A Tragic Truth

This HAS to stop!!

A writer wields his mighty pen

And lets the river flow.

He sows his seeds through time and space

So truth and beauty grow.

Yet even if his artistry

Sparks joy and wonder publically,

The way to win the industry

Is who you know, not what you show.

 

A forest dies for ev’ry book

In ev’ry shop we go.

It’s thus not wise to rate so high

What should be deemed so low.

Yet they don’t care what’s good or bad,

As long as it regards the fad-

But, still, what renders sad to glad

Is who you know, not what you show.

 

And such a key despicably

Defiles the status quo.

-EDP

Reviews

[Chris Shaw]

Who you know has played its part in all walks of life for as long as I can remember. Connections count. Your name counts. The sons and daughters of wealthy politicians, footballers, actors and singers all seem to do very well. Not because of their talent but because mummy or daddy is well known and of course because that type of news sells newspapers. It happens. It's not fair but then life isn't fair is it? To succeed you just have to battle against the odds to get noticed. Most don't but every now and then a true talent breaks through who doesn't have all the connections. Your poem strikes a chord and is very well crafted. You make your point perfectly.

Chris

[emipoemi]

Thank you so much! And you make great points yourself in your addition to the conversation. It's ridiculous, and somebody gotta say it. I'm just waiting until I'm actually heard.....

[Chris Shaw]

I hear you, but I doubt that I can make any difference :)

[emipoemi]

it makes more of a difference than you think - baby steps.

[Chris Shaw]

Maybe. It's gotta start somewhere :)

[Aura]

Wow, this is so true. Sometimes brilliant work goes unnoticed as a result of not having the right contacts, or being overlooked. Other, works that are seemingly less creative still get high reviews could be because of their contacts or it fits within a status quo. Who defines what we can and can't write? Apparently the industry does, we should be writing about rainbows and lollipops right( just an example), but they wouldn't like it if we wrote about lollipops and cavities now would they? Sometimes it's necessary to go outside of the status quo but if people aren't willing to broaden their horizons, and the industry does not care about new ideas, how far can a brilliant piece of work go? Thanks for sharing this sad but honest piece of poetry.

[emipoemi]

I got a whole heap of them....as I've been screaming about this to deaf ears for years. Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading.

[Aura]

Oh my, I feel it's so common for new writers on this site at least to go unnoticed for their efforts, when you see more views than reviews, it's somewhat disheartening because it's either that your poem isn't having a connection with your readers or, people just glance at it but don't actually read it, and I think that's relatable to your poem because peoples work might read over work but not professionally review it in the industry for it to be more widely noticed. That's my take on it as well

[emipoemi]

it's also very subjective on their part. Everyone is subjective when it comes to art, when really there is an objective way to look at it. But no one cares. I've been trying to get by on my own for 12 years.....nothing. Because no one wants to back a writer who actually knows what they're doing (and has something to say).

[Aura]

12 years... that's a long time and no actions being taken. I think nepotism might play a part into this as well, think about people who might know a person working at a newspaper company, or their friend is the boss of a magazine company, they're somewhat part of the writing industry and might have connection to publishing presses too so nepotism could play a small part I think as well.

[emipoemi]

Absolutely. But the worst part is, many many many established and renowned publishers have experienced my work (and saw the reactions that it gets), some of whom my family knows personally, and still nothing. Not even a good word or an outlet. It's also people are gravitating towards diversity for diversity's sake, which is ridiculous. Like I understand diversity - I'm all for diversity! But the colour of your skin or the culture of your heritage or even your sexuality doesn't automatically prove you're a writer worth publishing (whites included!). So, yeah, I'm demoralized, and have been for a while.

[Aura]

I am not trying to get published, but what about self publishing your work? Is that an option? I don't know how you'd go about doing that though so that's probably out of the question as well....

[emipoemi]

tried.....it a) didn't gather the momentum I had hoped, and b) was an absolute nightmare.

