Making and Unmaking Beautiful Memories at a Nashville Waffle House

[Collapsed We Swear]

Making and Unmaking Beautiful Memories at a Nashville Waffle House


Dusk, 
be still, my sundae—

don't rush,
or be rushed,
or fall for the ploy
to pinch our thirst
from boozing.

I want to be rearranged into
neat little stacks of 1955 to 1989

[brynmawr1]

"or fall for the ploy"

Are you a lawyer?   You are playing by the rules, but not playing the game.  Get in the game.

[Collapsed We Swear]

"or fall for the ploy"

Are you a lawyer?   You are playing by the rules, but not playing the game.  Get in the game.

From what I can tell, the game is me scrolling through the side bar reading some amateur poetry for an hour, finding one that is appropriately awful, spending another hour correcting their spelling and basic grammar errors, wincing at every cliché—and trying not to turn the phrase “this is cliché” into a cliché, which is an art unto itself on this site—navigating the obligatory, yet counterproductive, assault course of being agreeable while simultaneously implying the author should abandon the poem (and possibly poetry, altogether) because it’s the worst thing I’ve ever read due to an absolute lack of competence and creativity, only for the payoff to be that they don’t change the poem, at all. And why would they? It’s never getting published, anyway, and they don’t give a shit about poetry. 
And then I realise that I just wasted 2 hours of my life trying to sharpen the edges of a poem that’s not a poem for a poet that’s not a poet!
Then, as this is a game of two halves, I might be graced by a thumbs up or thumbs down critique of one of my poems by the same no talent idiots that I just criticized. How fulfilling.
 
So, yeah, I’ll play by the rules, but I won't squander too much time playing the game. 

[CRNDLSM]

Can we move this discussion to the pigs arse? There's plenty of room to talk smack of other 'poets' in there

[Collapsed We Swear]

Can we move this discussion to the pigs arse? There's plenty of room to talk smack of other 'poets' in there

Why? I think there is an interesting conversation to be had about the utility of amateur criticism of amateur poetry. I may have been a little blunt, but we are all adults here, we can take a little blunt, surely.

[CRNDLSM]

Mostly for organizing the thread material, we are down for discussion of almost any type, i thought it seemed off topic for your poem here, but since you're the op I figured I'd ask instead. Your subjectivity piece definitely seems more fitting for the conversation, we also have a 'poetry discussion forum' sometimes it just keeps the site neater.

As for amateur vs professional, the amateurs keep a site like this going while the professionals take their time between pieces. Nothing like a little inspiration to steal a smaller writers ideas either. I personally don't care how big any writer is, I'm more interested in helping amateurs express themselves. More all around rewards.

[brynmawr1]

"or fall for the ploy"

Are you a lawyer?   You are playing by the rules, but not playing the game.  Get in the game.

From what I can tell, the game is me scrolling through the side bar reading some amateur poetry for an hour, finding one that is appropriately awful, spending another hour correcting their spelling and basic grammar errors, wincing at every cliché—and trying not to turn the phrase “this is cliché” into a cliché, which is an art unto itself on this site—navigating the obligatory, yet counterproductive, assault course of being agreeable while simultaneously implying the author should abandon the poem (and possibly poetry, altogether) because it’s the worst thing I’ve ever read due to an absolute lack of competence and creativity, only for the payoff to be that they don’t change the poem, at all. And why would they? It’s never getting published, anyway, and they don’t give a shit about poetry. 
And then I realise that I just wasted 2 hours of my life trying to sharpen the edges of a poem that’s not a poem for a poet that’s not a poet!
Then, as this is a game of two halves, I might be graced by a thumbs up or thumbs down critique of one of my poems by the same no talent idiots that I just criticized. How fulfilling.
 
So, yeah, I’ll play by the rules, but I won't squander too much time playing the game. 

Exactly!  I was worried that you didn't understand.  Though, I think if you post your work in the critique forums you might find that not all of us are no talent idiots(myself excluded of course).  If you aren't interested in feedback(or don't respect the comments you get), why bother posting at all?  Get involved.  It will be worth it.
Take care,
Bryn

Oh, and technically I'm not an amateur poet.  I have earned $0.95 in royalties from a poem I got published.  Boom!  No where to go but down!