strange gnome

I already knew. Never piss off a poet! Gotta admit, the poem is good though. Rett: "This way to the Great Egress" P.T. Barnum

A poem quite well written, but awfully strong recrimination. I sure wouldn't want to get on your sh!t list. Always, cat

Without looking at the underlying meaning, this is a good poem. I can say nothing more. ~Jess K. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "The toilets at a local police station have been stolen. Police say they have nothing to go on..." - Ronnie Barker

I can't wait to try to understand the response to this. Excellent write! Your Friend, Mark

but sadly bitter cheers, Jess

cheers, Jess

Well written piece of poetry. Respectfully Yours, Barbara

Wow, how did I miss this one. . . Ah I remember, I had company up from Florida for a week and wasn't keeping up on my reading. Great write here my friend.Strong feelings, very well put! Personally I feel sorry for these types[truthfully] I am a true PollyAnna I guess~ "There's no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you." Will Rogers

Interesting poem...wonder who you are talking about, check out my poem God told me to write this. Games, sorry, games, sorry, games, sorry. Sorriest person on earth.... I shed a tear for the gnome. Patty

you are not alone, Tbidet, however many appreciate my vitriol, which is more often constructive that insultive. Oh hey, I must admit it is a cheap trick to provoke anger, but have another look. Take a poll. I give more support that abuse and my targets are bigotry, religion fundamentalism and jingoism (which is not the same as patriotism, the greatest patriots are often their countries greatest critics). Apart from size and power Australia is much like America and if I direct my criticism to American it is merely considering my demographic. cheers, Jess

well written and...oh my...*snicker* you should also read 'Country Bumpkin' lol <3 Emarie @~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~@ "For every shadow, no matter it's depth, is threatened by the morning's light..."

Doubt I would have hit below the belt would be worried 'bout facing a .357 (Dangerous Minds) but it's your write and quite creative or goes beyond to bold as well. I looked at this many times and here I am with the time to say yup that gnome will make ya out of your mind LMFAO Mark Man thinks this.

still, I (personally) would keep it above the belt. Carry on friend, if you will, Mark Man thinks this.

You Boston folks, ya see a problem ya take care of it. "case closed decision making" Mark Man thinks this.

WOW!

Hehehehe.... some of my best poems have been written after a *perceived* attack... and let me post a story here you all might find *inspiring*. A good man, a virtous man, dies and finds himself in the afterlife. It is a beautiful place and he spends a day just wandering around enjoying all the wonders. By evening however he's getting hungry. So he goes over to St. Peter and asks, "Where can we get food around here?" Peter answers, "You only need to imagine what food you want and wish for it, and it arrives." So the man wishes for a sumptious feast, and sure enough the food arrives. He has the best feast ever, better than anything he had in life. After his nap the man finds a familiar urge, and so he goes to find St. Peter again. "I'm feeling lonely for some female companionship. How does that work around here?" St. Peter answers, "You only ned to imagine who you want and wish for it, and it arrives." So the man wishes for the most perfectly gorgeous woman, and sure enough she arrives. They spend many hours together, with greater heights of enjoyment than with any woman he'd experienced in life. The man is overjoyed and spends weeks indulging himself. Only he starts to be bored, even with all that. He happens to see St. Peter again and says, "Hey, this place is great! But it does get kind of boring. Boy, if it's like this here, I'd hate to see how bad things are in Hell!" St. Peter answers, "Oh, you don't know: this is Hell!" (feel free to change pronoun from he to she. EH? ~A I thank god there is always someone to keep me from being to complacent, too *content* with my ideologies.

they tend to get around and show up (about) anywhere "I'd rather fight than switch" (have been walking around with a black eye lately) ha! Man thinks this.

