Missing ~Serendib~

What a sad loss for P&Q.........~Serendib~ has been a fixture on this site since I joined a year ago with his unique nature poems. Reading his poetry could take me places I will never see just like being there and seeing through his eyes. He will be sadly missed.

Here is a tribute by Lithium to a truely great poet.

http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/author.html?id=89120

I couldn't believe it when I saw his poems at zero! Does anyone know why he left? He had a unique style that's for sure.....always a joy to read his work....

It saddens me to see that others don't recognize the loss of this great poet on this site :(

Can we still read his poems or did he take them off....? Because I don't know if I've heard of him, but from your comments I would like to.

Saddly they are all gone :(

"Serendib was/is a brilliant poet and could see and describe things down to the last detail, hence my nick name for him...Camera Eyes. I for one will miss his beautiful words..they were such a pleasure to read....sigh!"

^One of his more recent poems even made the snakes and creepy crawlies seem exotic and beautiful....he had a way of breathing life into his descriptive verses....til....you could almost smell and taste the places he described...and he was always one to offer an encouraging word of praise on a new poem....so sorry he decided to leave P&Q

In the couple years I've been on this site I've seen at least 5 well known, well respected, long time members abruptly leave. It saddens me to see yet another great poet such as Serendib disappear. There are many reasons people leave, I know a couple went to other sites, some lost interest in writing or hit a block and never recovered- I had a similiar experience, throughout the 90's I was being regularly published in the small press literary zines (printed not online) and a personal crisis sent me into a period of about 3 or 4 years where I just couldn't write, my friends and fellow poets couldn't understand why I 'disappeared'.

Happily to say, it was joining this site and being inspired by so many great writers and people that refueled my passion for writing again. Some of my past contemporaries were amazed at my re-appearance in the poetry world. I think the site is interesting enough-in a variety of aspects, but of course there are also flaws. This is to be expected.

I know part of the reason we are here is for enjoyment-fun. Nothing wrong with that. But there are a handful to whom poetry is so much more, it is in our blood, it burns inside us. Many try to make this site into a wonderful place to post poems and get serious, constructive criticism. To challenge ourselves and others to grow and improve, to learn and to teach. Like any site there are a few 'bad apples' or those more interested in a popularity contest amongst their personal cliques rather than seeking to excel at a higher form of art.

But this site is what we, the members choose to make it- by the way we read and truly appreciate others work, by posting specific comments to poems rather than generic blandness, by posting interesting topics in the forums and responding to fellow members' topics with intelligence and courtesy. This site can be both fun and productive to those who are really serious about their writing. So who knows why some choose to leave, but it is indeed a loss to those of us left behind who have benifitted and appreciated and been touched in some way by a specific writer who 'disappears'.

Though I miss those who are gone, there are still so many here that I appreciate and have made my world the richer for their presence.

Peace, Poetry & Power,

Gary Jurechka

"But this site is what we, the members choose to make it- by the way we read and truly appreciate others work, by posting specific comments to poems rather than generic blandness, by posting interesting topics in the forums and responding to fellow members' topics with intelligence and courtesy".

^Thanks for your insight Gary.....Ann Marie has started a challenge posted on the main message board to try to encourage us all to be better commenters....by giving praise and constructive criticism and praising those comments we see that are praiseworthy....

....and Bob's post on the poetry discussion board...asking us for more involvement by posting our favorite 10 poems on the site....maybe those of us who love poetry can give our support!

http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/discussion/topic.html?topic_id=95891

I agree with you....there are so many great poets on this site still that do love and appreciate poetry....that make P&Q a wonderful online community!

Firstly I would liek to thank you cindy for mentioning my poem, and I must to agree that this was a day of great loss. But luckily there are still many great poets which inspire myself to write and help myself and many others everyday. (Cindy you are one of these people) Thankyou my dears.

Thank you Sam.......and I have learned so much in the last year.....and have also been inspired by many of the poet's and poetess's on the site. I hope you find a way to get this poem to ~Serendib~