What’s wrong with poetry?

[Leanne]

To cut it short, Tom. I can tell you why they run away but you know that by yourself: your tone pisses them off. Who was it again just yesterday I think, who wrote that she was afraid of posting and if you and I could relate? (it was on the snower thread). Please reread.

You make valuable comments but sabotage yourself. I told you that in pm. By all means just keep cool. The fact that some or many people are vainglorious does not entitle you to (to quote myself) knock them out tysonishly. Who the fuck do you think you are?

That's what Serious Critique is about. It's not touchy feely. It's the kind of critique I need and many others desperately appreciate -- the kind of critique you don't find on many other sites, if any. Just as we don't encourage cookie-cutter poems, we don't want every critic to be exactly the same, without personality and the freedom to express their honest opinions.

If people don't like it, there are many other forums on the site that may suit them better. I don't post in all forums -- I never venture into haiku, for example, except to read. I used to post in Mild Critique occasionally but found it inadequate to my needs, so I don't go there either.

The whole point of the site is to learn about poetry, through immersion in the work of others and through honest constructive criticism. There are a million poetry showcase sites out there, the ones that claim to offer critique but really only give you the occasional tentative "forgive me if I make a suggestion" and the rest is backpatting and glory seeking. Personally, I would mourn if we ever lost that edge that occasionally pisses people off, but that is so incredibly helpful to those who are -- as the forum name suggests -- serious. After a moment of mourning, I would down tools, never to return.

Now, there is no excuse and indeed no reason to continue on a "let's all attack Tom for expressing his opinion" vendetta. He's only saying what I and several others have said before and will no doubt continue to say in the future. We're here to encourage poets of all skill levels, but we're not here to swoon over mediocrity and call it a revelation.

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No reason for any poem to have more than 80 words,
no reason at all.

"No reason at all" is the best reason to write poetry. In fact, it may be the only acceptable reason.

I also would like the cheese.