leonardcohenforum.com

I read in the Britsh Press that more and more sites are having to charge their viewers(?) customers(?) to use them. Is this ever likely to happen to this site Jarkko?

Be sure that the site will be free of such charge!
I would rather close the site if I couldn't afford to
keep it on-line!
Jarkko

Your position has merit, Jarkko. I would rather pay, if it came to that. However, quite unfair to those lacking money...so that's not cool, either. Here's a positive "affirmation" for it remaining affordable for you! It's also good to hear that it's more likely than not to do so.
~Lizzytysh

Hi liz, i've decided to come in from the cold(escuse the pun),
how are you.................iv'e been better...................seems no one likes my poetry....................hope i pick a winner

Hi Georges,

I'm glad you came in from the pun . I've never claimed to understand all of your poetry, yet am pleased to note that I've managed to understand and like some of it. At least not that I'm aware was the Poetry section ever deemed for professional writers or published poets only [there are certainly sites elsewhere devoted to those], but rather as a section for the poetic self-expression of members. Expecting something to rise to the other levels before posting is unnecessarily and unfairly restrictive.

As we all know quite well, writing is a process of learning that improves with practice. I have no idea how long you've been trying your hand, nor how long have any of the others. Nor do I need to know. However, I've enjoyed a lot of what I've read there in the words of others, and that I know for sure. You come from a good place in your heart, Georges, and that's worth a thousand poems [good or bad] to me. You are also not a buffoon or any other ridiculous term[s].

Your friend,
Lizzy

Thanks for your kind words................
We are all learning on this planet
and if we give up striving
we give up life...............
of course i can't write poetry
but i will still try
and if i don't make it
so what
at least i tried
Thanks again..............Georges

Dear Georges,

Yes, we are all learning. I so agree. I hope you will keep on trying [including here]. I believe you can write poetry that would meet with others' "standards." My [unsolicited] feeling is that discipline, refinement, and containment are some/the[?] keys. Your mind soars and comes up with words/concepts/images that I would never have dreamed to put together. I would love to see you enroll in a poetry course to learn some of the basic guiding principles and then begin to jockey around and hone those things [above] to come within them, as you learn different styles. Leonard works and reworks his material "a thousand" times. There's nothing wrong with that, and much that's right with it. Completed poetry or intentional [song, prose, essays, novels, whatever] writing rarely/never[?] flows out in finished form. We sure don't feel Leonard's undermined his final product with the process. At least I sure don't.

I feel that you would find yourself additionally inspired in new directions, as well. It's that learning how to add/subtract/multiply/divide thing....then moving on to fractions...etc.....etc.[!] before becoming a mathematician, etc. Colleges and universities [at least here] generally have night/day classes for adults, strictly for interest. They have art classes, etc., too. You may already be well aware of that, so I apologize if it seems like I'm saying something too basic.

You obviously get inspired and it flows out of you [though chunky on the paper sometimes / ]. There are many similarities between them. It's difficult to remember any of them, in particular, because of the overlapping of images/verbiage, yet you clearly have your own style, which is a wonderful thing! I would like to see what you write become more accessible to the reader, and I truly feel that the above "keys" would be instrumental in that. Your individuality and personal style will not be compromised, and you'll become empowered to go forth and expand upon what you've learned, still from your own perspective and source of creativity. That will never change.

This comes to you as [unsolicited] gentle advice, which I know we're never supposed to give. However, with your statement that you know you can't write poetry, I wanted to disagree but with my reasons. I so agree with everything you said in your post, except for that one phrase! You were very open to suggestions on the poem about the Titanic, which I really like. This is all my own perspective and humble opinion, Georges. I genuinely hope you'll continue writing in the Poetry section. As a matter of fact, if we're going to, we probably ought to continue this conversation over there!

Very sincerely,
Lizzytysh