When forced to admit
I'm a poet

I get asked
Have you been published?

In other words
Weakly masturbate or real hot sex?

My first urge is to say
None of your business.

My second is to protest
Oh it's hot alright!

Then I just spill
the boring details.


new jars on spec series www.poetrycircle.com/index.php/topic,16199

(Well I think you're hot no matter what, like cayenne pepper, ya know?.) 

This is a good poem for poets who are not into attaching labels or trying to be someone other than themselves.

Awesome job.

I like how you say that you are cornered, because it's a very strange question. How after all is one a poet? By writing poetry? I've always associated words like 'artist' and 'poet' with the past tense.


What does the expression "split the difference" mean? (well I have an idea but want to know if it's a common expression in english)

A fairly common expression, meaning to compromise. Thanks for the look, Mikael. Tom

..moving from Workshop to Submit board..

An intellectual, rather than an emotional response to your ego...interesting irony considering you mention the primal instinct of love making. I think the poem trades rhythm and harmony for shock and content...not my personal taste but you've accomplished your goals :)

Would you consider taking out the contractions? That might help the flow I am missing.

thank you for the thoughts, joseph, brought me back to the poem with new eyes. yes, an intellectual account of emotional responses, which may well sum up the series.  removing first contraction might buff the flow, but not the second, as I hear it. I see in S3 where rhythm dies an ugly death: could smooth it out by adding syllables: - "in other words, do you have real hot sex or weakly masturbate" - but why lyricism for cognitive dissonance? but will see how it all percolates down. tom

I like this Tom. The flow is good plus the meaning. I had to laugh but it does sober you up a bit because of the way people percieve poets. Thanks for the great write.
Nicole

On reading this again, I still like it, but I'm just not sure about that last line.  Seems like using 'boring' overdoes things a bit.  I think because you're projecting your own thoughts toward others in a way to placate, or appear humble.

Just thinkin' bout things, for now,
cheryl

You may be right, Cheryl, but too tired to think it through or figure out what to do. Will try again tomorrow. Thank you.
Nicole, thank you too for reading and lending me your eyes too. Tom

Liked this Tom. Of course it touches a nerve with anyone who is presumptious enough to be 'creative'. Are we just fooling ourselves or maybe seeking to have our egos stroked? Musicians in particular (espec. jazz players perhaps!) get accused of masturbatory self indulgence from time to time...still if it feels good..!

Poets are in a stranger place still. We select some words and then hold them up as if to say 'aren't I clever?' I guess if we're going to place ourselves in the firing line then we better be good! It's even trickier with free verse. At least with a structured piece there's a set of rules and we either do a good job of adhering to them or not...

An interesting and thought provoking piece.

lol

another fine pen, Tom

Stella

Marc, Stella, thank you for reading and the encouraging words.
Yes, it's odd. So many people (not us!) labor to make useless products - but since they get paid, it's okay.
Tom

It's all about results here in the U. S. of A.  That's good as far as it goes, but we've given up judging the results for ourselves.  We won't actually eat the cheese; we'll wait until an Expert does and blogs about the taste.

Rick

Well put, Rick. Somebody has to put a stamp on things; usually a price-tag will do. In publishing, it's not an emplty question, of course. A poem out of the blue could range from anywhere between 0 and 100 on the should-I-read scale, a poem someone has published anwhere between 2 and 100. It's something. Tom