Just not feeling it...

ok I've been a member on this site a pretty long time, and before it was cool, people liked my poems they read them and stuff. Feedback is awesome, I mean who doesn't like it right? But I dunno, I'm just not feeling it any more. Not cuz I don't wanna be here, but cuz I feel like noone even reads my poems anymore. Maybe it's just me, or people just don't like my poems any more.

I agree, it seems like people come mostly for the discussion. Plus, all of the commenting and such could have gone down because of the chat being closed.

You guys could be right, but you have to consider that a while back, there were not as many poets compared to now. I can remember when Janis had to move this site to a bigger server.
Furthermore, since then, some good poets have emerged, which may detract attention from the old ones.
But on a personal level, I am finding that many poems are cliched, especially the love ones. Chris Georgiou's poems were outstanding and they raised the bar for me in terms of quality and i guess i haven't really read any moving poems since he left.

It is a changing world out there and people want more. I hope you know what i mean.
Good luck and take care you two!!! 8)

See that's the problem, this is MY thing, it's been my thing and will always be my thing. It's not about the recognition it's about knowing how I'm doing, because I don't really let people read my poems, I submit them on here and usually people tell me what they think and that is how I know how I'm doing. And I agree all the poems on here, alot of them sound the same, and I hate that, I never used to write like the way I do now, I never used to rhyme, but then people would email me or comment and say that I should try rhyming and so I did and I liked it. But now I'm not feeling rhyming anymore but it seems like EVERYONE likes poems that rhyme. And its not that I am trying to write for everyone to like them but ever since I've gotten into the rhyming I can't get back into my old format. If you just glance at the first few poems I ever submitted, (My best Friends Last Moments; Pills and Pregnancy; and Revenge For an Unborn child) You can see that THAT is the way I LIKE to write. I dunno.

I hated rhyming before because it's not original to me it's the same like everyone else, everyone has their own style and that's what awesome about original poets. Like I used to be.

So tell me then, how do I get back into my old rhythm?? I wish I knew how.

I haven't written a poem in awhile. I don't know, I suppose, I've lost inspiration. I used to form different structures about the same topic, around the time my bf and I broke up but now, I'm over him (pretty much) and I'm going through the motions in life. Don't get me wrong, exciting things still happen to me but it doesn't invoke (is that the right word???) the same strength of the hurt and pain and love I once felt. And most of the time, I don't feel the makings of a new poem in me ... so I remain poemless...

As for reading poems, usually I don't have enough time or I'm not in the mood so I just see what topics are being discussed.

I think what it is too is that alotta new members use all typical-same-as-everyone-else style. And frankly I think it's getting old. i mean I read new poems and they sound (but they aren't) like poems I've read on here by other poets, and that is so aggravating! I mean I think poetry should be original, yea it's cool if you get inspired by other people, but poetry is about originality. And like I said before I used to write differently and people suggessted I rhyme and now that i do I'm just not feeling it, I've never NOT felt like it before. but even some of my poems get me mad cuz they sound like everyone elses. I dunno what are we to do?

Maybe all the new categories and stuff brought us down, I mean they ARE good but we were used to the original ones and all this new fantasy and all that...it's cool don't get me wrong but I just haven't been feeling this place anymore. what else could be the reason?

Not to mention that everytime I come into the forum JustPlainMe always seems to argue or torment or do something to someone. It's dumb If they wanna act like that can't they go some where else and do it? I know it's a forum and you can write whatever but sometimes it just goes too far. And I think it has already and I think Janis should realize that too.

This was an awesome sight because noone ever judged you like you (goldentear) said. I felt like I could come here and just be me, no one ever judged it was cool now though with JustPlainMe and sum otehrs its just not like that anymore!

(Oh in case sum people are confused I am the one that posted this topic, but I changed my name back to MY name, even though NOW i changed it back)

What can we do though? I mean seriously, I love(d) this site... and I always try to be loyal to things that have got me started but, this time, I don't know.

I know I'm not the most talented thing aroung but, I miss reading poems that make me cry or feel some kind of emotions just by seeing the words on the page that were thought out so perfectly. I don't really want to move sites but, it seems that a lot of people seem to be.

I don't think there IS a way of getting this site back to the way it was. I mean, did Chris Georgiou go to a different site or is he just really busy? Because he's the kind of poet (there were many like him at some point) that I want to read the work of.

I've seen some poems that are pretty good but, nothing really compares to the first stuff people have published right?

Maybe the losing of the *feeling* is a sign that you guys should do something different now in your life, something new to you, something challenging. After all, we can't do the same thing forever in life, can we??? Or at least we need a break from it all.
Maybe pick up an instrument or look for a job. As for me, i am not reading poetry as much any more, i've read too much and now i am learning to play the guitar and volunteering a lot. Furthermore, i graduated from high school and now i am about to study at university in a month, to embark on my search for a career, a purpose. My point is that i am exposing myself to various, new matters to keep me occupied and happy with my life, perhaps, you should too??? lol, try and test out new things to do, i guess. Poetry is not everything in life. As always, good luck and take care!!! 8)

But for those who wanna write poetry and book it is their life. Yea your right again (goldntear) its not al about originallity but everything i read is the same thing. Over and over again. And I tried to talk about poetry once to, instead they wanna talk about kissing and piercings and thats cool but this is a poetry site not everything else site. I dunno hopefully we can make a lil change. But i doubt it.

I was on this site once about 2 and a half years ago, and it had a totally different feel. I came back about 3 months ago and was amazed at how it had evolved.

