JUDGE AND JURY

I need to address an issue that grew from a couple of poets slamming each other while I was away from the Soup, but now concerns me directly. Only yesterday was I informed that a poem entitled “Guilty by Association,” had been written by a member in August. The poem refers to me as “Butterfly” and to another Soup member as the “Worm.” “Butterfly” is my name on another web site, and the “worm” is supposed to represent a member whom the writer claims is “rotting” in prison. My friend who is incarcerated made a mistake while intoxicated and has been paying for his mistake for seven years now.

        I have never insulted the writer of this poem or any of his friends. I find the whole thing, rather infantile for any adult. What hurts me the most is that someone I thought was a friend to me for the past year is not who I thought she was. The writer has never met or communicated with my daughter or mother and yet wrote about them in his derogatory poem as well. He is being presumptuous when he speaks of how my Mother would feel or how I raised my daughter. My Mother was married to her high school “sweetheart” for 35 years and they raised 7 children. She was a devout Christian up until the day that God took her out of this world. She spent her whole life teaching kids, not looking into peoples’ lives for gossip. She would not have condemned anyone without knowing about their situation. She taught her children basic discipline, respect and to speak only of what they know of to be true! She did not raise any cowards.

        Whomever, I choose to associate with is none of his or anyone’s business. If I choose to be friends with someone who was charged with a crime and is serving time in a correctional institution that is my prerogative.

        If the writer is seriously making accusations that I am "guilty by association” due to any wrong doing here on the Soup, he is delusional but still, he should bring his proof or keep his mouth shut and stay out of my private life. The reason for this seething anger he feels is because of a comment which he once left for the imprisoned member on one of his poems entitled, “Notorious”.  Subsequently this comment was referenced in one of the the imprisoned members' slams.  Incidentally,  the comment he left has been removed

        I can assure you that no wrong doing has ever been committed on the imprisoned member’s behalf by me! I at one time did Soup Mails on his behalf, but not in the past four to five months. Another member handles that now. I at one time left comments regularly on his behalf, which he sends by mail and I also post some of his poems. The member in prison and I are close and I’m proud that he’s my very good friend. All these insinuations and innuendoes about my friend “preying” on the weak are not true. Unfortunately, of course he is not here to defend himself.

        My friend is Bi-polar, another hindrance some of us don’t have to contend with in our lives. And yes, he writes and asks those he believes are his friends for books, newspapers, etc., as he cannot afford them. Whenever friends are unable to meet his request he never insists or forces anyone to oblige. The allegation that he has been preying on the weak is unrealistic. His correspondence to everyone goes through the correctional officers, coming and going, before I or anyone else receives them.

         Second thing is, I don’t encourage illegal activities, and I have never been “smitten” with my friend or any man enough to lay aside my ideals to cater to his needs. Just proves that he doesn't know me.

        Thank you for taking the time to read this. I have enjoyed being a Soup member since 2006. I took a break but came back to a place where poets wrote poems and shared their dreams, feelings, hopes and aspirations. Isn’t that why everyone comes here?

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