Clarification
Let me repeat everything
to make sure I have it all
Your department has a specific car
in this garage
at this moment on Friday afternoon
reserved under my name
that I can’t have
because
my superior signed line 20b
which permits me to drive the car
but since my superior did not also
sign line 20c
I am forbidden from parking the car
at my residence until Sunday morning because
conceivably it would be available
for personal use
and line 20c does not permit
personal use
only parking at a personal residence
Since it is end of business for today
there is no chance I
could get my superior’s signature
and return it to you in the ten minutes
your office is still open for the week
because to do so I
would need to drive to
the other side of town
during rush hour
Nor would it do any good
because his signature would not be
on your department’s carbon copy
which you used to reserve the vehicle
for a Friday afternoon check out
Eventhough my extension appears in
box 4d and email in 4e I was not
contacted about the conflict
of checking out a car on Friday afternoon
at end of business
with the return date in box 10
without the extra authorization
In light of that
you will not accept my word that
my superior instructed
me to check the car out today
so I can drive it on Sunday
to meet with the client
first thing Monday morning
at his office 450 miles North
because in your words
Only signatures are good here
But in your generosity and
since you are closed on weekends
you will allow me to check it out
if I park the vehicle on this street
drive my own car 40 miles north to my home
and return on Sunday for the car
I will check out today
Again in your words
this practice is
Standard procedure
The clerk confirmed this by saying
You are holding up the line Sir
Alone in off ramp Minnesota
I called everyone
and talked to no one
from the motel room
The insurance rep tearfully
took my claim
lucky to be alive
he choked
unknowingly echoing
Officer Mike’s observation
The officer that drove
to the salvage yard said
it too
She had not believed me
when I told her mine was the
lopsided SUV
All these strangers
saying the same thing
what will everyone say?
Why haven’t they said it?
Can’t they get through?
I have reception
Did I really survive?
The longer I am isolated
the more certain it seems
This is some near world
of things that should be
but are not
My office should know
and I should be
the one to tell them
An unfamiliar voice picks up
claims to be new
Predictably
everyone’s at a department meeting
So I tell my story to the stranger
You’re lucky to be alive
Email Subject: RE Mailbox Size Limits
PLEASE STOP SENDING ME
COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE REGULATIONS!!!
I understand that we
are legally required to
maintain critical correspondence
for a period of up to seven years
and that employees
in our industry have
been threatened with prosecution
for failure to do so
The Division of Cost Effective Technology
is also aware of this
and they state that these records
can be preserved within the new size limits
especially if there are no attachments
I asked to review the estimates
that supported their conclusion
They graciously sent a spreadsheet
which I am forwarding on to you
–your superior
Email Subject: Mailbox Size Limits
This email applies to everyone
Incase you haven’t heard
the Division of Cost Effective Technology
at Headquarters
will be implementing
size limits on our email inboxes
The limit will be about
one third the size of
most current mailboxes
Additionally
when you are at two thirds capacity
you will receive a daily reminder
of your mailbox limit
Exceeding the maximum limit
will not only block incoming messages
but also prohibit you from sending messages
Some suggestions for trimming down the email are
refrain from personal use
turn on a spam filter
take time out of your
regular duties to delete old email
request faxes instead of attachments
As stated at the top
this email applies to everyone
since no one is currently within the size limits
–your superior
Over a month ago I shared how I had approached generating a conversation about poetry, and that up til then I had been rather unsuccessful. Since that post I have participated in some good conversations.
Also, in that span of time I stumbled on another site called WritersCafe.org. At first glance it seems to be a cross between facebook and WordPress. After a month, it feels the slightly different.
Similarities with other social networking sites
Friends, Status updates, messaging, and avatars
Distinctions
Points: writers earn points for various things, and the more points you earn the easier it is to earn points.
Badges: You can win an award (such as “I welcome new members”) which displays an emblem on your profile page. I am currently going for the Top Reviewer
Courses: Anyone can teach a course. There are a lot of useless ones, but the site does a good job of presenting engaging ones. I have currently opened a course title “Version Control for Writers” as an experiment.
