". I find the word to be an oxymoron. But I respect the opinions and tastes of people that do like it.

Christopher, those of us here who are interested in poetry have discussed the older generations of poets in college, university grad schools, & high school classes. We wouldn't be interested in a Poetry site if we were't acquainted with the important poets of the English language. On this site, we have a chance to discuss the modern poets, poets who hadn't been published when we were in school. This is also an opportunity to discuss our own poetry. We have had some interesting discussions on rhyme and meter in modern poetry. Often these discussions include references to the poets you mentioned. Stick around & you can learn about all kinds of poetry here.

Nice going, Ruth! I'm running a bit low on carrots lately.

From the batch I sent out 3 weeks ago, I received my 1st. rejection. Which leaves 5 more to go from a batch of 6. But I was going to send out new stuff for each rejection. so I will have to get busy. Any one have a small list of favorites that accept electronically?

Ruth & Julia, you are both writing in the past tense, does that mean they are no longer editors?

#48 Erika

Does your school have any publications that feature student writers? You can use that for a publication.

Scholastic mag. used to have a student writer feature. Maybe there aree others. The Ohio Poetry Day contests used to have a special entry & prize for student writers. Maybe your state or local poetry society has something like that. Also if you have a Jr. college near by, you could submit. And there are always contests you can enter.

OK, I sent out a group of 3 poems to an online mag.I had some trouble sending them out & the magazine received 3 copies. Later they sent me an Email saying if I had problems with their submission process, please let them know. Maybe by next week I'll have enough courage to send more.

Oh dear! Just had a rejection from the Passager contest (I didn't win) but someone wrote a hand written note saying they'd like to see more. That cheered me up a bit, but Nina, you're probably right. I will submit, however, because I don't know much about the current poetry scene - the last time I was on a poetry-writing binge was in the mid-1980's. The stuff I'm writing now is quite different from the stuff I wrote then.

Ruth & Jan
Can I join you? I need help in keeping track of submissions. I started using a notebook, but forgot to write dates or my handwriting is terrible. I think I have 3 batches out right now. Not sure what. A batch of 3 (I always use 3- easier to remember) came back so I know those are good to go out again. How can you keep track of 20? Or even 12? I also joined that Passager Contest for poets over 55?60? so I can't use those. Also have a bunch in the PAD challenge. Wonder when they will be released? or have they already appeared on-line?
Thanks, Marian

My opinion - I really liked this. The image of the dancing light which carried thru the whole poem. That holds everything together & the images blend into each other. I like Tinkerbell, too.
Marian

Lots of great reading - lots of great poets. Right away I'm noticing who's missing (lol) The English poets of WW1. Seamus Heaney, some Yeats, the American poets of the 1920's, the poets of the Harlem Renaissance, James Wright, Robert Mezey, Philip Levine and on and on and on....
This is a great start. Eveeeryone needs to read more poetry!!

Gardens of Eternity –The Childrens’ Corner

A daisy dotted field, the flowers
Nodding in the breeze
The sky is blue, the sun is warm
Robins chirp from near-by trees

Yet the scene is empty, something
Has gone away.
Where are all the little girls
Picking flowers in their play?

Chasing the tiny butterflies
The ones with spotted wings
That flit between the flowers
While the lark, still rising, sings?

He loves me, he loves me not-
Will the petals tell them true?
I see the flowers drooping now
Their blooming time is through.

The grass still green and tender
Surrounds each tiny granite stone
Where babies dream, all innocent
Of a life they’ve never known.

No laughter, songs, or joyful love
No mothers; or fathers’ kiss
No tears of sorrow, no parting’s pain
To balance what they miss.