Ph: Poetry Writing: Gaming The System Poem by Brian Johnston
Ph: Poetry Writing: Gaming The System
Do you think that you want to succeed on this site,
Does it matter at all how you get there?
Most people already make use of some trick,
Still you need to be shrewd for your effort to stick.
Please don't worry if you're not a poet,
The folks at the top sure won't know it!
Just be incoherent, and you can't be trite
You'll be certain to fool charlatans if you dare.
'Yes, the ‘will o' the wisp' laughs at sun-shuttered sky, '
Do you see just how easy 'prose' happens
Imagine it's 'tennis without any net, '
It is easy to write without thinking and yet
Do you find it's a game that's worth playing?
You're this far now, will you be staying?
Rule One is that rhyming is 'No-no, bye-bye! '
The best break for your nose, a supply of clothespins!
While it's true that free verse poems gush like failed dam,
There's no need for truth speaker or choir,
No boundaries really but space on the page.
Just poor players that strut and fret long on the stage
But top poets don't care where they're going
What matters is that they are showing,
That sycophants hear when they shout out, 'I am! '
Forget praise for hard work; fame is all they require.
Second Rule, should you care if your tenure is brief?
Fame is well known for passing to others.
But fame if you want it can still be some work
But to find skill on PH formidable quirk.
For political games are your best chance -
SIncerety leads to a lost dance!
'I'll give you ten points if you find tasty beef
On my site! You agree! Please eat mine, I'll eat yours!
So write often, say little, is Rule Number Three
Make them feel you are offering gold dust
From depths of your heart is what some would call smart,
If they think that you care, you will bounce up the chart.
They believe that your drivel is wisdom
Though goal of your heart is a fiefdom.
But don't look at me from the top of your tree,
For this world has a place for both diamonds and rust.
Brian Johnston
April 4,2016
March 4,2016
Poet's Notes:
This poem is meant to reflect my experience of both writing poetry on Poem Hunter and it's scurrilous popularity rating system which any reasonable person must consider a joke. It encourages a dysfunctional attitude toward a disgusting brand of popularity based on manipulation of others including lies and deceit and should be eliminated as a feature from the site.
Ph is a a site that has many good people and features for which I'm grateful. But in spite of their success they continue to ignore legitimate poetic interests such as the use of formatting free verse poems as an alternate to real world punctuation as if they have a right to such anachronistic kind of prejudice and judgements.
In case you have not yet been attacked or noticed it yet (though PH attempts to police it) they also allow people called 'Trolls' to maliciously inflict damage on your poems ratings because of their refusal to block people using one computer from registering hundreds of false IDs. This also allows the Troll to give his own poems as many 10/10 ratings as he desires. My guess is that there are thousands of such fake 'Memberships' on PH's roles simply because they refuse to require a simple low cost membership fee to members desiring to comment or rate other's poems. It has occurred to me also that perhaps PH allows this behavior in part because it makes it appear that they have many more members that they actually do have, a kind of 'false popularity' for the site owners as well.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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5/8/2024 5:50:53 PM # 1.0.0.1119
I have to agree, at least in part. I have complained that the top person for months could not possibly be popular because their poems (all 13) have low ratings and they haven't submitted one in months. This fell on deaf ears. I have been noting my popularity and a friends popularity. They both generally go up and down together in a slow cycle of several weeks. It makes no sense.
The people at the top write hundreds of letters inviting others to comment their poems. That PH encourages this with their stupid if well intentioned Treasure Island just adds fuel to the fire. Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate intelligent, caring remarks like your own friend Spock, but I note that you do not include pleas for me to visit your site and read your poems either, which is why I most certainly will read your poems from time to time. You are a mensch, not a snake oil salesman!