Just when you think that life isn’t silly enough, along comes a new story. The Mencap Facebook group was pinging all afternoon yesterday. They have all been going for vaccinations. One of them nearly fainted when he saw the needle and had to have a lie down before they could vaccinate him. Another was vaccinated by a vet, who said she stayed still better than his usual clients.
Apart from that the big news of the day is that I have a new haibun out in Drifting Sands. I’m not really happy with it, as I tried a few new things and it isn’t really me. I’ve been reading the work of too many experimental and modern poets.
This is a decision helped along by a bit of counting. I noticed a writer claiming in his biographical notes, that he has had “dozens” of poems published. Well, I had ten in my previous incarnation as a poet, around 15 years ago, and according to my recent count, I can add another 24. That’s dozens. Having seen someone else use the term I now feel like it’s a bona fide milestone, and I can now relax a bit.
It only seems like yesterday my writing seemed to have stalled and I worried about nobody accepting my 13th piece. It was actually, if you add the earlier ten, my 23rd piece, so no superstition should have been attached. It was also my 24th piece because it turned out that I had miscounted. It’s amazing what you can worry about.
I’m also in Failed Haiku this month. Page 179 – a senryu and a haibun. It’s about 80% of the way through so it’s easier to start from the end if you want to scroll through looking. Originally it had a line about my debt to Larkin’s Annus Mirabilis, but the editor has left it out. I wasn’t sure where allusion ends and plagiarism begins, but I think I’m on the right side of the line, even without the line in. It’s better without the acknowledgement anyway – it’s easy to start looking pretentious if you add explanation.
Oh dear, I’m in danger of sounding like I know what I’m doing…
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Congratulations. The Drifting Sands one I didn’t quite get; loved the Failed Haiku offerings
Thank you. I agree with you – the Drifting Sands haibun is not my best work. Must try harder! 🙂
You are in definite danger of sounding like someone who knows what he is doing.
It’s a worry. I might be growing up.
Goodness. What next?
I know, it’s a sobering thought.
I enjoyed your poetry in Drifting Sands and especially Failed Haiku. Congratulations, Quercus!
hank you. I really must do more poetry about voles…
I envy you your talent, I can string a story or two together but poetry …no way!
If I could write stories I would, but I can’t plot, tell a story or do with all the editing. 🙂 It’s not talent, it’s making the best of what I’ve got. 🙂
Congratulations on the latest publication. And yes you can say that you’ve had dozens of poems published.
🙂 It is accurate, at the same time as being slightly misleading.
Misleading?
Well, dozens really implies more than two dozen, and many od my recent poems are three lines long. 🙂
But dozens speaks of aspiration 😉
Good answer! 🙂
😊
Oh no! Not that!
🙂
You do sound like you know what your doing.
Time, as I often say, will tell. This is what keeps me sane in lockdown.
Congratulations! A wonderful accomplishment. I know I sound like a broken record, but if you knew how many poems were submitted to even the smallest publications, then you would feel even better about those dozens.
Yes, I must keep telling myself that. And the notes from editors are also good signs. 🙂
They sure are!
🙂