The Poetic Scriptures Magazine

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Well 2011 is upon us. Nearly four months deep and here we are, back again STILL toiling to keep this poetry thing going on site that has just recently seen it's own share of struggles concerning identity and progression. Similarly, Poetic Scriptures has faced much of the same issues. Where as 2010 saw perhaps a resurgence of new blood and renewed activity, 2011 has contrastingly gotten off to a slow start. Most notably dipping to new lows in activity and fresh faces, amongst other problems like the emerging presence of plagiarists. However despite the air of negativity as always poetry is not without it's silver lining, that for Rb has continuously been the talented pool of writers at it's disposal. With that said i present to you the newest edition of the poetic scriptures magazine, which if anything is a testament to the dedication of said writers toc ontributing and reviving the poetry scene that's helped nurture their progression over the years. Now I'm not even going to lie and say that this thing isn't long as fuck, lol, but i can at least hope that if you can't get through it in a sitting...you'll keep coming back to reads bits of what i think is interesting stuff. We have for you contributions from the likes of Spoken Deity, Spokenoh, Abiona, Atticus, Baron P, and Soulstice...plus a few more. So i hope that you'll enjoy everything that they've readily put forth for your reading pleasure. Anyways, that's it for now so get started!


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A few things that you should be aware of...


Activity:

This is without a doubt stating the obvious and probably beating a dead horse or two, but in case you haven't noticed from under your rock, activity has dropped to crawl...at best. That is, the tumble weeds rolling around are more than likely the most movement we've seen in here within the past few months. Basically what I'm getting at is that at some point people are going to have to step it up and get things moving back in the right direction. And of course it goes without saying that it boils down to you guys and girls posting-more-pieces. Whatever that translates to, be it league pieces, collaborations, haiku, spoken word, poems you've written for school etc., just get it out there. I mean we're nearly through the third month of the year and with all the active self-proclaimed poets on this site we only have about a page and a half to show for it. Also with that needs to come the willingness to reply to and support each other's work. I kind of get the feeling people have become jaded with the whole process; maybe through pre-acknowledging the lack of feedback/quality of feedback or in the case of older members feeling like there's little to gain by posting...whatever the mindset, it shouldn't/ can't exist for a productive/supportive environment to thrive. So please, please if you can help it don't be lazy. In reality I know there's a lot more that plays into inactivity, we all have lives and priorities that far outweigh writing but try and take the time to show your fellow writers the same courtesy you'd expect. Older more established writers especially, help the new jacks out and share some of that knowledge. Beyond that there isn't much more to it. Granted there's the possibility we're just in one of those trademark RB lows, but to reiterate what Spoken said in his stickied thread, it rests squarely on the shoulders of the writers to up the ante.


Legends nominations:

I'm slight apprehensive about addressing this after reading bits of the rant Atti hooked up for the mag, because poetry isn't about accolades, but this is after all Rapbattles so i thought I'd just remind everyone of the pending Legends noms for Spokenoh, Sharp, and Abi... and the cobwebs they're collecting. Yeah it's gone pretty silent in there so if you haven't taken a look or voted or didn't even know they were up for induction, possibly wander over and do so before they get closed. I can't speak for how much it means to the poets themselves on a personal level, but it couldn't hurt in way of showing some appreciation for their efforts in sharing their work/presence on the site.


Rhetorical Insights:

Or maybe the more appropriately dubbed "Spokenoh Insights", is indeed open and contrary to popular belief awaiting YOUR posts! Now if you're at all confused, which I sense some of you might be, it's that little forum located directly above haiku specifically designated for the purposes of writing to pictures and/or monthly challenges. So maybe check it out to get a little practice in if you're blocked up or looking to ease back into the saddle...we'll (I'll) provide the inspiration! At the very least you can help keep Spoken's poems company. Also I should note I'm typically in charge of choosing said pictures and challenges, and judging by the activity levels people may not be too fond of them, but should you feel compelled to suggest something be used, please do so and I will be more than happy to entertain your submissions.


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by Atti...

So i was posed with the ambiguous task of writing a rant about, "anything." I'm still not quite sure the direction to take this.. it may be my opportunity to discuss the ethics of a hand job; and the potential punishments for any chap lipped scoundrel nun'ly enough to still think that kind of dastardly nonsense is acceptable. but on the other hand (pun?) I'm sure Mantra had something more relative to PS in mind.

given my absence in PS on any sort of constant basis since about 04', I'm not even going to attempt to pretend I've got any real idea of issues currently pertinent. for the most part, i drag my feet onto the forums once and every few so weeks, just to poke my head in and reminisce with the members i came up writing with about how much life sucks now that we're old and unsuccessful. my most recent return found me skimming over the old Abstanti Collective thread (which for any who weren't around, was a collective writing project that consisted of myself, mindless, legends, and Soulstice). we did a handful of pieces together, of which two made legends, but the intention was to expand the collective beyond the matrix that is RB and into the .... real world. Mindless and I had a book in the works, and we intended on bringing Soulstice and ledge with us.

background story aside... in skimming what you pigeons have been up to while I've been away, i came to see that, our prodigal abstanti brother, the dark-horse powerhouse himself, Legends: BANNED. are you fucking kidding me? and that is where i figure this rant is best suited to go. biting ... you shark toothed, snaggle trap sluts. who bites!?