[ice_cubes]

very true .People tend to go for the money than the art. When that sort of happened to me I thought of giving up but poetry is what keeps my head sane and I decided to continue. Don't worry one day your rhymes will get recited and your story told .Keep the fire burning. Their failure of seeing tour potential doesn't make your skill any lesser.

[emipoemi]

aww....thank you so much. I'm still waiting for that day.

[ice_cubes]

everything takes time...one day you'll shine so bright that they'll have no choice but to look at you

[barleygirl]

I can't comment on the industry as you have, but what you say makes sense & it's clearly & powerfully expressed! I have never been one who could write in a way that appeals to the masses. My friends tell me my writing has too many complex words & I use too much subtlety. I'm not going to dumb myself down for anybody. I don't care if only 50 people ever read me. To me, that's a great amount! Anyhow, I definitely feel the deck is stacked against writers who do not follow the formulaic bullshit that's getting published these days. I'm bored to tears by so much of what's out there & I read tons of books. Sorry, you sparked a smolder (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[emipoemi]

That is perfectly fine.....I'm actually glad you the industry has you incensed just as much. I can't stand it. I've been rejected for the sole reason of rhyming, which is bullshit in its own right, and I've been accepted by 3 publishers only to get offered s**t contracts. I'm like I have more of a voice than these wannabes that are killing trees just to earn an easy buck. And here I am not having a voice at all; not even allowed to speak. The fact that your friends say your writing is complex (which it isn't - it's absurd (most of it at least), and that's alright) just proves that society has a- gotten dummer and b- lost a lot of attention span. They just want everything spelled out for them and spoon fed it all but that's not how literature works - especially not poetry! I've been trying to speak about this for 6 years to deaf ears, and it's only rendered me more incensed. So, nice to have an ally.

Glad you enjoyed the poem. Thanks for reading.

[W. Barrett Munn]

You can always go the Ezra Pound route and write one poem (The Cantos) for 50 years then publish as a book.

[emipoemi]

except Pound was renowned as a critic too, was he not? Hard to be taken seriously when you're not recognized as anything yet, eh?

[W. Barrett Munn]

Pound was an outcast who went against the prevailing styles. Like everyone he had to eat so he was also a critic. Publishing is frustrating I know. But then I think of the genuine artists, Van Gogh who only sold one painting while he lived, Emily Dickinson, whose poetry would not be known if a family member had not found and pushed for posthumous publication. The true artist doesn’t do it for acclaim-they do it because they must.

[emipoemi]

fair point.....but it gets really lonely when you're snubbed and silenced in favour of someone who's very much unworthy of the acclaim they're receiving (or if they are, it's for the wrong reasons)

[Esteban Morfín]

Amazing poem! Specially since it is so true. As I get more and more involved in the writing world, I constantly get the feeling that there are very few authentic places like this website. Most writers and most writing courses are aimed to the "how we sell it" part, which is fine since a writer needs to eat, but it is indeed really sad how most of the times it seems that only the money counts and the art is left aside.

[emipoemi]

I've been writing for 11 years and counting, and despite the public loving my work, the publishers don't budge, and it's annoying, because what they do accept actually sucks. Thanks for reading the poem and sharing your thoughts. Glad you enjoyed it.

[Esteban Morfín]

Agreed! I don't understand how something like Twilight gets published and becomes a best-seller.
read moreAgreed! I don't understand how something like Twilight gets published and becomes a best-seller.
Why don't you try to self-publish?

[emipoemi]

I did try to, and it's been two years since, but the momentum never picked up.

[.]

Thank you for dropping this poem on Sonder group on WC. It was published in our blogs . Here's the link-https://sonderteam2020.wixsite.com/sonder/post/a-tragic-truth

[emipoemi]

omg, thank you!! much appreciated.

[.]

We are honored to have such a nice poet among us. No need to thank me. Your poems are always great. :) I hope you'll visit the website sometimes, you might like to join us as a writer. It's up to you... It's just an invite.

[emipoemi]

I'll def consider it. thanks

[Li]

True true....hits home!
Thanks for sharing!

[emipoemi]

Thanks for reading. Glad you enjoyed it.