on the edge
.........................................
a hand burnt once
shies from flame
but i have learned
most burns heal in time
*
i've never feared
to step to close
because i think
falling isn't so different from flying.
*
i'm not immortal
unlike most youth
i just don't fear
even the worst crash landings
*
i'm on the edge
of the cliff, of the fire
if nothing else
the view is spectacular.
*
~grace

line six should read "to step too close" ( a grammatical error that isn't all that important, but annoys me.:)) ~grace
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you go!, grace :-) .... (what grammatical error? {S giggles}) ...John :-)
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Good Grace. I've never tried falling up. ~(:-D)={ cem
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[Overly personal comment removed]
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with apologies to any and all poets who i might be about to offend, i'm going to respond to the above criticism of my behavior on this page. i will not misuse this space again in this manner...so, my critical new friend, read my answer well. it is the last time you will have the honor of my attention unless your criticism becomes constructive and worthy of response. :)
*
i was expecting this comment
or something like it.
misery loves company,
and bitterness cannot bear
to watch laughter.
i was expecting this comment.
*
someone always criticizes.
in the face of gentle fun
and harmless flirting,
someone must always
play the role of dour adult,
frowning on anything less
than sobriety.
someone always criticizes.
*
has any harm been wrought?
speak, poets!
speak and speak truly.
have i yet to post
inappropriately?
if my poetry brings joy
to another soul,
or his to mine...
and we share it here,
have we violated the page?
has our interaction been
unfit for the eyes of others?
judge, poets, but judge fairly.
what harm has been wrought?
*
finally, an apology.
to you all:
i apologize for inviting
someone else to share
his gifts here.
heaven forbid i should have been
unselfish.
to that grim poet who denounces:
i am sorry that the expressions
of friendship, shared here,
disturb you. i wish you joy.
and so i finish, with rue for
dignifying petty unkindness
with a response. for that,
finally, an apology.
*
~grace
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grace, i enjoyed your poem, on the edge. you describe it well and make it sound adventuresome. i applaud your comment and subsequent poem. you responded in a tactful dignified manner. we need more of that here on this page. no need to apologize for good poetry and lighthearted fun. (not to me anyway)...ms
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alas! the watchful eye of ann cantelow has removed the insult...making my response look terribly odd. *laughs* such is life...it was still a challenge to write, so i gain regardless.:) thanks for your comments and encouragement, ms :) ~grace
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Your poem speaks to me of taking chances and living life to it's fullest (or at least giving it your best shot). It would seem to take a large mental leap to read anything deserving censorship into it. Very inspirational poem grace :) sa
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thanks sa...*grins* it wasn't my poem that won an "overly personal comment" though...it was the poetry and comments that john and i have shared back and forth. come to think of it, though, it'd take a pretty amazing leap to read anything deserving censorship into that, too...~grace
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See that, I hadn't even noticed. To me it's nice seeing people enjoying some company on-line ... and that's a lot of what poetry is about - little snapshots of people's lives, thoughts and emotions. Actually, the title of the website says "Interactive" and you aren't the first ... or last person to enjoy some interactivity on the site I'm sure :) Have fun. sa
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Your light shines beautiful grace, remember, your last stanza, last line, = "the view is spectacula", nice poem, nice commentary poem, nice lady! :-)~ audee
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grace? :-) remind me not to (wood) tick you off :-) ....very, VERY, nicely poemed your comment. You compose admirably in retort. Pity the cockroach's comment has been removed already; ;-) but probably fortuitous.
Thank you, grace :-) for introducing me to this page
to you all
thanks
for the comments
for the chance to dance
words
aha! poetry
..John :-)
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[Overtly personal comment deleted]
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:) to all who have had encouraging words.
more :)s to all who have no kind words...
'cause you need 'em worse than those others.:)
*
thanks sa and audee...:) :)
and john, i doubt you could per-"suede" me to be angry enough to write barbed poetry to you.:)
~grace
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Grace, you prompt me to say that there is a serious virus on this site. It has not been able to drive away all the good poets, such as yourself. However, it exists, and, speaking for one poet, myself, who has been very fortunate in having mostly positive responses off the Internet, both in publicationa and in reading of my poems by friends and acquaintances, it is appalling to receive crass remarks about one's poetry from strangers on a site like this. I saw recently a show where the Internet was critized and young people were warned against meeting strangers through the Internet. The premise was: "You can't use your senses to feel out the person you're dealing with". Thus, do some young people meet strangers who lure them into bad acts and danger. We don't actually meet on this site. I know through time that Fallon and Audee and many others are decent souls who would not hurt me. But I will probably never post a poem on this site again (and I can hear the snerts saying, "Good riddance"). I do love the site though and I've come to love Audee and Fallon and dear Mary Ellen and many others. You and John, are either new or returning. Both of you seem wonderful too. I know my work is good and I will not have it smeared by aliens whom I can not see nor fight. Still, I'll probably stick around with as an anonymous onlooker because, thank God, not all of you seem to be the brunt of the cruelty that some of us have received. It's funny how "Anonymity" protects. Put your name up here, the cruel comments slash at you. Put your comments up here, the Sour Pusses wound you terribly; put your poetry up here, the cruely is brutal. Thick skins are only partly the answer.

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I just have to say, that I am stunned at how much some of you waste precious moments in life by putting so much stock in the things said on this site. As the above commentor mentioned, none of us that don't already know each other will probably ever meet. So why, with all of the real problems such as death, suicide, and just plain bad days that we all have to deal with in our very houses and cities, why don't we just smile and enjoy this site for what it is, and what it could be. Try to concentrate on using this site to be an outlet for your everyday lives, a place where you can come and express yourself and not have to worry about what the people say or think, because you don't know them. Thanks.....
)Kaleb
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)Kaleb... EXACTLY.
Wordy anon... perhaps "it is appalling to receive crass remarks about one's poetry from strangers on a site like this", but it ought to be no surprise either. The world's like that, and however removed this site seems from 'real life', it is actually entirely part of it. If you declaimed your poetry in a busy mall, how do you think it would be received? With polite applause and supportive comments all the time?
To all wounded 'poets'... you think it's tough here, try going to a few poetry slams. This place will seem kind in comparison. There is nothing wrong with robust criticism. It cannot kill you, it cannot cut you, it cannot stop you unless you let it, and it can actually make you stronger and better. Muscles only grow because of resistance.
m
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m - Though I have sparred with you on 'rhyme', I totally agree with you here. - Karl

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Karl, yes we sparred, and I suspect it is because we both feel passionately about the subject. I respect the fact that you were able to put our disagreement aside so readily to agree with me here. Thank you :).
m