let's start off first with the fact that, you're writing poetry. poetry is a no wrong answer, never fail expression of self. the fact that RB (which, in case you missed it, stands for RAP BATTLES) has pitted poets against each other in such a direct and competitive way, does not mean that by losing a match you have garnered any REAL failure in the sense of what poetry is. i personally find that the sugar-free atmosphere and face to face comparisons of works is the reason why this site produces such outstanding writers overall. but if you are considering biting another artists work in order to defeat someone else, which is NOT the intention of poetry.. just don't battle. crazy right? stick to those cellulite, mash-mall-ow-ee fluffernutter koohmbiya circle jerk poetry website that will give you a cookie just rhyming the end of every line together. every type of writing has an outlet and an atmosphere to which it's best cultivated, and if this one requires you to steal to keep up .. fuck off.

that is bar-none one of the lowest, most shamefully mind numbing parasites to poetry. if your goal is to collect a bunch of tiny GIF images, be put in a 'Hall of Fame,' that if the site crashed tomorrow would disappear anyways, or end up in a 'Legends' section equally irrelevant to the art of poetry itself... get up from the computer, make a peace sign with your index and pointer fingers - poke yourself in the eyes.

as for Legends. luckily it was caught before we tried to publish him and faced potential legal trouble for printing another writers work under his pseudonym. hopefully something of his writing was actually his and it wasn't all a sham.. but really it doesn't matter. if in your entire career of writing you bite one line, that's a mark that's not gonna come clean with any amount of "HOF." I'm really disappointed by the fact that he marred the image of Abstanti, and ruined something that was really a pure outlet for creativity amongst a sect of writers who had complimentary writing styles. i don't doubt we'll see him under some alias soon enough...I'll be personally looking for that IP to ban.

and in case you're like me and skim these mags looking for the stuff that's actually interesting, and would have skipped the essay form blabber that this became... I'll leave you with the abbreviated version so all the Ritalin babies don't feel left out:

- fuck Hall of Fame
- fuck Legends (the thread)
- fuck Legends (the shark)
- fuck biting/biters/bittersweet symphonies
- fuck displaying your "AWARDS"
- fuck battle records
- fuck any proof of what you've done, aside from the words you did it with.

- and fuck hand-jobs x4


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- An interview with the Spokens: Deity and 'oh -
Two poets, same name, same questions, different answers...
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Mantra: Evening

Spoken: Sup

Spoken: Lets do this shit.

Mantra: Yep, I'll dive right in...

Mantra: Favorite writers and influences, on RB and otherwise.

Spoken: Neruda and Soulstice are my favorite writers, easily. Both have a niche for images and language that suck you in. Both should be legends at this point.

Spoken: As for influences?

Spoken: Thinking, daily experiences... I'm boring I guess.

Mantra: Take me through your writing process. Anything you absolutely need to be able to sit down and write?

Spoken: I need silence and I need to want to write. I don't do well with leagues because I don't want to write on or for something other than myself. And I can't do shit without silence. I couldn't get a line down if I wanted to with noise.

Mantra: That's a little to surprising to hear from someone who's champed Poet's Society.

Spoken: Yeah, I usually nail it when I need to. I write okay during the season and then usually do a piece or two that get the props in the finals. I was fucking close to champing again this season, but I felt I dropped weak and Baron dropped fucking awesome. What can I do? haha

Mantra: Where do you feel you're at with your writing in relation to where you want to be? To where you were when you first started?

Spoken: Well, when I first started I was 14-15 and I was just trying to get out angst... Now I want to express things that I understand, hopefully make someone think a little more than normal. Really, my big thing is spoken word... I've done and won a lot of open mics, but I've taken a bit of time to become a better writer, thinker, and critical person in general. As for where I want to go? Meh, I don't take my writing serious enough to set goals, lol. I just write because it's an outlet.

Mantra: I had no idea you'd done spoken word, RB peoples might be interested in seeing those...any video?

Spoken: No, actually...I've never done any recordings. Not sure why, lol. I used to do video production, it would have been easy.

Mantra: Damn it Spoken, lol.

Spoken: I suck. I know

Mantra: So do you think you would have ever gotten into poetry/writing had you never ventured onto a forum? Or was it there before all of that, I know you mentioned you started writing at around 14 or 15.

Spoken: I came to RB to 'battle.' I didn't know what the fuck I was doing... I slowly ventured into poetry. I probably would have done some form of creative writing, but not necessarily poetry.I was on RB in 2003 originally... that's when I started writing.

Mantra: Shifting the conversation to RB...What is the state of PS as you see it? Positives and negatives. What do feel is the single biggest problem the forum is facing?

Spoken: PS is suffering from the same thing RB is suffering from- lack of activity from new people. There are just fewer active vet poetry heads and few active new writers. The poetry section was always slower than OM, but I've only seen it this slow a few times. This isn't something any mod or admin can fix. We can halt leagues to create space for PS, but in the end, it's all reliant upon the active heads in the community and the chance of new folks getting involved. The only positives are that good poetry is still being dropped and if one has patience and sends out the personal messages, you can get great feedback... the negatives are obvious: Lack of writers, activity, and veterans.

Mantra: Yeah it seems like the adage for Rb poetry and site-wide is that "there have always been ups and downs, activity will go back up". Do you think there's any truth to that? How hopeful are you that we aren't going to continue on a downward spiral? Can there ever be another "golden" period of poetry on Rb?

Spoken: Golden era is done. Quality of the writers are down. Internet forums like this are less active as a whole. We may get surges here and there, but we'll never be back to our former glory, in my opinion. It's not a nice opinion, but it's an honest one. RB's quality of active writers is down as a whole to me though.

