Voices Silenced at Birth

Voices Silenced at Birth

 

 

 

 

"thank you for your submission, unfortunately, we will not be using any of your poems at this 

time" 

wrote the editor, gagging on his own laughter---

knowing the discouraged poet will feel like 

slitting his tedious throat, or blowing up his cacophonous computer

(riotous sounds of stonewalled words)

 

the power of the rejection,

like a discounted advance

asking to dance and getting a coldly polite

"no thank you"

(you're too short, not Robert Redford enough or 

dressed well enough to indicate status)

and your words as well, poor panhandling prosy pitiful and plain Jane

 

"We read your submission carefully"  ( ha ha, yes, he will believe this---)

"we get so many poems, it is impossible to publish all of them"

(chortling, as the editor thinks "i love slamming doors in their pesky little

faces---)  "oh do please submit in future, we would love to read more of your 

work" (even though we didn't actually read these, we just pretended)

and now your poetic ego is upended

 

and Sylvia Plath has company---she is wherever she is now, still trying to get accepted into

Frank O'Conner's short story, writing class---

her embarrassed kids grown up without a mother, one of them

unliving in the same dimension where she found her peace, at last---"Good God Almighty,

peace at last"

a damsel of tragically unfinished business----

 

editors have the power to elate and the power to deflate----

 

and some writers undevelop

as if lacking fortuitous film

they are a photo finished

in flux

 

critics weigh in so heavily they smother the druthers

to poem.

to live

to poem

 

suicide syllables

put their mouths into ego's sheet

and no morning comes,

 

while others gloat over their dawn coffee

never sleeping,

just keeping

would be wordsmiths

 

from ever becoming.

 

 

 

erin-cilberto

9/16/17

Reviews

[Kelly Scheppers]

I think I'd prefer to see myself in a magazine print, and save my book for self publishing for family and friends. I have letters from many years ago when I first started writing and submitting to various publishers - I even saved the letters of rejection that read - word for word - like you stated here.

Well done, Jacob. I'll be happy with being "a would be wordsmith"!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

there is no "would be" Kelly....you are such a good poet...

[Kelly Scheppers]

I appreciate that, Jacob. Thank you so much!

[Marvin Thomas Cox-Flynn..]

You struck a chord for real ... All I have ever desired is a bit of polite recognition and my writing in print for my children after me ... I have long since given up on that dream ... Everyone writes these days, and times have changed while I have not ... This is a much more profound piece than most readers will digest--much less understand ...

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your kind words, Marv.
j.

[Shy Joe]

Most art "experts" I run into are critics because they are not talented or determined enough to compete in the very subject they reside over. Basically, their lazy, self righteous, skinny jean wearing fart knockers.

But they know what their doing. At least they say they do. They don't. Their jackass's without good opinions at the most.

Enjoyed your write, and since I'm not an "expert" (jackass), it's probably a good write.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

love your first paragraph...my sentiments exactly...
thanks for your words, Joe.
j.

[Ken Simm.]

How can art be judged? Should it be? This I find stimulating, honest and true. And then I find myself using a critics language and I remember the Oscar Wilde quote.
Still think it is excellent.
(A long poem Jacob?)

[jacob erin-cilberto]

"less is more" yes, and usually i tend toward less...but here...just needed to be said.
thank you, Ken...always appreciate your insights..
j.

[Phill Oz O'fee]

An art student accidentally left his half eaten apple on a plinth in the students’ exam exhibition room; the examiners gave it an A+ for originality – just goes to show what they knew! Love the poetical depiction of ‘in the eye/mind of the viewer/reader’ – loved theme and the conclusion – kudos … :-)

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your kind words, Phill...
j.

[Paul Bell]

I suppose you have to put it into the context.
Every author published. Probably fifty thousand didn't get a look in. Poetry tends to be a personal thing.
Sometimes it's just in the moment that some poem touches you.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

all so true, Paul...
thank you for your words,
j.

[Dhaye]

I can relate to this, sir. I can't remember when and how many articles or poems I've submitted to some literary journals (e-journals) and after waiting for a few months, received emails that what I have passed were not the ones they were looking into. Rejection is discouraging...but our passion is our great motivator.

You are a great poet, sir. Please continue writing.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your very kind words, Dhaye.
j.

[Tom]

I have read this and felt kinda sad. I read a few of the other reviews, and it made me think. What is a poet?
A poet is a person who crafts words together in such a way to create art. A person with not only a superb command of the language, but equips himself/herself with a vocabulary up to the task.
You, Sir, have that, and no publisher or editor can take away who you ARE! They can only choose to refuse money.
Loved your work!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your kind review, Tom.
j.

[AYVID N]

So easy to make or break the spirit with just a thoughtless words or two. Most poets are too sensitive to take it well. I have faced this and it left me wondering if they have a good laugh at a poor poet's expense. Then I wonder how they got to be in such exalted positions. Facing rejection so often has put me off submitting my work though. Maybe self-publish? But they call it vanity publishing and it has its own pitfalls. I just love your thoughts here!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

sometimes self-publishing is the only way to break through with poetry---poetry hasn't the audience that novels have---tougher road---but some editors get that position and their vanity shines---not in a good way---as William Forrester said in Finding Forrester---"critics will tear down something they couldn't write themselves"---maybe it's jealousy sometimes...who knows...i just hate seeing fledgling poets get stomped...
thanks, DIVYA

j.

[AYVID N]

You are most welcome Mr. Jacob. Thank you for being an encouraging voice to those fledgling poets.

[Lydia Shutter]

Oh, how well I relate. How many of those letters have I read? The euphemisms abound and no matter how they say it, the reaction is, "I am worthless. I am not really a poet. I am not worthy." Do they care? I wonder. Good one, Jacob....would be wordsmiths can never give up. Lydi**

[jacob erin-cilberto]

yes, we can never give up...so true....thank you for understanding....
j.