New York Write to Pitch Reviews, Algonkian Writer Conferences, and Poetry Forums

The site is looking less screwy now in September, but when I create a new thread, I still can't add any text or message. So for me, it isn't entirely fixed.

I'm raising this to the top because it seems to be the only way to communicate with anyone. Michael is the owner of this site, isn't he? I think he is aware of the problem, but he's not doing anything. That being the case, there doesn't seem to be anything else to do -- the forum is now closed. Does...

So the forum software is still broken? Too bad. Maybe my presence here not only made the people angry, but the software angry too.

Interesting poem, though I can't say I really understand it.

I can't edit my last post. There's no doubt that this forum software has suddenly become corrupt.

https://www.proleartthreat.co.uk/forum/

If you want to try the forum I came from. Same software. The default theme is all-black, but you can get a light-gray them if you prefer it (among others). There are not a lot of people there, but several of them are very good poets.

I'm not able to post a poem. If you can't reach Michael, I guess we'll have to wait until Michael tries to post something of his own and isn't able to. This is certainly annoying.

Sorry, I was napping, as old folks are wont to do. I'll post a poem now. When I DO post new poems, I always get error messages, but the poem always gets posted. One thing that has happened in the last day is that my light-gray theme has turned to all-white, and now the screen is harder to read. I ca...

I just managed to get back on. I wonder what the problem was. I want to see that poem.

Thank you, Bob! I agree that "showing" is better, but it's also true that I am a natural story-teller and most of my poems have a narrative element, and you can't really narrate without "telling". I also do a lot of prose writing, and that filters into my poetry. One more thing also makes my poetry ...

Thank you, Bob. I do think, however, that gay men who were promiscuous when they were young will find a lot in it that they can relate to. Nonetheless, I trust your judgement, so I'll keep working on it.

According to an internet search, TGIGF means Thank God It's Good Friday.

There are subtleties in the poem I need to think about before I comment.

Thank you, Michael. Let me consider the possibilities. I didn't go with "Prodigal" because it seemed too obvious for a religious poem (although "Homecoming" is obvious too). Naming a poem is usually easy, but this one is proving more difficult.

Saturday Afternoon “Is that the Empire State Building you’ve got in your pants?” Well, I thought it was funny, and this was Greenwich Village, so there was at least a fifty percent chance he would laugh and, hopefully, stop to exchange numbers. But no — I wasn’t showing a big enough building of my ...

Michael, thank you so much for weighing in! I agree with your suggestion for the title. "Prodigal Lamb" is probably what I'll end up calling it. You have to understand that I'm not steeped in Christianity, as my parents weren't particularly religious, and so I haven't got all the lingo down pat. I d...

“Sorry that I've been away for a while (not that I'm everyone's favorite new member, but I like to pretend that I'm wanted).” This is the attitude you came him with, a self-fulfilling prophecy. You create your own problem and then fulfill. You might want to look at yourself. I’ve recently, at age 7...

What a nice comment! Thank you!

This line ...

they are, from where they came,

... originally had "sprang" in place of "came". I inserted "came" because the K sound seemed to fit better, but "came" is a more ordinary word. Now I'm not sure.

Thank you, Bob -- that's very generous of you. No, this was written a few days ago. I put it up on the other forum I participate in and got only one short comment that didn't tell me much. The poem reflects my religious views, though I won't bore you with them now. One concern I had about the poem i...

Lost and Found God is pleased to be mocked, something not well understood, for his greatest joy is in reunions, those homecomings when his rebellious sheep wander back from their reckless ventures, bleating about splendid lands, of better meals to be had, and making audacious demands, but also reme...

Thank you for commenting. Do you mean the perception that the woman is putting on her own show in an exhibitionistic way (given that her legs are bare)? I didn't even think about that. As the speaker in the poem, I certainly don't think the woman was intentionally putting herself on display, but to ...

I have completely changed the ending.

Sorry that I've been away for a while (not that I'm everyone's favorite new member, but I like to pretend that I'm wanted). I was going to tell you, Bob, that it is okay to criticize my poems -- I don't bite all the time. The other forum shares your view, that the beginning is the weakest part, but ...

Thank you, Bob. I appreciate it! I think parts are still a bit too prosaic, but I'm still working on it.

Fahrenheit, Not Celsius (version 4 -- new ending) A big meal before bed turned my body into a steel-smelting blast-furnace producing prodigious amounts of heat, making it impossible to sleep. Switching the covers in and out, it took me an hour to get comfy. As I settled into the warmth, all I could...

I wasn't going to say anything (because you said you didn't want me to), but this has been sitting without a critique for a while. I'll keep my comments brief. I think it's a good poem. It's clear. It flows nicely. There are lots of poignant moments in it, and the images are creative throughout. Ind...

I don't know if my input is wanted, but I love the flow of the poem. It's a little mesmerizing.