New Story and Poem of the Week

I can't help notice that the new story of the week, brilliant though it is, is in fact a poem

Yes, it's a really, really good poem but definitely a poem. I've seen lots of poems before.

I enjoyed Derek Hargreaves Enquires - a nice, John Cooper Clarkey tone to it. I think it kind of falls apart in the final third (partially by stating the obvious) but it's pretty funny.

Well, I've never really had a story of the week before, so it was nice to get it. I must say it was surprising as I was pretty sure this was a poem... I would be interested to know what makes it a prose poem rather than just a poem, when even long poems like The Rape of the Lock or Cawdor gets to be a poem. Nonetheless, thank you for the nod.

Well, by a couple of these definitions - the ones I think are wrong - Tony can just about get away with calling this a 'prose poem': http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&lr=&cr=countryUK|countryGB&defl=en&q=define:Prose+Poem&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title I reckon if you gave it to a sample of 100 poets you'd be unlikely to find more than two or three who'd call it a prose poem. Anyway, fun though this is, it shouldn't distract us from the fact that it's an exceptionally good piece of writing.

I'm not a poet and I think it's a prose poem. I also think that calling it a "prose poem" still makes it a poem. Just as calling it a "long poem" or a "non-rhyming poem" still makes it a poem. I also think it's fantastic as a piece of work - "she knows there is a body inside me that came to be through a 2am call to arms across country" - wow! But still, a part of me can't help feeling relieved I didn't submit any stories this week - I'd have felt a bit cheated, even if I didn't deserve the nod!

Out of Google's offerings, this is this nearest to what I'd consider a prose poem to be: "a poem which although printed as prose, usually of a paragraph or so in length, exploits linguistic resources such as compression, imagery and non-literal language that are characteristic of poetry." "I'm not a poet and I think it's a prose poem. I also think that calling it a "prose poem" still makes it a poem. Just as calling it a "long poem" or a "non-rhyming poem" still makes it a poem." Well, no, not in the common usage of the term. The point about 'prose poems' is that they aren't poems in the conventional sense because they're written in a prose form. This poem isn't written in a prose form and is therefore just a poem. Sorry to labour the point but this is a writing site and it would be unfortunate if we encouraged people to waste their money by entering poems into short story competitions.

I suspect a conspiracy of poets ranged against us poor prose writers. Aren't prose poems supposed to be things like Cider With Rosie, you know, without all them line breaks.

ah, well.. I think I'm going to stick to believing it is a poem, and it got a 'of the week'... maybe it's because really I'm a prose writer who'd love to be able write good poems. Maybe Tony saw that I wasn't a real poet, just a wannabe. Either way, I won't be entering into anything, let alone a story writing competition. Thanks for all the positive comments. Esp those from some good poets, which made me enjoy my post=work coffee that bit more.