Poem of the week

HAHAHAHAHAH if that is true then aren't we honoured? and aren't we clever to recognise such talent...

Wed, 2007-04-25 12:18

#3

not as clever as the judge who made it poem of the week... ;-)

Wed, 2007-04-25 12:22

#4

think i might put one of simon armitage's on ...

Wed, 2007-04-25 12:38

#5

*sniggers* Not AGAIN?

Wed, 2007-04-25 12:43

#6

Juliet OC

can you post the McGough poem in question on this thread. It seems every time SSS gets a cherry for a poem someone accuses her of plagarism. If i were SSS i would worry i have a rather over zealous stalker who picks through my poems with a fine tooth comb just to find similarities. However would like to see the evidence. Juliet

Juliet

Wed, 2007-04-25 12:43

#7

i don't understand actually why anyone WOULD put a poem of someone else's on ... i mean SSS is a long term and prolific member of the abc community ... surely it can't be one of roger's?

Wed, 2007-04-25 12:48

#8

Maybe I owe SSS a (slight) apology. On a first quick read, I recognised it as the RMc poem, below. Let's be kind, and call it ...inspiration. The Railings You came to watch me playing cricket once. Quite a few of the fathers did. At ease, outside the pavilion they would while away a Saturday afternoon. Joke with the masters, urge on their flannelled offspring. But not you. Fielding deep near the boundary I saw you through the railings. You were embarrassed when I waved and moved out of sight down the road. When it was my turn to bowl though I knew you’d still be watching. Third ball, a wicket, and three more followed. When we came in at the end of the innings the other dads applauded and joined us for tea. Of course, you had gone by then. Later, you said you’d found yourself there by accident. Just passing. Spotted me through the railings. * * * Speech-day · Prize-givings · School-plays The Twentyfirst · The Wedding · The Christening You would find yourself there by accident. Just passing. Spotted me through the railings.

Wed, 2007-04-25 12:53

#9

blimey ... that is very close ...

Wed, 2007-04-25 12:56

#10

here is SSS's All my life, you’d kept me at arm’s length – never understood why until that day. It was a Sunday afternoon, grammar school pavilion – I was playing cricket – you stood and watched me through the railings as many fathers did – just a pleasant way to spend an hour or two. There they’d all stand, clap their hands from time to time to spur us on – us their beloved sons, but you’d very rarely come. That’s why I remember that Sunday, chased the ball to the outfield then suddenly saw you, so I waved but you ignored me, pretended not to notice – walked away. Pretty soon after, it was my turn to bat – a successful innings, we looked liked winning and I knew you’d wandered back again so when we broke for tea, half expected to meet you along with all the other dads who’d joined us for a drink – stupid thing to think. On coming home, mentioned I’d seen you – evidently, you were merely passing through. “Just an accident, son,” you told me. What better epitaph then - for my headstone?

Wed, 2007-04-25 12:56

#11

well welcome to the site andrewjames ... good to see you have an abctales member as a hero

Wed, 2007-04-25 13:01

#13

just don't go drinking with him ...

Wed, 2007-04-25 13:03

#14

Too much, I fear. Too much indulgence, booze and such has left my eyes not bloodshot, but like desiccated coconut.

Wed, 2007-04-25 13:06

#15

that's about the size of it ... i have yet to recover from spending last weekend with the bounder in ullapool ... (i don't mean WITH him ... i mean ... oh balls ...)

Wed, 2007-04-25 13:11

#16

If you were, ahem, with him, I'd hope he'd be kind enough to suggest a venue more fitting than Ullapool... For now, EG and I have merely been correspondents and mutual reviewers...Men of Letters would be a grand term for it! However, he does have an open invitation from me to a pint. Should that have read "gallon"?

Wed, 2007-04-25 13:19

#17

well we shall be strutting our stuff in aberdeen and edinburgh next month ... http://2alisandag.blogspot.com/ though i realise both these places are far from civilisation ...

Wed, 2007-04-25 13:22

#18

Ms Flett, I presume? Pleased to meet you. Mr G introduced me to 2alisandag the other day!

Wed, 2007-04-25 13:26

#19

no i am the other ali ... as for mikeyh ... shall we take him out and shoot him?

Wed, 2007-04-25 13:36

#20

I shall be strutting in aberdeen too. Strutting or quivering anyway.

