My buddy Joe’s a successful poet, an oxymoron if there ever was one. His degree in English qualified him for a social services job with a non-profit, working with the homeless and others cast off and marginalized. In his spare time, he wrote. Some short stories, but mostly poetry. In notebooks, on scratch paper, scribbled upon paper napkins in dive bars. He sent them off to magazines big and small, mostly small. Had them published in various zines (including mine) back in the days of Factsheet Five, before the internet exploded. Self published a bunch of chapbooks.
Poetry slams. Lots of them. In bookstores, bars, coffee shops. Usually getting to them on his motorcycle. Never a Harley rider though, he was an Indian rider with an older Scout that he’d lovingly restored.
Eventually, his poems came to the attention of an English department head at a small college and Joe got a job teaching poetry and, with his new found academic bona fides, started getting published in literary journals. And one day found in his mail slot a letter stating that he’d won an Award named in honor of a Famous Mainstream Author along with the date and venue for presentation of the Award and a stipend. Huh he thought, stuffing it in an inside pocket of his motorcycle jacket.
On the night of the Award, he rode his Indian to the venue, with some new poems in the same pocket. It wasn’t until he’d walked in that he realized he was very under dressed. Black ties and evening gowns everywhere. The Famous Mainstream Author deep in conversation with the Governor and the state’s junior Senator.
At least Joe had a collared shirt under the leather jacket.
This was written for @mariannewest’s freewrite challenge:
https://www.creativecoin.xyz/freewrite/@mariannewest/day-731-5-minute-freewrite-monday-prompt-inappropriately-dressed
or
https://steempeak.com/freewrite/@mariannewest/day-731-5-minute-freewrite-monday-prompt-inappropriately-dressed
The first draft was written in 5 minutes. Editing took another 30 or so.
Photo from Pixabay (BarbaraBonanno).
Well, PW, looks like you are getting screwed by the hijinks that goes on here. I lost the taste for Steemit last year after I bought in for around $3/STEEM, just to see it plummet to below a dollar. Before this latest hardfuck, I was at least curating, but even that has gotten depressing AF.
I've read a comment or two, including some from you about how this new negative voting thing is supposed to be healthy, but I just don't see it. You are a prime example. For you to be downvoted on a good post like this to the point of not making anything, defeats the purpose of STEEM...especially because it's done solely for petty vengeance. I made a post the other day and got two downvotes from two accounts that were just made and, apparently, for the sole purpose of downvoting. That's the only activity that shows on their account. In my case, t's not the money thing, as I no longer post enough for that to matter, but it is disappointing to see someone downvote you with no explanation as to why. And even more disappointing when you see that those accounts do nothing BUT downvote everybody...all day, everyday since the account registered. I don't understand that.
It's sad. I don't know how any new users are going to be lured here when that kind of thing goes on unabated and those who do it for no reason can't be eliminated from the site, without having to get into a depressing, pointless and resource wasting pissing war.
In any case, good post. I always enjoy your stuff.
Wow. You got this dude mad at you.Hope it stops soon...
What a wonderful success story!
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It was a great story!
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successful poet is an oxymoron, hahahahaha! Hey, doesn't that depend on how you define "successful"?
I'm so bad at dressing up I somehow manage to be overdressed for things, not under. Overthinking, as usual.
I'm here to deliver the Tuesday prompt so please write us another!
https://steempeak.com/freewrite/@mariannewest/day-732-5-minute-freewrite-tuesday-prompt-gut-feeling
Hi @preparedwombat!
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