Just in case you still have any doubt that poetry.com is a scam

[Donner]

http://www.sykografix.com/articles/article3/

[Cmosely11]

You have inspired me Donner. I was bored and had a few minutes, so i submitted a poem to poetry.com. If anyone cares, here it is:

Stopping Crimes And Manipulations

you poor people,
buying accomPlishment for 30 dollars.
giving your mother the giFt of your name
in bold print.
be wary of easy ways
and keyboard car-salesmen
Fitting your hope in tiny envelopes.
you've been mugged by men
with plaque on their teeth,
their big smiles prActiced-perfect.
souls,
hearts,
and dark destinies,
using cliches like confetti.
fame can't be bought
or given digitally.
you poor people,
save your time.

The upper-case letters even contain a sublimal message (of the poorest quality). Maybe a good challenge (if anyone wants to start it in the Challenges forum) would be to write the best bad poem condemning poetry.com and submitting it to them.

If this gets accepted, i might have to buy the book. Maybe the mug too.




[This message has been edited by Cmosely11 (edited 04-22-2002).]

[Howard Miller]

From what I've read in a couple of places, attempts of this sort (acrostic and buried messages, etc.) never make it into the published volumes. Apparently the poetry.com folks actually do read the stuff that's published, but only to weed out this sort of material. Nice try, though.


Howard

[shadygrove]

Oh, wow! What really intrigues me, though, is the "brief commentary" about the poem that will appear on the audiotaped version. What do they say about grocery lists, I wonder?

[Dunc]

They never cease to amaze! I could have my own Pointless Piffle is Great! apron? How come my cheque-book's never around when I need it? Thanks, Donner. Regards / Dunc

[Roge]

Well ok I did get taken in and did get a letter from them - yes, all the way to NZ. As soon as I got that I realised that this poetry.com was a bit of a scam playing on the inflated poetic ego of new poets.

However..... have you visited the home page for everypoet.com recently? A big blue and yellow banner advt stating that amateur poets could win $10,000 which takes you to poetry.com!!! Is this a new way of weeding out the trolls?

I also love the ironic juxtaposition of the small 'Make a Donation' button for everypoet.com!

Roge
Who may make a donation one day (as I love this site)......... once I win $10k perhaps.

[This message has been edited by Roge (edited 04-29-2002).]

[This message has been edited by Roge (edited 04-29-2002).]