Mantra: If you could bring back one writer that's left the site or pick one person you'd like to see a burst of activity from, who would it be and why?

Spoken: Bounce. Bounce, easily. He actually took time to talk to me on AIM and give me points. I had a bunch of his music and stuff. I really liked his writing and he was a chill guy. I'd love to bring him back. I don't give a fuck who gets more active... just people. There are probably 40-50 active poetry heads on this tie. We just aren't active dropping poetry. I'd like them all to start posting poems again. Shit, we've had like 25 poems dropped in a month and half, lol. It's disgusting. We've got 2 months worth of poetry on the front page. It's ugly.

Mantra: You yourself are fairly active, what keeps you wanting to post poems when everything else around you, more or less, has become stagnant? What advice would offer to all the lazy poets out there to help keep them motivated and in the fold?

Spoken: I post because I want feedback and because eventually, I'll grow tired of RB ... I hope that when I do people take me seriously as a writer and say to each other, "damn, Spoken was a quality writer. Crazy to see how much better he got from when he started to when he left." As for the lazy poets, me being of the them, just write. Write 10 lines, send to someone for a collab or just post it. If you feel emotionally pulled, write... clean it up, and post it. Help fix the problem, not become part of it.

Mantra: Speak on the quality of feedback within the forum. How much do you attribute the lack of quality/quantity replies to the overall in-activeness?

Spoken: It's hard to say. OM was getting horrible feedback (though now on the up and up) and it was still pretty active, haha. I'm sure there is a correlation, but I'm not sure to what extent.

Mantra: At the moment the league is probably the most active in terms of poetry. From that standpoint do you feel like it's existences is beneficial or detrimental to the activity within the main forum?
Has it become a substitute for getting feedback on the grounds you're guaranteed at least some, and from what is typically regarded as the more elevated writers?

Spoken: Detrimental in the sense that people are less likely to post during the season... but it also makes no difference because apparently, people don't write in the off season anyway, haha. So I guess it makes no difference at all. Again, the issues are stemming from inactivity of the site as a whole and of the poets just not writing... hell, we even get huge no shows during the season. I don't think most people do the league for feedback... I think most do it to win. I sure as fuck do it to win.

Mantra: PS Hall of Fame. There's been some discussion of gray area in terms of what exactly the criteria is for these types of pieces...How would you define a hall of fame caliber poem? or what do you see the criteria being; and what sort of system could you see working to ensure the criteria is upheld?

Spoken: What Atti proposed is best... numerous quality heads voting on the nominees. As for a criteria? It's different for everyone. It's hard to say.


* We had to cut the interview short at the point, and in the interest of getting
this mag posted, i went ahead and opted to edit in the rest as soon as it's
available, sorry folk*


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by Abiona

The community of poets here on RB, although not particularly large, has always been home to some very talented writers adding their own unique style to pages of Poetic Scriptures. Here are some new poets to keep an eye on as they begin to cement there place here in poetry world.


Miho

She's been around RB for a minute but you might not have had the pleasure of getting to know her (or her writing) just yet. Although she's been writing for years, she is just starting to get over being selfish :) and starting to share her words with us. Take a look at her most recent piece and you'll see that she is a risk taker, not only with her structure but also with the vulnerability she allows to show through her writing. Her writing is vivid and visceral and she isn't afraid to transform raw emotion into words. Miho brings a fresh new voice and a new perspective to the male-dominated poetry scene. Check out her writing and encourage her to post more!

Quote:

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...with screams of lost whispers
that echo in sound proof
walls. she’s left grinning,
in her unhappily ever
after.

there. laying beside.
her self, nowhere to be found.

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From Beside Herself


Moana

Not new, per se, but definitely one to watch as he hasn't been around quite a while and might be new to many of you. Check out his work and you'll find a writer with a great grasp on wording, who creates wonderful images without allowing his vocabulary to distract from the heart of his piece. His writing is smooth and deliberate and while it might appear simplistic in nature, that's only because he is able to make it so accessible to the reader. Reading his most recent piece, it was easy to be drawn quickly into the words. See for yourself...

Quote:

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These words are so refreshing,
they hold the stitches of skin to this body.
Each day is a milestone; the weight of both worlds
helps the devils breath taste hollow.

---

From if i had a penny



Diomedes' Love Child

We all know him and love him. Well. Most of us do anyhow. :) Spanja rightfully has earned a place on this short list because if you watched his development through the course of Season 9 then you're familiar with just how quickly he grew as a writer. If his recent elevation is any indication of what is to come from his pen, then there are great things to be expected from him as he continues to learn and grow. You can tell from his pieces that he is enjoying finding his voice as a writer. Each one has it's own style and approach and I'm looking forward to seeing that voice grow stronger.

Quote:

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She grew stagnant,
covered up her chest.
unwilling to satisfy
my sexual appetite.
unaware of my
napoleonic need
for pussy and conquest.
She told me our love
didn’t need to physical
our connection could be
better than sex.

Guess you were wrong.

