Becky Says...

March 2002

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March 29

It's been a weird Holy Week, with busy days and slow days and religion and rabbits mingled; one that culminated today with poetry from a friend who insists that all poetry has to rhyme, even if it has to be brutally forced to do so.

Today's poem had to do with Easter, and it was damned hard to read...not just the sing-songy parts, but it was on a web page that was so poorly done that the text couldn't be seen clearly against it. In the interest of your vision, I shan't link it.

This same friend went to a poetry workshop a few years ago, at which one of the more distinguished poets in North Carolina was the main presenter. My friend was not familiar with the presenter's work, but on seeing the accolades given to her by the workshop's sponsors, he decided this was the workshop for him. He should have taken the time to read some of her work before signing up. The presenting poet rarely uses rhyme, and my friend was horrified and incensed.

He's the type who will argue his point even on the occasions when he has none. Yes, he tried to convince her that poetry had to rhyme. Yes, he failed, miserably. After the workshop, he had occasion to come see me. He tried to get me to side with him about it. Failed that one, too.

Actually, he's not a bad writer of prose, and he has some good ideas in the poetry. It's sad so many of the ideas get lost in the rhyme.

After slogging through today's opus (and the thing was way too long), I did the polite thing; I thanked him for sharing it. Please note I did not comment on the poem itself. There is a difference in being polite and lying through one's teeth.

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Beth has started a ring of journallers who plan to update daily for the rest of Lent. The ring is called "Saving Kymm's Soul," in honor of Kymm's pledge to give up reading journals for Lent. She'll need a handy list of archives to search as she celebrates Easter, and we thought we'd help her out. The list of ring members is here.

Text © copyright 2000-2002 Becky