There are some good poets on here, but what I get frustrated with is the mediocrity of the work in general. I get frustrated going through the poems sometimes because 75% of them are about pointless subjects, plain redundant (and like the 20 I have read just before), or ill attempts to pursue a personal vandetta.

There is a small circle of poets on here who I consider to have a valid opinion about anything or be worth anything... and the sad thing is that most of those people are so intellectually cocky because they know it. Its just that... well.... it doesnt quite feel like the "family" that it used to. Thats all.

I dont mean to insult anyone about a small group of people being great writers or "smart," but there are some poets who will rise above the average, and im dissapointed that there arent more of them. I'm also dissapointed that so many of them are leaving.

I'm also sick of people being rude... although JustPlainMe's remarks make me smile, its really not necessary. It kind of drags the whole energy down.

This has become much more of a site for kids to discuss their dating problems than for serious writers to share their poetry for mutual critique and intellectual conversation, which is fine, but not what alot of us are looking for I suppose.

JustPlainMe is a poster boy for the acid-cynic clique. Play the game his way and he'll either like you or play the game some more... but don't give him fuel.

Personally I think he's rather entertaining.

On the actual subject, I only just got here a week or so ago and it seems fine to me. There's a hell of a lot of messed up kids here, but that's nothing new and only getting older is going to cure it. In the mean time I'll put forward my opinion in my usual 'calm, broad shouldered big brother' role I have come to adopt over the last year or so and see what happens.

At the end of the day nearly every post I read has influence and gives inspiration for more pieces.

I find JustPlainMe very entertaining as well.... I really like him. Some people dont respond the same way though, thats the only thing. He can get to some people. But JustPlainMe, I love you! You crack me up.

Chris Georgiou in my opinion was the best, and probably still is if he writes...his poems were my inspiration, he was a dear friend ot me, now I see many talent poets each day on this site, and most of them are the 14 year olds that write about suicide and "dark" poems. But they never wrote for the attention, they didn't join the site to post there poems, that are real poems, and doit for attention, they wrote it for the release, the comfort. I am 15 and almost all I write is depressing poetry. I've been on this site since November, my first account was deleted, I never joined the site to see what people thought of my poetry, I didn't join to get votes and comments, I joined to let my feelings out and see what people think as a bonus. I just wanted a place to go, where I could read about how I'm not the only one who feels this way, how I'm not the only one who has dealt with the problems I have faced, and also give out my work for other people to relate to. This site has helped me meet many people who are now my best friends, the poems I read and write and the people on this site, have helped me a lot. I think I went way off topic...but yess...

-Mortalidaga

All of you are right, sometimes it gets irritating however when you want to read a REAL poem from a VERY TALENTED writer and you just cant seem to find one, no matter how hard you try. I mean... I guess I could look in a book for that, but I would rather look for a real "diamond in the rough" randomly then find someone who has already been published. This site seems to be short on FANTASTIC WRITERS TO LOOK UP TO, it seems like a big culmination of depression, cutting, broken hearts, drug use, and suicide from teenagers, which isnt bad. Im not going to bash my own kind, im 16, but I am here for some REAL POETRY and REAL CRITIQUES as well, and more and more what I am discovering is that I will have to leave the site to get it. I think thats why so many of our good writers arent here anymore. And the thing is, I dont really WANT to leave. I love it here, but the actual literary genius is lacking. I am not slamming the people who write for release, they need a place to post too. I dont want them to leave, I am the one who will have to leave to find what I want, because im coming to the sad realization that this isnt it :(.

lol.

I'm not looking for people to tell me stay. I mean I really dont WANT to leave at all. And I love the other hugely opinionated people here, such as yourself, Kevin, (the elf), JustPlain, etc. I just wish there were more people with more to offer... (For instance James was a pain in the ass, and way too cocky, but he was fun for the sake of word play and intellectual games, some people just cant handle it) or that they would at least speak up. It seems like there is a small group of people that are reliable for honest commentary, good opinions (although huge), and people who are willing to say whats on their mind without fear, people who have good advice to give, etc. There should just be more, the lack intelligent people willing to speak up is the problem. I am not meaning to unsult anyone... if you have something to say speak up!! The reason people are leaving is because they are big fish moving onto bigger ponds. Thats sad that this pond cant be big enough for the whiney cutting teenagers and the "intellectuals," for lack of better words.

I dont want to go, I just cant get what I want here. At this point there is no where better, so im sitting tight for a while. This is home, but if I find a place then I will have to :(

Bob:
I am very glad that you allow me to like you, I would like your work regardless, you have damn good poetry. I also plan to stick around for a while, maybe its stupid for me to hope that it will change, and I love the people here. This is home. I cant bring myself to leave the nest of my own valition that easily, regardless of dissapointment.

JustPlainMe:
I agree with you fully and I admire the way that you teach, if people have a hard time with it then you are not their first choice for a teacher, your style can obviously be somewhat abrasive, however that doesnt mean that they cant/ dont learn something from you. However most kids dont WANT an education, much less VALUE it. I am not even talking education in a traditional sense, but just like you said, they hate being "schooled" at all. They cant take being challenged for inferiority complex, rebellion, what have you, but regardless their little punk asses need to pay some dues before they get off on thinking they actually KNOW EVERYTHING. And thats exactly what you try to show.

Bob, JustPlain, and other HUGELY opinionated people:

Like Bob said, we can clash or get along, but the bottom line is that we all need to respect each other for differing opinions, as well as the balls to stand up to one another. Thats the reason that many people will not speak up, for fear of being "schooled." Harsh, cold world.

People-write about it.