---

From Inconvenient Lie



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-random quotes by some of our fine members, taken out of context-

Quote:

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Originally Posted by atti

i'll post a spoken word.. and shoot a music video if sharp will booty clap in it.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by spokenoh

I think there needs to be a bigger outlet for poetry like this. You are one of few that are doing something with writing that is outside the scope of the poetry forums here. You're expressing something and saying something meaningful.
One aspect of the feedback and poetry I read here that is either hollow, at worst non-existent, is a prescriptive or teleological quality. You know, a meaning to it all. Poetic device for the sake of poetic device is usually the focus; other writers are catching on to non-sequiturs, double entendres, etc. but few are able to utilize for a purpose. Moreover, hardly anyone is writing like they mean it, or like they have something to say, or like if they weren't writing, something would be empty in their life. You, though, write because it's in you.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Spoken Deity

Poeta hasn't had balls since I ate them.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Neruda II

i suggest you play a fucking adrenaline pumping song as loud as you can, go fucking nuts, then sit down and write. your words need to be fuel injected. you need to capture the reader from the first word and at the end you want them to be like "fuck..."

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by soulstice.

the worst thing about feedback is this - I read a poem, a GOOD poem, one that activates my emotions and mind - and I understand the concept, but when I try to articulate what the concept is, the perfect words elude me, which I guess is why the concept requires a poem to be brought to the surface and shared in the first place.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by oatmeal

*****the rest of the interview was mysteriously omitted from the email I sent myself, but to summarize Baron basically said he will shit on each and every one of you in the same way he shits on the chest of the ho he cheats on his wife with.*****

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-Spokenoh takes us beyond critique in a revisiting of
one of RB poetry's past gems-


Atticus - "This Isn't Poetry" March, 2008

Quote:

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'this isn't poetry.'

last time i wrote a poem
the sink spit me up,
while my belt loops sat alone,
waiting for the notches around my throat
to let go.

the footnotes at the bottom of my heart
beat more readily,
than the body of my work.

i used to think it was poetry
-before the lines turned themselves into a noose
and haiku's that read like bullet points
started to back fire,
through the backsides of a few ambiguous
water lines,
that were just shallow enough
for me to try and drown myself in.

i used to think it was a pen
-before it made a better weapon.

a few metaphors and three broken women later-
this isn't poetry,
it's a battle cry
that started as tears and went to war with itself,
and never realized the field
was never actually a place to step-
but who knew hearts could eat tread just as easily.

everyone wants their signature poem
-it's supposed to mean i love you;
but this poets love stinks like lust
behind red-rose revolvers that get used like crutch.

one too many rest their heads
on my barrel of monkeys from your back
fired into the last place you'd expect
to be dead.

i used to call this art,
because i didn't see pain it made.
my own splinter ridden veins where the page
like a mask without the eye holes
to see who they bump in to.
this depression wasn't meant for display,
but the day my scars stumbled into your arm
you wore them like the neglect
to which you had always set the stage.

search my poems for your answers
-because i don't have them.

i used to think i was cutting my own wrists
with the margin of this half finished poem,
until i watched you bleed
-and assumed you knew what to do
if you had the will to read.

still writing
-I'll take your life away,
while reaching for your breath.
these poems aren't made for praise;
they only frame regret.

I'm the martyr of my every word,
followed by myself as the rope tightens
before a crowed town of my own emotions-
each one standing as its own person.

it was all for me,
until i started to see the strangers
scattered across the executioners veil.
it was all for me,
until a few decided to watch-
and they didn't enjoy my death
as much as i did
-because the parts of themselves they had put in me,
swallowed the axe much slower
than i really took the blade.

that broken heart doesn't entertain you
the same as it does the reader,
but i still write it into the story
because this isn't poetry, it's the overly dramatic truth.
so keep reading until your stanza ends,
and the next begins with another name-
and you can't enjoy the read again,
if the last poem hasn't already pushed you away.

so, ask me to write you a poem,
and I'll slit my wrists and dedicate it to you
-because i don't write poetry,
i kill off pieces of myself, for myself,
regardless of the voyeurs
with hands over their eyes
watching through the gaps between their guilty fingers.

don't ask me to write you a poem,
because I'm running out of pieces to kill;
don't ask me to write you a poem,
because i never will;

this isn't poetry.

---

This section of the mag is titled "Flashback" and I'm glad I was given the opportunity to resurrect an old poem.
There is a large - no, an endless - amount of poetry that I could have chosen for this. I could have reached back to the time of Varentao or the oft-perceived 'classical' age of writers like Bounce, Maven, and the early work of Mindless. There were countless poems I considered, some with few reviews and others that are in the Hall of Fame or Legends. I chose this one though, because it is more than any of that.
Atti's 'this isn't poetry' epitomizes a very strong sentiment I have towards creative writing. This work encompasses a favorite Cummings quote: "since feeling is first, who pays any attention to the syntax of things". There is a pervasive emotion laden within the words which attaches itself to the reader. You can read this without any particular knowledge of metaphor, structure, or poetry in general. You can read it without feeling it is contrived or academic. You can read it for the sake of feeling something within yourself that you had long ignored. Regardless of why you read it, you won't forget it.
This poem is similar to a few other poems Atti posted at the time. The content can be likened to "I'm just a fucking artist" or "the end of every poem". This one, however, stands taller than those pieces. It is the definitive textual purging of the discontentment he, as a writer and person, was feeling at the time. Although it is too much to infer concrete relationships between many written works and the author's life, one gets the sense this isn't far from truth. It is so tangible and invoking that it represents a feeling shared by anyone who has ever tried to express the abstract through sheer guts. It would be inadequate to call this a poem although that's what I've referred to it as. This is, as Atti admits, a battle cry.
Scattered throughout are images of language as more than text. Bullet-points become shell casings; a pen bleeds like a tanto. It is apparent that within the work itself is an embodiment of the message - that diction is never enough. Moreover, the metaphors bend and convolute, changing direction when you expected the solidarity of what you already know to be true. This can be seen within the use of mixed analogy:

Quote:

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through the backsides of a few ambiguous
water lines,
that were just shallow enough
for me to try and drown myself in.

