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From: will.dockery@gmail.com (W.Dockery)
Newsgroups: alt.arts.poetry.comments,rec.arts.poems
Subject: Re: Shattered / Will Dockery
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:17:36 +0000
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Reposted for context:

***

On Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:01:28 +0000, NancyGene wrote:

> On Wed, 12 Feb 2025 6:33:52 +0000, George J. Dance wrote:
>
>>>>> "The Collected Poems of Robert Creeley 1945 - 1975"

https://www.imghippo.com/i/gJIH8498pOk.jpg - Title page

https://www.imghippo.com/i/QhcG5616is.jpg - Index of Titles and First
>>>>> Lines, pp. 664-665
>
>>>>> There is no poem listed called "The Days Pile Up," and there is no first
>>>>> line of "The days pile up like unread newspapers,"
>>>>>
>>>>> Your move, George Dance.  The other book of Mr. Creeley's poems is at:
>>>>>  https://dokumen.pub/the-collected-poems-of-robert-creeley-19752005-9780520941670.html

>>>>> No "The Days Pile Up" in there either.

[...]

> We have had the link (and access to the book) since we started looking
> for the phantom poem.  The poem is not in that book (or any other book).
>>>>
>>>> I was given the information on the poem by a trusted source;
>
>>>> but given
>>>> this claim of yours that it doesn't appear in [/Collected Poems of
>>>> Robert
>>>> Creeley 1945 - 1975/], and Creeley's claim (quoted on Amazon) that that
>>>> [book contains everything he published up till 1975,] I think I'll have
>>>> to wait till the
>>>> copy I ordered on Amazon is in my hands and I can see for myself if it's
>>>> actually in that book or not. I don't see any reason to make a move
>>>> until then, so you'll just l have to wait.
>
>>>> Since it will take me longer to receive the book than it would take you,
>>>> I've asked Will to not give the group any information on it. I've read
>>>> HarryLiar's made-up stories about why Will won't tell you the name of
>>>> the book, so I think it's best for me to tell you that much at least.
>
>> I was given the information on the poem by a trusted source; but given
>> this claim of yours that it doesn't appear in /Collected Poems,
>> 1945-1975/ plus Creeley's claim (quoted on Amazon) that that book
>> contains everything he published up until 1975, I think I'll have to
>> wait till the copy I ordered on Amazon is in my hands and I can see for
>> myself if it's actually in the book I ordered or not. I don't see a
>> reason to make any "move" till then, so you'll just have to wait.
>
> It's up to you, but we will expect a full apology from you and Mr.
> Dockery for calling us a "plagiarist"

I didn't call Nancy Gene a plagiarist but the opening lines of both
poems are obviously similar.

> and "second hander."  We write our
> own poetry and have no need to plagiarize anyone else's.
>
> --

Of course, I wrote a very similar opening line back in 1976 that has
been visible online for at least a decade, and I hadn't seen the Robert
Creeley poem either, "The seconds have piled up at the floor..."

https://www.novabbs.com/arts/article-flat.php?id=256444&group=alt.arts.poetry.comments#256444

***

 Shattered

 The seconds have piled up
 at the floor
 lost here in some other guy's past
 lying there
 with your seconds piled
 there went by a life
 untold
 unasked
 going by
 never caused and never traced
 the future never ever appears here.

 If some morning I wake
 here for you
 trying to find some reason to return
 if I see things denied
 I once defined
 a life just passed me by there
 slipped through my fingers
 everything here now is real
 so wait.
 That portion of the finish
 never comes.

 Now that the lights are going so low
 the dimming glow
 falls on my ego
 now that I'm falling
 into my morning
 here I am gazing into those
 reflector eyes
 morning light
 is blasting my head clean too.
 Morning's clearer
 I've been forgetting it.

 Your thoughts seem to stream
 like a highway
 dimming lights seem to streak
 like hitch-hikers.
 When does this dream end?
 When do I get on up the road?
 The light sped out
 like a fire-fly
 like gravestones
 never noticed
 never seen.
 Like marbles
 spilling from shattered minds.

 -Will Dockery / August 20 1976

***
 (Published March 1977 in the Carverlite, the Carver High School
> newspaper, Columbus Georgia)

From:
https://shadowville-mythos.blogspot.com/2023/09/shattered.html?m=1

I didn't accuse you  (Nancy Gene) of borrowing my line, but they are
very similar opening lines.

***

And so it goes.