It is to support and encourage young poets. Give constructive and helpful feedback to more mature poets. And to fuck off ignorant bigots. Oh yes, that is definitely part of my job. Seems I have failed so far in one case in the last category. Jess

I take exception to the *lunatic fringe lemmings* in your above deconstruction (a much better description, btw) of Jess's (cap)abilities, or lack thereof. How do you see yourself as being different in the area of inflammatory derogatory words you use against someone to make YOUR point? As far as this *poetry* site is concerned, there is a problem with mixing apples and oranges here. The five-star is always rated first on someone's *fancy* including but not limited to genuine *poetic critique*. That is an arbitrary thing at best. Unless you have a Professor like poet Gerald Stern (who I had in the one poetry class in NJ when I lived there - I got an *A*.) the best anyone can do is rate that person on her/his own capabilities. Much like being judged on their own potential and not against another poet with *greater* poetic musings. Look to your own heart/mind/speech before you consider yourself a capable judge to judge others. "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" type thing. And yes you have *potential* in fairness in both critiquing the poet and the poem. With a long way to go. ~A

is posting a poem to attack another poet, any poet, on this site. I have seen too many poetic communities tear themselves apart through bitching and infighting. We might hate each others guts but I would keep it to commentary, I have never, no matter how harsh I have been, never posted a poem about another poet. Your mediocre talents could be put to better use. And putting the link in your comment signature! Oh please, how very spiteful and immature. Jess

I have changed nothing because of you. The "attacks" I have made on you are on beliefs and attitudes and I have made similar comments to people with similar beliefs, like Rett, but they are not such petty, spiteful people, in fact we are friends. Your aggressive, nasty responses actually say a lot more about you. There is a protocol of respect here, I didn't make up "rule" that you can't write a disparaging poem about another poet, it just offends my sensibilities about what poetry is. I am not going to meet any of your smug, arrogant demands but I will stay well away from you. I simply ask again that you remove that link from your comment signature. Why continue to feud? Jess

I cannot even comment on the poem because it is the commentary that has taken over this page. My strong suggestion is that the link from your signature be removed, as this type of behavior is not promoted or supported on Neopoet. If you have something to say to another poet, please do so in private. This matter has been raised in the past, and the policy has not changed. Freedom of speech is fine. This was accomplished when you wrote and posted this poem. The link in your signature goes too far. Respectfully, ~ Ronda

This *mortal combat via long distance* will only take you further into the abyss of separation and accusation....Damn it! You're both semi-intelligent* men and *Poets* for God's sake... why carry on like this? what/whom does it serve? democracy? literacy? Live up to being a poet not down to the depths of lunacy... and puleeezzzzzzzzze do not tell me this hasn't gone too far. ~A * do you wonder why is said *semi*?

Tom, I appreciate you removing the link. Thank you. However, the rest of this needs to stop as well. This goes for everyone, not just you. We do not verbally attack another member, nor do we go on a proverbial witch hunt. Yes, we will all be upset by another member at one time or another, this is a community. When incidents like this occur, they are to be privately handled between the individuals involved. Again, this is Neopoet policy, and a matter of respect for the site and its members. I ask this of you and others with nothing but respect. Sincerely, ~ Ronda