---

Within the metaphor is the greater chore of telling it as it is. It is the admission that a poem will never piece back together the relationships that sunk, nor will it find the resolve to forget mistakes that never made the page. Lastly, it is the reminder that there are some things in life you don't choose for yourself.
For anyone still mistaken, this isn't poetry; this is the carcass of one man's resolve. There is a reason it ends in a period.

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...Why you suck at giving feedback:

The poetry in this forum is not simple wordplay or a blatant turn of phrase. It's not like you're listening to the radio and The Game says "hittin switches till the spring break, Cancun". That is to say, it's not immediately obvious what the poet is getting at, it takes time to understand and appreciate the subtleties of the image the poet is creating and it is interpreted differently through different scopes. It's subjective. That's why, when someone says "oh, I liked this" and doesn't say why, or what emotion it elicits or connection it helps make, it doesn't cut it. Secondly, at least try and take a stab at the overall meaning of the piece, and share it. Don't say "oh i think I got i know what you're saying" because when I, personally, read that, I assume that they haven't a damn clue. It's annoying as hell, read the piece, and please, let's hear your input on what the actual piece is about, and what images mean what to you. Thirdly, friends, is randomly saying nice metaphor or dope imagery, without a single citation from the piece. Inversely, saying work on your wordplay, or work on your similes, without citing a flaw in the piece is equally ridiculous. Put something tangible onto your claims, it helps the writer grow far more than randomly term-dropping mechanical jargon. Tangent: don't harp on mechanics! The heart of the piece is what's important, calling out what you perceive as fuck-ups on the aesthetics such as line breaks and lack of poetic devices isn't as important as the message trying to be conveyed. Now, one should certainly suggest proper usage of devices and can encourage a complex evolution of a simple piece, but this shouldn't be at the forefront of the feed. What's important is what the poem means, so let's hear your opinions and thoughts on the heart of the piece. And don't let the conversation end with the feed, feel free, as an artist, to respond to feed and have a discussion about your piece. Nothing is more flattering than having a piece actually affect someone to the point where they want to discuss what it made them think. That should be the goal of poetry, not HOF's. So, ladies and gentlemen, please open your minds and let your thoughts spill forth, and lets grow as writers together. Then again, poetry is subjective, maybe it's just me. . Keep scribing writers, and give some in-depth feed next time.

-Soulstice




... the Poetic Scriptures Hall of Fame:

“I feel like everyone and their mother has a PS HOF medal.”

That sentiment goes far to devalue what should be a solid achievement, a pat on the back from your peers. The whole point of HOF is in the title, in a couple of years time will we look back and see flavor of the month pieces, cookie cutter poems catering to an unmotivated and biased audience or will we see poems that are representative of the quality that the writers here are capable of.
Spoken has raised the bar so to speak but the problem arises when there isn’t a bar that was set, what was inducted was dependent on the moderator. This was a major issue in OM when I was modding as I was criticized by some member of making it too hard, not realizing that by not being a proponent of mediocrity I wasn’t looking down at them rather giving them the nudge they need to achieve what I believed the writers of this site are potentially capable of doing.
Should we give monetary incentives to attract writer into dropping higher quality whilst increasing the quantity? Maybe, but it would be a short term solution that I see causing problems when certain writers start bringing bias into the situation or create a ‘scratch my back I scratch yours’ situation.
I don’t have a solution to this, no one member does. I believe an odd numbered ‘panel’ of writers should be selected that prowl the poetic scriptures forum to look for pieces that deserve HOF. I don’t think nominations work, this site has a Lobster mentality or maybe readers are just too lazy. I believe we should get rid of member nominations, let a panel decide the top five or so highlight poems of the month, induct them and then poll the 5 to find 1 that will be the poem of the month and be critiqued. It will be a bit of work but much much more rewarding than a medal.
When I look back at some of the earlier pieces of poetry inducted into Legends, I cringe. Don’t make it so for the HOF, we need to give it its value back.

-P. Mortuus




...RB poetry leagues:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.......OOOOPS, wrong topic. Hello, folks, I am the one, thee only, Spanja. At this moment, your probably thinking to yourself, “self, what does Spanja have to say about poetry.” Well, bitch, I got some stuff to say bout the state of Poet Society and Haiku; don’t expect me to sugar coat the anus of either. Poets Society is being modded by active serial rapist/baby Jesus enthusiast, Spoken Deity; there are a few others who give a helping hand, but they’re not important(apologizes to baron and Abi in private). The league is probably one of the most competitive leagues I have ever been in to date; and I have been all RB’s leagues at the peak of their competitiveness. Put it this way, first season I competed in Sacred Scriptures, I made it all the way to the semifinals; first season in PS, I didn’t even break .500. Leagues, like poet society, are always in high demand because they require all your skill as poet in order to match or exceed the competition. I believe every poet on this site should be in this league. Haiku is like that quiet kid class that didn’t talk to anyone, but you knew he had elephant dick because he oozed machismo /nohomo. Whenever I think of Haiku, I think of the crazy shit I’m going to read; I had no idea people, could pack in so much content within 17 syllables. Mantra does a really good job making a niche league run so smoothly. I think I’m rambling a bit, so I will be bring my section to a conclusion. Spanja would like to thank Rebecca Black for being the greatest lyricist the world has ever known.

