John, although my question was aimed at the upper management, and thinkers of the group rather than the thuggish element and cling-ons, thanks anyway for your response.

Ok as the current holder of this honour I'm going to stick my oar in.
Being 'vain and a tireless self promoter' (Peter's words) I'm very happy to have a poem chosen and feel suitably flattered. Any poet who puts his work out there through whatever medium is asking to have it read - and therefore is courting an opinion and probably cares about that opinion..whatever he/she may say.

Secondly, I stongly disagree that a poem read once is of no more interest than yesterday's newpaper. I can think of poems I've read many times and still enjoy. I suspect that there are some for whom poetry is a modern disposable art form where shock or instant reaction is more important than clever construction or original writing carefully expressed. I'm not of that view.

Thirdly, I think it's good for the site to have a home page that shows off the work within the site - we all benefit from a site that is well regarded. it will attract better writers and better critics so everyone gains.

Not of course that i'm holding my poem in such high regard - I'm just honoured it got to wear the crown for the remainder of Peter's reign following his abdication (and decaration of support for a republic!).

Marc

Pete, I have to blunt and say I disagree with you.  I think the key words here are 'chosen by'.  I've had one poem on the front page and I wouldn't have changed a word of it for anything--because it was 'chosen' that way, and I'm not an editor or the editor that chose it.

I won't even change a poem when it's moved to 'picks' unless recommended by an editor.  I think I may have changed a couple of them when they were quite old and not noticed much any more, just for my own satisfaction, or to make a copy of it.

If I don't want to honor editors choice here, why am I even a member here?

The reason I stay here and do honor what the editors mention is because I've learned more about my own poetry here than I have at any other site in over 10 years.  I accept what they have to say and do, and enjoy it.

cheryl

is this a joke thread? if you don't like the way the forum operates then exercise your free will to vacate the building. some of us are longing to be picked for the front page. it means a lot - shows we are respected by our peers.

I'm respected down the pub, Daryl, so I don't need any more respect than that.   I take it you're not going to bear arms with us?

ummm... no! and at the rate of pub closure in britain, that respect will soon disappear too.

Pete, you're just silly.

I do what I do because I want to.  Not because I feel forced to.