Merlin's current malaise/ quiet boards, My plea for participation Options

[jgdittier]

Dear All,

OK, we're at a low spot.
Are we all doldrumic at the same time??
Can we hang it up whenever we choose, expecting someone to prod us out?
A patriot once proclaimed, "These are the times that try men's souls". He aimed at us, we who had dropped the ball. His inspiring words brought enough of us back and damned if we didn't pull off a legitimate miracle, winning independence despite all odds.
Now is the time for YOU, if you're not just a target of Thomas Paine's plea, to rise to the cause.
Poetry is too great a joy to die from indifference.

Cheers, Ron jgd

[Psyche]

Hi Ron!
Just read your call to all poets...mmmm.... but I don't know where to read about Merlin's current malaise/quiet boards. Where did he post it? It's difficult to have a one-sided dialogue, please tell me where to seek him out, OK?

Trouble is, partly, that several forum coordinators are not in particularly good health, so they're not available all of the time. Personal problems, as well, so it's not really the doldrums, not totally, just that we live in a worrisome world. Or not?

I try to participate as often as possible, but this week, for example, has been terribly hectic for me. It would be fantastic to have a website full of jobless, retired or rich poets, who can sit creating all day....LOL....

Cheers, thanks for posting your comments,
Sylvia ***

[Guest_Xanadu_*]

I`ve been outside playing!

[Cleo_Serapis]

Hi Ron,

Thanks for posting this thread! I received an email from Eric last night. He's had a bout of flu and now believes his muse 'flu' to warmer climates, LOL! I admitted that I too have been 'away' to an extent. I'm always checking in here of course, several times each day, but have been directing my writing efforts to my novel. I did start a response to the times ten challenge last night however, and hope to have it posted later today.

I've heard from several IBPC boards that they are also in a slow time at present, so it seems to be running rampant throughout the poetry communities.

You know me, I have this saying: "When you log in, instead of just reading new posts, take a leap toward CHANGE and POST something yourself, whether it's a general thread, like this one in a non-crit forum, a response to a challenge in either Pandora's Box or the Acropolis or a new poem or story of your own - or even more importantly, responses to other member's threads. It's how to enact change.

I often pop in and see other's online, but alas, they do not post, then jump offline again. If we each reply to just one thread each time we log in, this board would be very busy.

Start something up in Karnak - an exercise - maybe find a favorite poem and offer your own challenge to it? Use the last word in each line or the first etc. ? That could be very interesting!

I'm going to post a new thread shortly in Nero's News as a request from Rus for the IBPC, which asks the central question, "What is at, or what is it about MM, that the poets enjoy most?"

I hope you'll respond. Thanks again!
~Cleo

[Peterpan]

Hello Fellow Poets~

Interesting that the whole world is in a slow phase. Here in the South we are experiencing a lot of unrest. Our neighbours Zimbabwe are in trouble and we are definitely directly affected. Our climate is changing we are going into Autumn. Which (I have to admit) I find depressing. We actually have had a very different Summer. Either very hot, or rainy and chilly! I dont really feel that we have had a Summer at all. (We also have our own political problems AND daily power outages!) THIS IS AFRICA! A very exciting place to live in. NEVER a dull moment.

I will be absent from time to time over the next few months as we are travelling a lot. We are diving in Mozambique, going to Cape Town for a 'honeymoon' and visiting our son in Tanzania. In June we will be going back to Mozambique just to laze on the beach. It is a good time to go, as in Johannesburg it will be dry and cold.

I will make an effort to log-on and post everytime!

Many thanks for your concern re MM.

Bev :)

[jgdittier]

Dear All,
My personal snoring must be loud enough to wake a few up!
Now I must do my share too.
My approach will be to post verse daily, even if it's been written years ago but not at MM.
Write on!!!
Cheers, Ron jgd

[Peterpan]

mmmm loud enough to wake the dead!

:) Peterpan

[Merlin]

Greetings All,

I have slipped quietly into the background but wasn't going to make a big announcement about it. There's not much to tell, other than what is already stated above. It has been some weeks ago that the flu bug really knocked me down, but I've recovered altho there are continuing reminders. The biggest thing is that as a result of, or by co-incidence, there has been zero creativity coming from my direction. I've tried the usual methods that have always worked for me, but still, output has remained at zero.

Sometimes it takes a total break. I've decided to hang up the pencils & crayons, and just let things be until they change. How long is not known to me, but rather than try force, it's probably the best solution. That's where I'm at, and that's where I'm hiding.

Best to all. Hopefully others will keep encouraging Sisyphus.

Merlin

[Psyche]

Hi all!
Now I do remember reading the post about your 'flu, Merlin, don't ask me where...I really hope you get over it soon. Sometimes the effects linger on a while, but one day you'll wake up and find you're full of energy & creativity, trust me...LOL....

Maybe you'll continue to offer crits, since you know such a lot about R&R? Hope so...

Ron, your snoring has made us all jump to attention, but we need poems, not excuses!!! I'm no exception, tho' I do read works and offer suggestions as often as possible. Right now I have to work on a translation to bring in some $$$$$$.....

Bev, your remarks remind me of South America. I live in Argentina, and there's trouble all around, inside and outside my country. The latest has been a prolonged farmers' strike, so that we have shortages of milk, meat, chicken, whatever!!! To think Argentina used to export the best beef in the world....!!!

Linda, stop playing and get back to writing. You happen to be the one who produces most in these forums, I believe...I can never keep up with you....LOL.

I think Ron's idea of posting something regularly, even if it's old, is a great idea. I have a great deal of half-baked stuff that ought to be polished.... And often it's good to take a new look at old poems, one usually finds they're not as brilliant...LOL... as one had imagined.

Lori, I wish you great success with your book, but we need you around here....

Well, we're supposed to be creating, not waffling on about our problems!

Cheers to all,
Sylvia ***
PS: Has anybody had any news from Don lately? I miss his dry sense of humor and great input. Hope he's well. Bye now.