Christmas gratitude

[Leanne]

I do a regular podcast (as a futurist and education expert) with an amazing organisation called VoicEd Canada -- a group that obviously began in Canada as an extension of teaching communities and has gradually spread worldwide.  

This week, everyone in the VoicEd group was randomly allocated a name of someone else in the community, like a kind of Secret Santa, but instead of gifts we have five days of showing gratitude to that person in specific ways.

We don't really have time to set up anything official here, since it's already Tuesday in my part of the world and we're well into Monday most everywhere else, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to abandon the sarcasm and unpleasantness, just for one thread, and mention something you're grateful to a particular member for.

[rowens]

I'm grateful for written help Lizzie gave me during a certain few weeks of despair earlier this year which I'd rather not say much else about. Only that Lizzie was of much needed help while I was on the floor in a pool of my own helplessness.

[Leanne]

I am most grateful to Ellajam, because she keeps me (relatively) sane.  I love to read her poems, and I love her attitude toward improvement, but most of all I'm grateful that she makes me step back and settle down.

[ellajam]

I'm thankful for the opportunity to interact with milo, he pushed my brain into poetry technique I never even knew I needed.

And I'm grateful to Tiger the Lion for his steady, calm presence on the site and for the many poems he posts that are just perfect to me.

[Leanne]

I'm grateful to vagabond, whose thoughtful and well-timed critiques have reminded me why I write and who I write for, at times when I thought there was no point to trying anymore.

[dukealien]

I'm grateful to rowens, who makes me think outside the box figuring out what he's getting at... or at least peek over the edge and then duck back down again.

[vagabond]

obviously this will be pretty cheesy cos i didn´t interact that much and don´t even know you people all that well, but

i am grateful for (in alphabetical order)

achebe, who got me so far as to show my ugly side better
billy, for putting up this site and being a very relaxed example of how to have fun and not take oneself too seriously while obviously knowing more about poetry than i ever will
dukealien, for answering some of my political statements even though i have only outside views
ellajam, for trying to keep order in chaos
keith, for giving me some very good comments
you, leanne, posting this thread right now and for your poems
lizzie, for showing how not to give up
nibbed, for making me think about faith and its use sometimes
Q´s poking, which at times is funny
rowens, for spurring those topics, which at least makes them talked about
rayheinrich´s poetry that pulled me out of a cold place.
shem´s bizarre, but very interesting writing
todd, for teaching me how to attempt that critique-thing

(and others whom i can´t think of right now)

[QDeathstar]

I'm thankful for Shem and Leanne. They are interesting and willing to engage.

[billy]

mmmmmmmmm it's a hard one leanne you bugger.
i'm thankful to all admin and mods for obvious reasons.

for Kieth who i see as level headed with a great attitude to poetry.
for tiger the lion, i've yet to see them lose it or leave,
there are many more but i won't hog the posts.

[Lizzie]

I'm grateful for the wonderful women here who aren't ashamed to be one.

For Todd, who tells us what's up without condescending.

For Ray, who welcomes tag alongs.

For Miss Quix, her steady kindness and intuition.

For Death who messages if I've been gone too long.

[Keith]

Gratefull to
The mod team and beyond for all the work behind the scenes
All members for their creativity and desire to help others to improve.

Thankful to
The nubes who squeeze past the complexities of characters and find a way to fit in.
The solid readers who tirelessly leave feedback, just when I need feedback.
NZ and all who hail from her.
IIce station zebra and the harmony it will bring.
Leanne for all the timely injections of encouragement that got me writing again.

[nibbed]

First of all, I'm grateful for Jesus
who made Christmas possible.
I'm thankful He was born as a little baby,
born to grow up to be our Lamb of God,
and shed His blood, our precious Passover Lamb.
I'm grateful for the cross of Calvary
and how He conquered death
and how He loves me more than anybody ever did or could.
I'm grateful for my family and friends.
I'm thankful for a home and warmth and air and water and food.
I'm thankful for this place, too.
Folks hide behind walls and names, remain secret, but
when I pray for them I can still see those names and avatar,
so I'm grateful for that, even.
I'm thankful for human interaction.
I'm thankful for those who have helped me and encouraged me here.
I'm really thankful for moments of kindness.
I'm not sure if I fit all the way in, yet, but I am thankful to be here,
even if I'm feeling grouchy...

-nibbed

[Tiger the Lion]

I am grateful for my muse, who is grossly underpaid,
for Dale, who taught me right from wrong,
for Ray who showed me I was right more often than I thought
for Ella the my rock,
for River and Duke and Vagabond and Nibbed who consistently comment
on my sometimes hasty work, often without appropriate thank-yous,
for Mercedes and Leanne and Todd and others for setting the bar so high,
and for Billy, proof that crass and class can live in one body.

[Todd]

I'm grateful to this site and the many poets some not here anymore that through their generous comments have allowed my work to improve.

Pointing a few people out, I'm grateful for (in no particular order):

Billy: for providing a poetry site that has stuck around and is actually helpful (not an easy thing to do). You're also a great person to work with.

Leanne: for helping me remain sane at times, for a great editorial eye which my work has benefited from, for her humor, and for her encouragement to write some formal poetry--I needed the shove.

Ella: for her tireless work on the site. She isn't the longest serving Mod/Admin but she does a staggering amount of work keeping things going. I'm glad she cares so much.

Milo: for pushing me to write better and to not take easy, crappy shortcuts.

Tom: for hating enjambment and making me consider longer line lengths.

Quix: for a wonderful attitude and a willingness to jump in the middle of things--as well as a love for fairy tale inspired poems.

Lizzie: for keeping me honest with my grammar and being a close reader.

Keith: for writing poetry that I truly enjoy reading.

Mercedes: for making me learn about New Zealand--and write some things about it too.

Paul: for your emphasis on short forms and being a solid influence on the site.

Christine: for putting yourself out there, and caring about your writing and your contributions

Ray: for being one of my few fellow Texan poet/outliers. Thanks for pushing back often.

Appreciate all of you who write and critique--you keep the site going.

Best,

Todd

[CRNDLSM]

Thanks to everyone making my work better, whilst letting me butcher theirs.

[Lizzie]

I'm grateful for nibbed, who's kind to everybody.

[ellajam]

I'm grateful for the existence of billy, and my great good luck to have stumbled upon him. My life would be significantly less rich without his yin/yang and what he created here, a place to play poetry with such a diverse group of people.

And I'm grateful y'all show up to play. And I'm grateful for Leanne who made space for being grateful.

[QDeathstar]

I'm greatful for ray and the cats pissing on controls.

[RiverNotch]

Grateful to y'all for still being here while too many things kept slipping away this year ----

[QDeathstar]

I'm grateful for the internet

http://libanswers.dominican.edu/faq/7421