-Spanja


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- One of RB's quintessential poets, Spokenoh,
provides a candid look at the story behind his word-



Spokenoh - "by candle light", January 2006

Quote:

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the last poem by my favorite neurotic
was never written, dissipating in
blood-curdling octaves, like
a snared rabbit
she put her lusted disgust in Hell's Kitchen
far from New York
far from Auschwitz
All for food for thought

she dreaded a head of snakes
that shed skin in mirrored hate
she hated adjacent candle lights
that made sight just enough darker
to pronounce her shadow's height
but she loved her hand gripped tight
by an incubi who held hope
in disappearing acts & scapegoats
& the smell of its sulfur lulled her
in oxidized lies of a different color
whilst it's nostalgic plight
skull-fucked her

before she died, she wrote a list of supplies
then closed her eyes
she put the paper to open flame
her undisclosed thoughts left to vapors
then a look at a dimmed reflection
on a window pane
and said,
"You're just a poet, don't try to control it
offspring like a son that Apollo has stolen, it -
a sparrow to shoot on an empty trail's route
a sad story once told by the smile of a mute
a long pause, followed close by a lost cause
Could I ever tempt God with salivating jaws?
or draw clause under other people's dreams
I've slept with best-kept secrets of the Elohims
now like an epic twice told, words are old
and indistinguishable to my soul
Know that cold rice still tastes like human faith
a starved animal in the same mandibles of fate
the reasons for breathing are stopping; boxed in
no more backward steps from white tiger's stalking
opting not for a tick-tocking paradox
I've enclosed all unwants into this rotten thought
My fall is now caught in a weightless station
anticipating the charm of impatient Satans
amidst all the pages, ravished in cries
I'm just a product of one kiss
and one too many lies"

With orbs sunken like birth
she left an expired fire of earth
for the ashes of her velvet lashes
from past sadness & gashes
head first
far from a guillotine
from from new beginnings
All for a mangled angel
called inspiration

---

One function of writing for me is that I can link a work with my life at the time of writing it. This poem appears to be quintessential to me in that regard. It reminds me of being pretty young and uncertain about having to move and start a new life. I affiliate this poem with what seemed like chaos and doubt at the time.
The primary inspiration for this was Sylvia Plath - she is beneath nearly all of the allusions. I had become enamored with her diction and tone, the sardonic wit within her voice. Plath is of course also known as the 'tortured artist' type - she committed suicide in '63. The title of this piece was chosen after I finished writing the content and is coincidentally the same as one of Plath's. I wrote this poem during a blackout.
The style of this was something pretty different for me at the time. My writing was starting to take on a looser structure, yet still threaded with some kind of slant rhyming. I also used a structural motif to tie the first and last stanzas. I had been starting to write poems that would be symmetrical or mirrored and wanted my work to be as thorough as I could make it. Although this came out in one sit-down, I tried to make it look as polished as possible. Another element of it was a foray into moving images that could be used for metaphors. I had really wanted to saturate this with imagery that related to Plath. The references to New York and Auschwitz set this standard in the beginning, as a kind of webbed metaphor in relation to Plath's death. Plath had killed herself by turning on her gas stove and putting her head in the oven. There is a Hell's kitchen in New York and the reference to the Nazi camp is owed to Plath's fascination with Jewish imagery. This word association is also used to end the poem, with her suicide juxtaposed to a kind of birth or 'new beginning' as though taking her life was freedom.
The bulk of the imagery and rhetoric is in the rant-like 3rd stanza. I tried to vary the delivery and character of writing for the monologue to give it distinction. The structure becomes couplets in a very loose meter. The Apollo reference is a double entendre about Plath's son, Nicholas Hughes. It was very unnerving to think she killed herself while he was asleep in another room - even more unnerving to know that he also ended up committing suicide. Needless to say, there was some fucked up shit in Plath's family.
The conjoining '-it' is actually used purposefully here. It is used almost like a colon to set up the next three lines. The following section was made to be like a story, with a climax and eventual denouement. I wanted an abruptness to it that could be reminiscent of 'Lady Lazarus'. The ending was supposed to compare her partner, Ted Hughes, and his affair with the Judas kiss.

I feel that I could say and explain more, but what makes this piece memorable for me is that I had learned how subtlety is what distinguishes your writing from others. It means something to me because the voice came naturally and established a certain expectation I have for my writing to this day. I will also always be able to associate this work with a stressful time in my life and it embodies the emotions I had been feeling.
Thanks for reading and I hope you like.



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-Jekyll ups a few of the best poems we've seen thus far in 2011, so recognize-


Neruda II - temple

Sharp is fantastic at writing for spoken pieces. If you've never read one of this guy's poems aloud before, then you are missing out. This particular piece was full of that kind of charismatic honesty that has become a major part of his trademark voice. I can think of no other poet on the site who is more in touch with his writer's voice than Sharp, and this piece was as good an example of that as I've read from him.

soulstice. - forgotten lie, hidden truth

This is so close to greatness. The entendres and puns obviously come naturally to soulstice, but are perhaps overused, and some of the language is stretched too thin. But I still enjoyed reading this a lot; it's clever, and I like the message enough that I like this poem more than I probably should do. Well worth a couple of read-throughs.

abiona - What the Heart Holds

Abiona became RB famous a little while after I stopped being properly active, so I'm not as familiar with her work as the rest of you probably are - but I'm glad I took the time to check this one out. This girl is a real poet, and I can tell just from this one piece, that she really knows her medium. She's comfortable with using poetic devices here, but the language is arranged in a way that the poem remains emotive and honest. Reading this one was actually slightly inspiring to me.



