A Real Poem

I hope no one is offended by this. It is not meant to be incendiary. It is just my attempt to express what it feels like when something I've written goes unnoticed.

If I were to write a real poem,
It would be about the way I feel,
When I've finally finished a piece
--the spitting image of my soul in prose--
And it's left unread, unreviewed,
Somehow managing to waste space,
In the ether of limitless internet.
It would be pissy, and bitter, and it wouldn't rhyme,
But at least it would be honest.
At least I could read it and say,
"Well, it doesn't sound pretty,
And it makes you sound ungrateful,
To the world's greatest writers,
who all happen to write on this site,
and who happen to spin the deepest,
truest, most beautiful, honest, heartfelt,
grammarly perfect strands of words and stanzas,
that anyone ever posted to the internet,
But at least you have your dignity."
Then I would remember that I don't,
Because expressing a common complaint,
Is about the same as posting porn,
To boost your click count, and self esteem.
To be honest, THAT is how I feel
When I share love, and unrequited
comments.
THAT is what a real poem would say.

Author's Note

Honestly, doesn't anyone else ever feel under-appreciated sometimes, especially beside reviews written in superlatives only? I may not be a great writer, but I'm not wrong that this happens sometimes. I'm not even innocent, I'm just saying.

I'm adding this addendum, because I think this piece needs some clarification about my own views. I'm keeping the original description and author's notes above so that people can see how I expected it to be received when I first wrote it, or rather, how I was afraid it might be received.

This poem doesn't argue that we should be harsher critics. Rather, it is about the realization that you can get more reviews by "brown nosing" than by pouring your heart into a piece. That is why it's not only about work going unnoticed, but about the hyperbole that occurs in some comment sections.
Nor do I hate or blame this website. I think overall a writers quality can earn him or her attention on here. It's just a pity that attention can be earned more easily through flattery.
An example (which I won't seek out now, but remember clearly) is seeing a poem riddled with grammar errors (entirely pardonable). But beneath a slough of positive reviews was one particularly encouraging response which included something to the effect of "as for grammar, you're perfect!"
Boo, Hiss! You don't have to bash the poet, but for God's sake don't lie to him!

Reviews

[Marie]

1I suppose we all feel underappreciated sometimes. But if I read a poem that doesn't appeal to me, I would rather not give it a review than tell the writer I don't like it. Especially if I can't offer any positive criticism.

[Epipsychologist]

You offer constructive criticism, Marie. What I'm arguing against (No. Let's call it complaining about) in this poem is reviews that offer high praise to bad poems, probably for selfish purposes on the part of the comment poster.

In other words, I just don't like when I read a review that seems like a white lie. Or that sometimes (often, actually) reviews seem more like tools the commenter uses to gain friends than actual responses to writing. I'm not saying a response should be a critical analysis, but it shouldn't be an overstated compliment issued in the hopes that the flattered will return the flattery.

In short, I want to believe responses to the works people post on this site matter, but that can be hard when I invest in something I believe is well written, and then see that it has no feedback while some piece of crap emotional piece is gets tons of compliments. I want reviews, not compliments.

[Marie]

There's o accounting for tastes. I once write a stream-of consciousness thing that said nothing, and I got all sorts of reviews that found deep meaing in it. People even find meaning in the insipid little rhymes I throw out.

[Epipsychologist]

Right. I tend to purge my work after while, only keeping the things I like best. Usually there are some positive comments on the bad pieces, which is fair if the comment read deeply into it. Sometimes in my English classes we read so deeply into works I wonder if you couldn't find deep meaning in almost anything.

[Marie]

Yes, I expect you can.

[nostal]

Jacob Erin Cilberto is an unapologetic hypocrite. He only published a poem today and it has 5+ reviews.

[Epipsychologist]

My tick isn't that some writers are popular and receive good reviews. I hate when I read reviews that are overly flattering, and seem to be based more on the understanding of an obligation to return praise. These reviews include terms like "deepest,/ truest, most beautiful, honest, heartfelt,/ grammarly perfect"
They generally say nothing about the content of the poem, but declare it to be unprecedented. I hate when something I write gets no attention yet an objectively bad poem is hailed by what amount to sycophants.

Also, not to undermine your review, by Jacob's latest poem is pretty good, because it uses an interesting metaphor that works in multiple ways.

[Epipsychologist]

Thank you, though for the review. I didn't mean to ask you to respond only for me to disagree with your response, I just felt you misinterpreted it a little.

[tyson]

this is raw! brilliant my friend. It's not hard to tell when something really comes from the heart, it's just unfortunate that those pieces are few and far between. This is one of those pieces.

[Epipsychologist]

Thanks Tyson. I basically wouldn't have written this if it wasn't for the contest, to be honest. This is basically something that I've always wanted to say, but was afraid that people would take it as an attack on encouragement. I think there's a difference between encouraging and pandering, though. Ha!

[tyson]

I'm glad you did, to be honest. I suffered with the same problem, still do to some extent. I want to say it all, but I know the chances of it being received the same way it was sent, were slim. Ha, yeah, I think so too

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i really appreciate this....and there are times we write poems that go totally unnoticed, and they are our babies...and we wonder? what is the problem with this one? isn't it pretty enough, cute enough, deep enough, metaphorical enough?

why is it ignored...

but even so...i always remember, it's like editor's taste...when poems get rejected by publishers...nine might reject it, the tenth might love it...there is always a reader out there who will relate to something we have written...it eventually happens.

i find the best part of poetry is the creation of the pieces...and then reading them before anyone else has had the chance to engage the piece or repel the piece....they are all our creations...we made them out of life experience, and each one is as important as the other.

and if they are about pain, they are about pain...it is not porn...it is our heart speaking.


i really like this piece and its honesty.

[Epipsychologist]

Thank you Jacob.

I would agree that generally poems come from the heart, and each work weighs on the poet's soul inasmuch as he put his heart into it. It makes me think of some authors hating their famous pieces because they personally preferred some less well known work.

I always like that moment when I read something I've written and feel contented by it, though that makes its neglect all the more disheartening. I should mention I think for the most part people are responsive on this site, but I hate when the response feels like an arbitrary appeal for reciprocating flattering responses. That, to me, is why it sucks so much to have a piece neglected.

Thank you for the review. I'm busy right now but I'll be checking out more of your work later.

-Epipen

[Tom]

This is certainly worthy to be read & reviewed and my view is that it's a sterling poem of self-expression!

I admire the openness and honesty of this writing and indeed, I would contend many poets and writers can get a little frustrated at times, by what they feel is a gem of written work that does not get the acknowledgement it deserves !

Don't despair friend, happens to the best of them !! ( me included )

[Epipsychologist]

Thanks Tom!

I basically sacrificed rhyme scheme and flowery speech for a message that I felt I believed in. I'm not actually resentful, and I usually feel like my pieces receive their fair share of attention, but sometimes the attention they receive (or do not receive) has nothing to do with merit. Thanks for the encouragement, again.

-Epipsychologist