Wed, 2007-04-25 13:38

#21

bobblehat2023

It seems this 'poem of the week' is more or less the McGough poem re-written badly. More importantly, it's an awful lot closer to plagiarism than Ralph's recent Fish-inpired effort. This kind of exercise - re-writing a famous poem in your own style - is a perfectably reasonable thing for writers to do. But this re-write is probably too similar to the original to be published and it's definitely a massive error not acknowledge the source when putting it up. I very much doubt that Mr McGough is in the habit of taking legal action against up and coming poets who've made this kind of mistake but if he chose to in this case, he'd win.

Wed, 2007-04-25 13:45

#22

Apologies IvoryFish, er, Ms D. Lovely to meet you too. That'll teach me for rushing in. Seems I've stumbled across the great Plagiarism Debacle. What fun!

Wed, 2007-04-25 13:46

#23

i know that liana is working on a Dr. Seuss inspired effort called Puff In A Huff i do hope she will acknowledge the source when she uploads it ...

Wed, 2007-04-25 13:47

#24

you didn't stumble across it ... you INSTIGATED it! i might have known that any friend of eddie gibbons etc. blah ...

Wed, 2007-04-25 13:48

#25

'It seems every time SSS gets a cherry for a poem someone accuses her of plagarism.' That'll be because she keeps doing it then. Nothing over zealous about people pointing it out.

Wed, 2007-04-25 13:51

#26

Instigated? Merely observed an anomaly (exits stage left, whistling....)

Wed, 2007-04-25 13:51

#27

*dusts off the deckchairs and jaffa cakes*

Wed, 2007-04-25 13:52

#28

these people and their new fangled ways ... *fetches knitting*

Wed, 2007-04-25 13:52

#29

Ooer. I have written to SSS for an explanation. If nothing is forthcoming in the next 24 hours, it will be removed. Thanks for pointing this out andrewjames. Regards, The management.

Wed, 2007-04-25 13:52

#30

Ices Ices Ices

Wed, 2007-04-25 13:53

#31

*peers over specs* that'll be the management ...

Wed, 2007-04-25 13:57

#32

... you can tell by the use of management jargon ... i.e. ooer

Wed, 2007-04-25 13:58

#33

it'll be pip pip next and then there'll be all hell to pay.

Wed, 2007-04-25 14:00

#34

I love a good ooer, me. What a strange day. One minute I'm the new boy, next minute I'm class snitch....

Wed, 2007-04-25 14:00

#35

can you hear the sound of approaching slippers?

Wed, 2007-04-25 14:01

#36

I can. I just thought that was Auden's ghost.

Wed, 2007-04-25 14:04

#37

i think i imagined it ... *nostalgic sigh*

Wed, 2007-04-25 14:06

#38

Nostagic for carpet slippers? I think there're specialist websites out there for that kind of longing....

Wed, 2007-04-25 14:07

#39

The poem has been removed - and not by me, so I guess it's by the author. An old poem from beef has been brought back from the archives to replace it! Thanks for bringing this up. pip pip (for Liana) Tony

Wed, 2007-04-25 14:08

#40

bit au fait with the old internet eh then mr james?

Wed, 2007-04-25 14:16

#41

Not really. Although I gather that one can now write lines of communication to one's chums down the old worldwide interpipe, too. Ain't technology grand?

Wed, 2007-04-25 14:32

#42

just tried that ... sent a missive to gibbons e. checking your credentials like ... you know ...

Wed, 2007-04-25 14:34

#43

Oo. And indeed, er.

Wed, 2007-04-25 14:43

#44

Matron is the word that comes next.

Wed, 2007-04-25 16:47

#45

Juliet OC

How quick we are to condemn. Is it not a possible that both SSS and Roger McGough have had similar childhood experiences and SSS's only crime is not being well read? And wouldn't a private email have been fairer? Before resorting to public humiliation? Juliet

Juliet

Wed, 2007-04-25 16:48

#46

Hmm.

Wed, 2007-04-25 16:57

#47

"How quick we are to condemn. Is it not a possible that both SSS and Roger McGough have had similar childhood experiences and SSS's only crime is not being well read?" Er, no.

Wed, 2007-04-25 17:00

#48

I'm sorry to inform you but after a serious investigation into this I am now absolutely convinced that SSS had not read the Roger McGough poem and did not crib from it. The co-incidence must just be put down to being extraordinary. She has now left the site and I'm very sorry for that. I certainly don't blame andrewjames for raising the matter - it looked very suspicious indeed - but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.

Wed, 2007-04-25 17:07

#49