Rhonda, first thanks for stepping in. Tom. I'll be happy to agree that Jess can be abrasive and cantankerous and provoking. You talk about the difference between being pissed of and fed up but don't realise Jess' reaction come from the same place. I'm not asking you to respect each other or like each other or even tolerate each other. Hell, I'm the last person to ask people to get along. What I will ask is that if you want to attack someone, do it privately. You want to attack their work, have at it. You want to highlight in your own work the flaws you see in theirs? Fine. But personal attacks posing as poetry is missing the point. Now, about this poem, I have a problem with it structurally. Specifically, let's take a look at the first stanza where the first two numbers is the syllable count and the letter is the rhyme scheme ---------------------------- 05 - A - you poke and provoke 07 - A - the jealous flames that you stoke 07 - B - you instigate with such hate 07 - B - you’re a disturbed, angry mate 06 - C - blame it on your daddy 05 - D - blame it on your mom 08 - E - how can someone intelligent 05 - C - be so fucking dumb? ---------------------------- I know you've listed this as freeform but after doing such you've given it a wandering and inconsistent structure that is neither free form nor classic. As a result your reader has to constantly change the cadence of reading and go back to establish a new flow. In all honesty I am a lazy reader. I refuse to work harder at reading a poem the the author did at writing it. Some folks have told me that such a statement is unkind. It's true, it is. But I consider myself a poet, not just someone who write poems. I take poetry seriously and expect those who present their efforts on a workshop site to do the same. Serious poets, just like other serious artists, strive to improve their work and connect with a larger audience effectively. If they are happy gathering the accolades of a few folks without critical review then we, me the poet and they the writer of poems, are incompatible and I'll not bother with their work. As this poem progresses it become less relevant as commentary and more of a bitter rant with attempted plays on words that scream of early high school. And that's the problem with such personal poems in general. They are so specific that they descend into the realm of whining. I'd suggest a re-write here. Rather than focusing on a single person and kicking out all your frustration and vitriol, describe the type of person. Make the statement broader so we can see if you are arguing against a behaviour rather than whining at behaviour only because it is directed at you. As an example. Let's say someone called me an asshole. I've got several options: 1) I hate dickwads who call people names! 2) Labels as arguments are both intellectually lazy and a window into insecurities 3) Yes, but I'm comfortable with it. The first choice is whining by deploring the action only because it is directed against me personally The second choice is an attempt to stay above the discussion and point out the fallacy of the original action The third choice is a "Yeah, I hear you and when you're whining becomes important I will be sure to let you know" comment. Number three is my favorite and part of my aggressive-aggressive personality You can always polarize with a personal attack but you can rarely extend your knowledge or talent. No one can tell you how to act but I can tell you if I see someone violating their stated moral position only to retaliate against others, I am unconvinced they have a moral position at all. Our actions define who we are. --Jonathan Annoying the world, one person at a time (Group discounts available)

Many poets have been harassed to the point of tears, Like my former chat room that I was bullied out of. I declare that the government of this site is more corrupt than America. I can ignore most comments but I was yanked out of my chat room I was trying to host and as far as I know the gnome won.... I will no longer host and I am not the only one. The gnome thinks he owns the poems. You wanna talk about nasty. Read some of his comments. People are trying to tell the committee that they should do something about comments on poems by the Weird Elf. "I won't stand for this title" , "I do not believe in God so your last four lines are unacceptable. If this man lived in America, his remarks about America would land him in the FBI office. Come on people, don't shoot the messenger. Take the message and do something about this situation in stead of letting him bully everyone! What are you blind? Swearing in the company of 14 yr old kids? How can you condone this? And he calls Rett his friend, I was in a chat room and he was bragging about making him so mad he would quit and thought it was funny. Thats not nurturing, that is pure jealously. I am glad he did not quit. Why don't you take away his privileges for a month? Its all in the chat logs. What more do you need? Are you all related to him but ashamed to admit it... My point is if you don't want to hear about God, don't read it or comment. I will not personally read anything profane or anything about drugs. All I can say is it reminds me of the show cops, they get caught red handed and they say, what did I do? Check the logs, check the comments and take a private poll. Some people are pretending to be his friend,,, but does he own the site? Thats ok the more I am persecuted about being a deluded religious fanatic (weirdelf's words not mine) the more favor I have with my maker, I feel sorry for you Elf, but you are way out of line, I think the committee needs to do something finally and end this battle, its getting old. I did not want to join in this fray, but God told me to. Patty

i thought this thread of he said/he said was finished. Guess I was wrong. Too bad. Shit is always *resurrected* and not given a decent burial. Ene of my rant. Peace. Anna

and a friend to both you and Jess, would you please remove this now? I think all that has been said should by now be over and done. I would appreciate it if you would take it down sir. Respectfully, Rett: "Life is like a beach. Salty, gritty, somewhat fishy and at other times, downright crabby" Rett: 2008

once again, truce repects, Jess