Peeve, Personal

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Realization. posted August 22, 2018 | by Anne Mason | Medium

oh. dear. gawd. another patently meaningless crush of stanzas, jam-packed with adjectives and color words straight from Roget's, strung together in strands of misuse and improper context - syntax-scraping adverbs and prepositions dangled at inhuman angles, rushing in torrents to a head-scratching conclusion that leaves lips numb and dripping clear liquid, fingers combing deep the strands to tear out in horrid disbelief, jaws left agape in utter confusion and hopelessness ... it all settles like brick-heavy clay in the gut, that this vile destruction of the English language and its artistic forms - this uneducated and brutal bludgeoning of phraseology - words replaced willy-nilly by thesaurus-crazed maniacs, (all for the sake of impressing the masses who don't know the difference), is garnering dozens of enthralled ignorance-is-bliss comments, and placing first in contest-after-contest!! how could any sane, serious weaver of words NOT want to blow their freaking brains out?!? the coronavirus pandemic has been NOTHING compared to the sickening misuse of words that flows on-and-on from public poetry sites in crushing waves of feigned eloquence and verbal vivisection ... could it be, perhaps, that the circle writing ISN'T inane, but rather a strangled striving for the breadth of non-linear orthography?? welcome to the ultimate zero sum game - the mangy monkey in the monkey puzzle tree, Schroedinger's kitty, skinned and nailed to the barn house ... fan-freaking-tastic ... let's kill this clairvoyant clown, quickly ... quietly ... cuz ... it. never. ends. (lack of proper punctuation and capitalization very intentional)

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Joanna Daniel

Date: 6/20/2021 10:31:00 PM

Very clever and true, Greg, loved your free flowing style and the word combinations in this:)

Laura Leiser

Date: 6/15/2021 1:55:00 PM

Lol!! Not sure who you’re referring to, Greg, but this was very entertaining to read! I guess there’s always gonna be someone out there that thinks they can mutilate the English language and others will applaud..it’s something we need to be aware of as poets so we don’t fall into the same mistakes! :D

L Milton Hankins

Date: 6/14/2021 5:12:00 PM

I wish I had had the guts (gall?) to write these words, Gregory, for I have felt exactly as you do. I do hope you are not pilloried for writing the unadulterated truth in language easily understood...but, probably will not be understood by those who need it most. Thank you.

Robert Lindley

Date: 6/14/2021 2:13:00 PM

My friend, never let truth be forced into a coffin, nailed shut and hidden underground. As poets were are dutybound to Honor, Truth, Light and Love! Thus the heart gets to sing its most beautiful songs, its deepest notes, its greatest poetry, and color its most magnificent paintings for the world to find, see, enjoy and praise. Your verses just reaffirmed that, imho. A fav- God bless..

Andrea Dietrich

Date: 6/14/2021 2:03:00 PM

VERY tongue in cheek, Greg. You SLAYED it. Oh MY. As a lover of grammar, I do feel peeved myself to see English butchered. This was one of your most entertaining of poems. I hope to see more often from you poetry where You are venting your feelings!!!

Talya Hammerman

Date: 6/13/2021 11:58:00 PM

As a poet who experiments with both modern and classical styles, this could not ring more true. Poetry used to be equivocal and beautiful, guided by subtext and thought. Nowadays you can put three words together and call it poetry. Your insight that you attribute to this art is none less than miraculous. Great job.

Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 6/14/2021 12:12:00 AM

Oh, Talya, you have become an instant favorite of mine, for the simple fact that you "got" this little vent of mine, and, tongue-in-cheek though it is, didn't think I was being snobby or holier-than-though ... I am pleased beyond measure, my friend - bless you! ;o) <3