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- An interview with the Spokens: Deity and 'oh -
Two poets, same name, same questions, different answers...
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Mantra: Here goes, first question

Spoken: shoot

Mantra: Favorite writers and influences, RB and otherwise

Spoken: That's difficult because there are a number of them. First I'll start with the RB name dropping. Maven when he used to write, Atti, Sharp, Abi when she writes, and Jamhuri.
Otherwise, Sylvia Plath, Wakefield, Hemingway, Salinger, Sexton, Kerouac, and many others. Bukowski too.

Mantra: Take me through your writing process. Anything you absolutely need to be able to sit down and write?

Spoken: Nothing besides good ole fashioned inspiration. I need to want it. The writing process usually starts in my head, then comes out onto Wordpad in one go. The only process is getting what I want down the first time.

Mantra: Where do you feel you're at with your writing in relation to where you want to be? To where you were when you first started?

Spoken: You're all about hard questions haha. I will be satisfied with my writing when I'm dead. I feel writing is just a reflection to what's happening within me, or with me within the world. I'd like to dedicate myself to writing stories. I don't know about how I am in comparison to my older work. For a period, I looked at it with a lot of nostalgia - many of those poems were written at crucial points in my life, like milestones or something. You're only as good as your last poem though.

Mantra: Do you think you would have ever gotten into poetry/writing had you never ventured onto a forum?

Spoken: I was already writing before RapBattles. Atti mentioned something to me the other day, which I fully agree with; that the level of competition on a site like RB improves the writing. Criticism and the link between talent and status play a big role I think. I don't know if my writing would be where it is, but who knows.

Mantra: What is the state of PS as you see it? Positives and negatives. What do you feel is the single biggest problem the forum is facing?

Spoken: I don't know for sure. I think a lot of the quality writers have been involved with leagues, etc., which has led to little activity within the forum. The positives are that there are always new people and always people becoming better. There are a lot of negatives, but I don't think they're specific to this time. One thing I see that is lacking is conviction. Hardly anyone writes anymore like they have something to say. A lot of it is flash - puns, redundant metaphors, big style with no substance. I'm generalizing here, but it gets to me.
I'd like to see people writing because they have something to say and the opportunity to share it.

Mantra: It seems like the adage for RB poetry and site-wide is that "there has always been ups and downs, the activity will go back up". Is there any truth to that? How hopeful are you that we aren't going to continue on a downward spiral? Can there ever be another "golden" period of RB poetry?

Spoken: There never was a golden period of RB poetry. There were excellent writers who defined what the writing is today, that's just foundational. Many of those guys are still around. I don't really know what the golden period is.
I think that writing and creativity will more and more be devoted to leagues, as it is now. This isn't a bad thing. I can see activity in PS increasing as more writers hit their niche on the site.

Mantra: If you could bring back one writer that's left the site or pick a person you'd like to see a burst of activity from, who would it be?

Spoken: I don't know. If I brought back a writer that left, they would probably be outdated or out-of-sync with what writing is on the site now. I'd like to see more from Abiona, the kind of stuff I read of hers when I first came back. Otherwise, you, Mindless, or Atti.

Mantra: You yourself are fairly active. What keeps you wanting to post poems when everything else around you, more or less, has become stagnant? What advice would you offer to all the lazy poets out there to help keep them motivated and in the fold?

Spoken: Probably just the drive to push the envelope. I don't want to lose my edge or lose ground on a personal level. I also feel like beneath the words, I'm trying to say something that I feel is important for others to hear.
My advice would be to pass the Doritos.

Mantra: Lol

Spoken: Or read. I don't know. You can only motivate yourself.

Mantra: Speak on the quality of feedback within the forum. How much do you attribute the lack of quantity/quality replies to the overall in-activeness?

Spoken: Not a whole lot, but it's hard to tell. A lot of poems get tons of looks, but no one replies. I'm not sure what it is that leads someone to read another person's work but not leave feedback. The aspect of competition I mentioned before maybe plays a role. I have a feeling that some of "upper-tier" writers don't feed each other because they're intimidated or something. It would also explain why someone like Sharp can't get into legends - because none of the other 'known' writers have a set to vote him rightfully in.
And by set, I hope you know I mean balls (where it applies). Some of the quality issues, however, have to do with people just not being good at feeding others. Some people can't interpret text.
I do think that inactivity leads to more inactivity, as simple and stupid as it sounds.

Mantra: At the moment the league is probably the most active area in terms of poetry. From that standpoint do you feel like it's existence is beneficial or detrimental to the activity within the main forum?

Spoken: You'd think it would lead to more activity, right? I don't think it's either, however, as they're two kinds of beasts. You have some writers who are strictly out to win leagues/matches/whatever and others who like to just write for the sake of writing.

Mantra: Has it become a substitute for getting feedback on the grounds you're at least guaranteed some and from what is typically regarded as the more elevated writers?

Spoken: I never thought of that way before. I don't think it quite works that way, at least from how I remember it myself.
Usually the league is just for evaluating where you stand and to get known.

