Soup members leaving - Janette Fisher's Blog

<P>&nbsp;When I logged on the soup today, I was disappointed to receive a soup mail from&nbsp;Carolyn Devonshire stating that she did not&nbsp;think she would be posting any more work onto the soup due having recieved some hurtful comments over the last few weeks.&nbsp;I am not privvy to the in and outs of the exact circumstances and would rather stay ignorant but&nbsp;I cannot say how extremely sorry I will be if this Carolyn does decided to leave.&nbsp;</P> <P>Since I joined the soup, I have made so many fabulous friends who have been of such support to me not only with my poetry but also in my personal life (especially since the loss of my husband Billy a few months ago). Carolyn has been one of those friends and&nbsp;is, in my opinion one of the soups most talented members and I for one will miss her input enormously.</P> <P>I see the soup as an extended family and&nbsp;it has always been a happy and harmonious site but it seems as though lately that a little negativity and disharmony has seen some of our&nbsp;members leaving much to other members disappointment and&nbsp;I am hoping that the status quo can soon be restored so that we can all continue to enjoy reading excellent pieces of &nbsp;work.</P>

Phyllis Babcock Date: 6/20/2010 6:09:00 PM Carolyn is a very special person and I am glad she posted that she will be back on the soup. I know I have made many special friends on the soup. Hope all is well with you Janette. God Bless Phyl Login to Reply

Carolyn Devonshire Date: 6/18/2010 6:07:00 PM I'm back, Janette. I missed all of you too much. Just posted one today, but tomorrow I'm off to volunteer for the oil spill cleanup in NW Florida. I'll have my laptop, though, so I can monitor the entries to the contest I posted last night. I want to thank you for your encouragement, Janette. Love, Carolyn Login to Reply

Sue Mason Date: 6/17/2010 8:02:00 PM Like you, I don't have a clue but I am in contact with Carolyn who will come back when she gets ready to. Many folks have left and guess what ... THEY COME BACK in a month, a year or even after years!! Thats part of being a member of the Soup family and after all the time I've been here, I'm not sure exactly what the "status quo" is because I came to write poetry, read poetry, comment often and maybe or maybe not enter contests and I love it!! Being here has brought me to a place with my writing that just keeps making me happier and happier ... smile ... Thanks for the blog, Janette!! Login to Reply

Sara Kendrick Date: 6/17/2010 10:52:00 AM Sorry to hear that Carolyn got her feelings hurt about something...I hope that she continues to read other's poetry and to post her work..Sara Login to Reply

Carolyn Devonshire Date: 6/17/2010 8:19:00 AM Thank you, John. You have been a tremendous source of spiritual guidance for me and, I'm sure, many others on Poetry Soup. I can't thank you enough for all I have learned from you. Love, Carolyn Login to Reply

John Freeman Date: 6/16/2010 9:21:00 PM A teacher who has the special inward light to teach, is one who can teach without seeming to teach. Not deriving personal pleasure by trying to talk down to the one they are teaching. Carolyn is one of those special teachers and has this special knack for teaching without seeming to teach. She has helped me tremendously. Special gift, of great value. I am a treacher myself, called of Agape. Only, I teach wisdom Life, not mind knowledge. My heart knows what Iam doing. Don't mess with my special friend. Smile! Agape is capable of anger too. God bless and not curse! Agape, Moses Login to Reply

James Marshall Goff Date: 6/16/2010 2:08:00 PM And I should add...Carolyn, without your encouragement, my first book..."Hiking In The Universe" due to be released in a couple weeks, would never have happened! I dedicated the book to my Mom, with a Memoriam to my Pop...(and a photo of the 3-legged Wolf I wrote a poem about and no one believed me!) Thanks for this blog, Janette! and Carolyn! WE LOVE YOU!!!! jimmy james goff Login to Reply

James Marshall Goff Date: 6/16/2010 1:58:00 PM a couple times over this past year my feelings were hurt so bad I almost quit.... I know I'm not Nobel Prize material! and I creatively shut-down for a few weeks.....some members here asked me to hang in there...so I did...I usually never have typo issues, but do get suggestions to change my text....invariably, I reply that I am quite delighted with my work! thank you!!! my advice...take a few weeks away from the soup, then come back and you'll be delighted to see old friends! say hello!!! jimbo Login to Reply

