Primrose Mencap Garden
To be honest, my latest break was just because I am lazy. Given the choice of sitting watching TV or working on writing, I took the easy way.
The current situation is both good and bad.
One, I have just had a selection of poems turned down. It’s the last but one batch that I sent out in January. No big deal. I often get turned down by traditional poetry magazines. There’s a lot of competition with ordinary poetry and this particular magazine had around a thousand poems submitted. I will have to up my game.
Two. The final set of January submissions are waiting for a decision. They are currently on the Long List. I’ve been there before and failed to make the cut so I am not building any false hopes. They had over 3,000 poems submitted. I am not sure whether the long list is a couple of thousand or a couple of hundred. Doesn’t really matter, as it’s nice to tke the extra step.
Three. Contemporary Haibun 19 is now out. It’s been a long process from first being told by an editor that they had submitted me for this year’s edition back in the autumn. I didn’t say anything at the time because I’m always afraid that something will go wrong. In fact they didn’t select that piece, they selected another. That’s nice to know, because it means at least two editors think I’m worth nominating. It’s also nice because, as I think I wrote some time last year, after being in the book once, I felt under pressure to produce something good enough for inclusion this year. Now that I’ve put that one to rest I can relax. Even if I never get selected again, I can say I was selected twice and that tastes have changed. There are 113 poems and 32 haiga (pictures with haiku). As several people had multiple entries that puts me in or about the top 100 writers of haibun and tanka prose (though that is a subjective judgement and a number of better writers than me may have slipped through the net). It’s good to know I seem to be doing OK.
And with that thought, I’d better get on and submit some poetry.
Apple Blossom Mencap Garden
Congratulations on having a poem accepted, Simon. I tried commenting earlier but WP told me that I was repeating myself and wouldn’t publish the comment! Cheek!
WP can be like that! 🙂
Congratulations, Simon. 🙂
Congratulations on your recognition
Thank you. I am feeling cheerful this morning, having woken up with the feeling that something has gone right. 🙂
Congrats, congrats! Clearly, writing poetry is something you must do. Will you become involved with poetry readings once you have retired?
To be honest, I’ve never fancied the idea of poetry readings. I am not a natural performer, though when you watch them on You Tube, most poets aren’t. 🙂
I know exactly how you feel. I, too, am not a natural performer. But I do read aloud fairly well. Anyway…
🙂
I’ll only retire when that is beyond me 🙂
🙂
Congratulations on the acceptance, Simon. I will add a third on admiration for your persistence and your talent!
Thank you. As I say, persistence is easier when you have little choice. 🙂
I too admire your persistence (and your talent).
I too admire your persistence (and talent).
Thank you. It is, as I say in my reply to paolsoren, born of desperation. 🙂
I commend you for your persistence. I have submitted once or twice and been rejected and got on with doing other things. I doubt if I have the patience that you have shown
Thank you. In reality I have always wanted to write and I have submitted many times over the years – allowing myself to be put off by rejection many times. About 15 years ago I had about a dozen poems published but drifted off as the kids needed more of my time. This time I was backed into a corner – I was 60, I had not achieved anything in life and I had let my previous poetry success lapse. This was the last chance and I decided to take Kipling as my guide. He is unfashionable, but he isn’t always wrong.
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’