A publishing section: Details on publications where you can submit your work, and information on literary agents. The few that I checked out had accurate information.
Pros
1. Designed with writers in mind.
The site allows you to upload your work, assign a picture to it (like an icon), and allows other writers to review it. Additionally, you can request other writers to review it, and add the work of other writers to your library. This last feature is something I wish wordpress would offer.
It also automatically displays the copyright information for all of the work you contribute.
2. There are serious writers in the community
Since joining, I have been reviewed by some people who take writing seriously, and that has been the major benefit since joining. Not that my wordpress friends aren’t serious, but I was surprised at how much easier it was to start conversations at Writerscafe.org
3. The point system encourages reviews of new writers and new work.
As a result, when you upload your first few pieces, you will likely be reviewed within the first week, even if you don’t communicate with any other writers.
Cons
1. Speed
The site is too slow, and has been known to crash
2. Apparently I have befriended everyone
Everytime I send a friend request to someone who has reviewed my work (which as I gather is good edicit in that community) I am informed that I have already sent them a request.
3. Not another teen angst love poem
This needs no further elaboration. It is self evident.
4. Ads Ads Ads
There are even ads for competing social networks.
5. I can’t figure out how to change my status.
Seriously, can someone tell me how to do this?
6. No printer layout from what I can tell.
Ultimately, a feature like “Download to pdf” would be preferrable. Epub would be even better so I could read it on my eReader. (It can handle pdfs, but generally speaking and an epub file is more friendly to the layout).
Conclusion
Writerscafe.org is a good place to review and be reviewed. But it is not a replacement to wordpress or a website. I have only submitted three works to Writerscafe.org, and left the remainder on wordpress. It seems to be a healthy balance. In the future, I will add more to Writerscafe.org, but only when I have more pieces scheduled to be posted on my wordpress blog.
It is also a good place to attract an audience of writers. However, if you are looking to broaden your audience, you are better off looking elsewhere.
Sincerely
Copyright 2010 Edgar A Stonehill
Dream About School
I’m failing
all of my graduate level
literature courses
because the business
courses are more demanding
than I anticipated
and the lit professors
are not sympathetic
My MBA program
did not have literature courses
Hard to imagine a program that does
But after a twelve year focus
on professionalism
I see meaning in the dream
If writing is not a priority
I fail as a writer
Teleconference
There must be
three quarters of a million
in salary on this conference call
Three hours of
a software developer’s version of
“Who’s on First”
but wasteful instead of entertaining
Money down the toilet
Flush
Wait did somebody actually flush?
Tex from Arkansas
chimes in
Hell
we’re all family now
Click to view PDF
copyright 2009 Edgar A Stonehill
Traveling with my Superior
Our baggage must have been
loaded last
since my superior’s garment bag
is the first to tumble
into the luggage carousel
My duffelbag follows
I estimate the amount
the airlines could charge
for such a service
and shade the frustration
that I can’t make money
off the idea
The rental car is
conveniently parked
By all indications things
are proceding well
The hotel could still mess up
but they fold for business clients
When my superior pulls out of
the lot he asks me to read the
street signs outloud
I ask if it would be better for me
to drive
No that would have been
another layer of beauracracy
Since I am only 24
the company’s insurance
will only cover me
if the proper forms are completed
which would involve inconveniencing superiors
for their signature
Besides
I’m used to driving half blind
Do it all the time with my kids
No reason why you can’t last five days
Click to view PDF
copyright 2009 Edgar A Stonehill
Thanksgiving Dinner Conversation
At her family’s table
The daughter said to her husband
Please pass the salt Dear
Only because I love you
Oh wait
I don’t
so no
For months the family knew of
the crumbling marriage
Now they were appalled
by this public insult
Upset because similar displays
were previously kept private
as the family thought they should be
Click to view PDF
copyright 2009 Edgar A Stonehill
Greece
Autumn and I are planning
to visit Greece
before Phil is two
so he can fly for free
My parents
would have hired a sitter
So much of my life was spent
in my home with my parents overseas
I am my parents in so many ways
but in this respect I have cheerfully deviated
Click to view PDF
copyright 2009 Edgar A Stonehill