Mantra: PS hall of fame. There's been some discussion of gray area in terms of what exactly the criteria is for these types of pieces...how would you define a hall of fame caliber poem? Or what do you see the criteria being and what sort of system could you see working to ensure the criteria is upheld?

Spoken: I think the only way you can come up with a 'system' is if you have a panel of writers who have been put into the HOF multiple times. I mean, like 10 times. That seems kind of strict but I think it is necessary. How do you evaluate the quality of a piece of expression? I've seen numerous pieces passed over that belong in legends.
I think the criteria should be relevant to the piece and the piece in relation to other works that are inducted. That makes sense. I just realized my 'panel of writers' idea sounds really elitist and people might get offended by that, but usually talent recognizes talent.

Mantra: Lets do some word association

Spoken: Sounds like fun.

Mantra: Sharp (or Neruda II as some might only know him by)

Spoken: Wait, I don't know how to play this game.

Spoken: Haha, Sharp = Bukowski

Mantra: Atti

Spoken: Post-modern or scene kid

Mantra: Spoken deity

Spoken: Holy

Spoken: -ier than thou

Mantra: Missed

Spoken: But not forgotten?

Spoken: Who the fuck is missed?

Mantra: Lol

Mantra: Up and coming

Spoken: Dick jokes

Spoken: Big dick jokes

Mantra: Fell off

Spoken: No comment, haha. I can think of a few words.

Mantra: Rb poetry

Spoken: Subculture

Mantra: LedgenZ

Spoken: Fuck that guy.

Mantra: Legends

Spoken: Fuck those guys.

Mantra: Lmao

Spoken: Am I winning?

Mantra: You're in the hunt

Spoken: Except I'm the hunter.

Mantra: In closing is there anything else you'd like to say or mention? Shout outs, shameless plugging or self promotion, fuck yous, etc...

Spoken: I hope my interview is funnier than Spoken Deity's. Name-stealer.

Spoken: Jokes. Just thanks for interviewing me.

Spoken: Am I expected to sleep with you after this? Because I won't.

Mantra: Ugh, Well this was a waste of time then.


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In closing shout-outs and thank yous to all the contributors who have made this possible. To everyone else i hope you've enjoyed the read, hopefully we can do it again soon. Also keep writing and replying, nobody wants to see poetry on RB go under. (Not that we'll ever let that happen, but still...get it headed back up the hill). Anyways, that's it. Until next time - peace.

- Mantra

read this shit. :)

wow at how dead on this mag was.

I kind of wish I took my section on an angry tirade! Baron nailed an awesome point: I think newer writers, not excluding myself, are too concerned with making HOF, rather than putting out something that's good.

btw, thanks mantra for setting the bar so high for mags. Now, the om staff has to match this beautiful novel.

sorry i couldn't contribute to this. i got high, made out with a fine bitch, then fell asleep instead.

the mag was dope. who formatted it? it needs to be prettier. i am not bukowski!

I wish I could've written a bit more for this now. I like the graphics you put with the different chapters.

:forabby2:

Looooovely. This is dope Mantra. And word... definitely raises the bar. I'll be back with more comments because I'm gonna read this in sections.



And every time someone mentions Ledgenz I get mad all over again.

Read all of it practically. Nice job guys... I need to find time to write in general not just RB's poetry section. :(

mantra is poetic scriptures.

I was enjoying this and then found a quote from one of my pieces, thanks for that Mantra. Awesome quality, you put so much thoughts into these mags, fantastic stuff.

An interesting read, I read all of it whilst sipping my evening tea. This was a great effort and it's good to see. Good work, and thanks for taking the time to write/organize it all.

Great stuff mate. I suppose for newer writers an HOF resonates to accceptance. Whicch reminds me how mad i got when Burden and Spoken nom'ed a piece about Valentine's day a few years ago and come HOF it was M.I.A. It took me some growing as a writer to realse certain aspects of writing.
I just hope the activity will gain momentum. Personally i tend to be less acccctive in ps when the league is in off-season mode. anyways, big up on this mag good pepows. Cheers

Finished reading all of it. Much enjoyed and a great effort all around. Thanks for putting in so much time and work into making it all come together!

this was long. Really long. Enjoyed reading it though. U guys make PS look so sorry. lol.
Will feed a lot now. Just gotten a new phone. Android wassup? :)

hahaha this was actually legitimately entertaining. nice. now i gotta start writing

awesome read. you all did a wonderful job. thank you for the mention, abi :love:
I also think it's great that spoken posted this in the lounge. it'll get people to poke their heads in and hopefully start to frequent this neck of the woods. :)

cheers everyone!

i'm not spoken :bored:

aww :love:

ahhhhh. I meant to say you atti, sorry. :(
I thought spoken because of the interview.

we're just nameless slices of beef to all you woman.. we have thoughts and feelings and names too miho :homo:

damn! nice work an great read!.. if you would make these mags every week ill start to post my poetry again! =)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Soul Slayer

Great stuff mate. I suppose for newer writers an HOF resonates to accceptance. Whicch reminds me how mad i got when Burden and Spoken nom'ed a piece about Valentine's day a few years ago and come HOF it was M.I.A. It took me some growing as a writer to realse certain aspects of writing.
I just hope the activity will gain momentum. Personally i tend to be less acccctive in ps when the league is in off-season mode. anyways, big up on this mag good pepows. Cheers

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haha, blame spoken

i think done the HOF when i was mod w. him

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