Constance La France Date: 6/16/2010 1:39:00 PM No matter where you venture in this world, what you try to do, there are good people and bad people, kind people and cruel people, you cannot escape it, it is part of life...and this site is no different...but the majority of people on here are good souls, fellow poets, here for the same reason, as me, and all of you. I pray, Carolyn, never leavesthe soup, perhaps, dear heart, just step back..as you have stated, the bad seeds have a way of fading away in time.. or we know who they are and just avoid them...like many, I have had my share of hurt and rude comments, and unhappy non winners.. oh well... poor them... you are a wonderful person and poet, Carolyn, and an asset to the site... Love Constance Login to Reply

Team Poetrysoup Date: 6/16/2010 1:04:00 PM Ditto Joe Flach Login to Reply

Carolyn Devonshire Date: 6/16/2010 12:22:00 PM And, Janette, if I provided any comfort to you during this time of grief, I am glad to hear that. You have my email, so reach out to me anytime, dear. Love, Carolyn Login to Reply

Carolyn Devonshire Date: 6/16/2010 12:20:00 PM Thank you for your kind thoughts, Janette. I was surprised to see a comment on this blog from the very person who started this problem by complaining they didn't win one of my contests. That's where the gossip, attacks and ill feelings began. For Deborah G. -- these were personal attacks on my character, not comments on my poems. That makes a big difference and it is very hurtful. Perhaps at some point the atmosphere here will change. I will still log on to read and comment on friends' poems. I just have no plans to post anymore of my own. I treasure your friendship, Janette, and the kindness of so many here has been a blessing. I simply can't put up with personal attacks that have nothing to do with the quality my poetry. And I will still be reading your work! Love, Carolyn Login to Reply

Linda-Marie Sweetheart Date: 6/16/2010 12:02:00 PM A wonderful blog Janette and hope all poets will stop to take a breath today and realize their gift of poetry is a blessing to be shared among each other... am sorry if anyone feels they want to leave but it happened to me last year and I deleted all my poems and was ready to leave too..but I started looking at it as if I was taking my gift away for a few who wanted me gone and now I am so happy I stayed and am sharing with so many other wonderful poets.. thankxxx Janette.. with luv. Linda-Marie.. Login to Reply

Larry Belt Date: 6/16/2010 11:58:00 AM I'm with Joe....one of these days I'll learn to read...Okay....prolly not.....Larry Login to Reply

Debbie Guzzi Date: 6/16/2010 11:54:00 AM I have never had a comment I couldn't accept and deal with...if someone says something you don't agree with well. that's life yes? Or soup mail them and have a discussion...but heavens to Betsey don't get upset and hurt over spelling errors or grammar...just fix it or don't yes? Login to Reply

Joe Flach Date: 6/16/2010 11:15:00 AM I would encourage Carolyn and anyone else who feels the same way to really think it over and muster up the courage to stay on board. If you leave, than you allow those few bad apples to win. And, you may find a site that seems better for now, but they will always, eventually, be infultrated by the less civil souls when they find another site to mess with. I think if you took the time to take inventory, you will see that your friends here far outnumber your enemies and you should not let the few overpower the many. Just one man's opinion. The best way you can put it to these ingrates is to ignore them and let the majority - those who love and respect this site - influence you with love and encourgement to stay the course. Good luck to all who struggle with this element. Me -- I am blessed with ignorance and naivete so I do not even know when they are being rude to me - Lucky me. Login to Reply

Tirzah Conway Date: 6/16/2010 10:29:00 AM Hearing this makes me very sad- I really love this site! So many poets on here are so generous and helpful- I can't imagine anyone being rude or posting hurtful comments-their only purpose is to make the best poets on this site feel discouraged!~Tirzah~ Login to Reply

Amy Green Date: 6/16/2010 9:51:00 AM That is really lame. Carolyn is an awesome poet and a very sweet person. WHY would anyone be rude to her, or to anyone else for that matter? Login to Reply