From Jane, with thanks

Oh RK! What you write speaks to my heart and condition.

I wonder...what internal standards do we judge ourselves in the end? Three decades certainly has meant much work produced, and I would think that there are so many more that are silent in approval. Out there...who read, and never comment...but they read, constantly...like the blogs.

It's damn frustrating, because people do have opinions of what they read of yours (and mine) but they are silent. They might be 'supportive' pushed or shoved to admit it, but generally they don't understand that poets, writers NEED the feedback of intelligent and sensitive readers. They are hard to make known their voice.

I don't know of a part of literature where writers are at each other's necks as in poetry. I have come across dozens of poets, and they should support and delight in each others works, but they are misers. I think because poetry is seen as a marginal part of literature, they (we) are desperate for acceptance. In the end, we have to go on our own belief that what we write is of worth, beauty and value to ourselves the most: And that is probably why we continue to write poetry. An affirmation of our very selves is mixed up in all of this, but the end result is not our own egos, perhaps, but the beauty of what we produce.

There are probably very few really bad characters that we come across and need to isolate in our own lives....but their vemon can go deep. I have had a few, and they were all men! LOL!. Being male must mean a terrible urge to cut down the other.

Doing what you are doing: reading, writing and publishing...is the only path to take. And I do agree with what you write about arguing with others or trying to convince them. They are energy vampires and we are the poorer for it. That is why I have deleted MM's comments from my blog on poetry because of what he does. He uses my blog for his self-promotion. I wouldn't mind that much if he attended to the poetry there, but he doesn't. After months of trying to decide what tact to take with him, I decided that my blog wasn't a democracy and not everyone had a right to post what the hell they wanted. I was the Dictator. And of course now he is accusing me of "Censurship".

Good...someone has to do it! Poetry might be better for it in the end...LOL!

RK. Until we die (and can't hear it...) or get seriously ill and then people tell us how much we mean (and our work) to them....I think this is just the way of life. You have acquired rightfully so many awards and applause for your work. And I think a 'mean spirited' man doesn't get these things because that same behavior comes through in our dealings with humanity....and more importantly? our work.

I think you have nothing to worry about..at least from here! You are a famous poet. At least all my readers and friends are very impressed with you....and though that is just a drop in the sea....it means something...and to me, too.

I think you have the self-doubts that come from being tired. You have been on edge about this marvelous new book and all the attendant issues to get it to publishers....but it will happen, and very, very soon.

All we can do is continue on the path we have set for ourselves. And to read/write and publish is probably the best path in the world!!

I send love and comfort to you...as much as it means to you. I send it with a full heart.

Love,
Jane
I'm a blog: http://ladynyo.wordpress.com
"A Seasoning of Lust" published by Lulu.com
Soon to be published: "The Zar Tales" and "White Cranes of Heaven"

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Dear Jane,
The corrections took my whole day today. I couldn't open my mailbox till evening. I would like to send the mss to the publisher tomorrow. Then, I must start revising my other book, USING ENGLISH IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, so that the publisher could reprint it in time for use by students of BTech/MSc here. The Winter semester will begin from next Monday and I must complete some of my pending work before it is too late.
At the back of my mind has also been the 'anxiety' that despite three decades of writing and publishing, I have not yet been able to make a respectable place for myself. Not many people know me just as most people dont care to know about me or my poetry. I don't want to end up an unknown poet even if fellow poets, critics and academicians are often driven by their own in-built jealousy, envy and sense of rivalry. It hardly helps if I am good and considerate about each of them.
Yet, I keep on doing what I have been doing all these years: reading, writing and publishing. Money or no money, honor or no honor. There is no creative satisfaction in arguing with others or even trying to convince them; it gives us nothing, except tenstions at the end!
Love
R K

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Wow, RK! That is Great News!! I can't wait for that to come out...and Happy Birthday! We share something of this, mine is Jan. 9th. Both of us winter babies.

Well, this certainly comes first, and it will take a while...a matter of weeks actually, for me to format more the discussion.

Frankly, there is such bull here in the comments about poetry...and it's more than dismissive...it's downright ignorance. People who are 'writers' are chiming in on things they know and have studied nothing about. Rose's comments were more confusion of the issue than clarity.

But so it goes...as you know yourself well.

I do understand about making changes after a mss is submitted. I just submitted "The Zar Tales" for lulu.com publication and I am making changes already...poor Bill Penrose, who stands in as my editor on this and he hasn't had the time to incorporate them.

The blog discussion will be around for a while...on this poetry issue...and I am just beginning to study those authors I mentioned.

So....Happy New Year, dear friend, and that is wonderful news about your new book!

Love,
Jane

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Thanks Jane for inviting me to the debate. Maybe, I join you a little later. At the moment I am proof-reading my COLLECTED POEMS: 1974-2009. I expected the book to come out by the end of this year, on my birthday on 31 Dec., but it is delayed. I don't want the publisher to further delay it. So, lt's hope the book is available sometime next year!
Even if I submitted the mss on a disc, there are so many errors. And, now I am getting an itch to make some changes, which will definitely annoy the composer and the publisher.
I neeed your prayers for making it a good volume, now running to 340 printed pages.
Love
R K

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Dear RK,

I have started up again....a poetry discussion on my blog.

There is a fellow, MM, who is a Australian fellow who is a poet. He's rather an argumentive fellow, 80 years old, and his poetry is more 'prose' than with any real poetic sentiment. He needles Nick Nicholson and me for endless reasons, only known to himself...LOL!

However, Nick and I have started discussing this 'thorny' issue of prose/poetry.

Others have weighted in, but there is something that is 'off' issue here: the issue is more the defining mechanics and structure of poetry, and the freedom and responsibilites those things have within them. Others just rather dismiss the argument that 'poetry is that great subjective'.

I think poetry is not this wandering around without a clue form. It has definite forms, but is more something that has, as both Nick and I have tried to impress....a contemplative/ inner life. And to me it's a sharpening of words ....and fewer of them.

So....dear friend, come read this "Poetry and Prose" and weigh in with your opinions. They will have a great welcome here.

Love.
Jane
I'm a blog: http://ladynyo.wordpress.com
"A Seasoning of Lust" published by Lulu.com
Soon to be published: "The Zar Tales" and "White Cranes of Heaven"
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