Path: news.eternal-september.org!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.quux.org!news.nk.ca!rocksolid2!i2pn2.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: will.dockery@gmail.com (W.Dockery) Newsgroups: alt.arts.poetry.comments,rec.arts.poems Subject: Re: I Met A Girl / Will Dockery Date: Sat, 15 Feb 2025 20:53:54 +0000 Organization: novaBBS Message-ID: <29a8a7d39443e351e6c8efc71741a62b@www.novabbs.com> References: <5a2bfce889e2cb64050274fc8720d1c8@www.novabbs.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Injection-Info: i2pn2.org; logging-data="211799"; mail-complaints-to="usenet@i2pn2.org"; posting-account="Vf9CM7g99yqfGvzEHTw0bhrjcIfvzYBBhUuRma0rLuQ"; User-Agent: Rocksolid Light X-Rslight-Site: $2y$10$Rv6UxIsIpnzbHYXObgViMuJaJOJB/ujAC.v5kHHVjTpzuIZoTRQj2 X-Rslight-Posting-User: acd0b3e3614eaa6f47211734e4cbca3bfd42bebc X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 4.0.0 On Sat, 15 Feb 2025 19:46:14 +0000, HarryLime wrote: > On Mon, 10 Feb 2025 6:00:02 +0000, Will-Dockery wrote: > >>> HarryLime wrote: >>> On Sun, 9 Feb 2025 3:47:35 +0000, Will Dockery wrote: >>> >>>> On Sat, 8 Feb 2025 20:17:40 +0000, HarryLime wrote: >>>> >>>> Will Dockery wrote: >>>> On Sat, 8 Feb 2025 17:56:44 +0000, HarryLime wrote: >>>> >>>> On Fri, 7 Feb 2025 15:23:14 +0000, Will Dockery wrote: >>>> HarryLime wrote: >>>> Will Dockery wrote: > >>>> I Met A Girl >>>> >>>> I met a girl >>>> she came from California. >>>> It was in a dream >>>> we knew each other instantly. >>>> She was a little freckled girl >>>> from out of >>>> my high school past. >>>> >>>> And she looked up at me >>>> and talked real spacey. >>>> I've forgotten her name >>>> though she told it to me twice. >>>> >>>> We talked >>>> a really detached situation. >>>> She said years ago >>>> I was so shy >>>> she thought I was gay. >>>> At this point I kissed her >>>> and put my finger to her hole. >>>> >>>> And she looked up at me >>>> and talked real spacey. >>>> I have forgotten her name >>>> though she told it to me twice. >>>> >>>> I don't know why it was >>>> that I would think of her. >>>> I made a couple of puns >>>> about her name that made me blush. >>>> But her softness in tone >>>> made me feel all right. >>>> >>>> All I want to do >>>> is get in contact. >>>> >>>> -Will Dockery / May 8 1982 >>>> >>>> Good to see.... >>>> >>>> Thanks again, as I was telling Mummy Chunk, in 1982 when writing these >>>> poems I >>>> was highly influenced by 1950s Beat poets and 1980s punk rockers. >>>> >>>> So please excuse the foul language. >>>> >>>> Referring to a woman's v*gina as a "hole" is considered both >> offensive >>>> and misogynistic >>>> >>>> That's why I apologized for the foul language in the poem. >>>> >>>> But the *language* (the word "hole") isn't offensive >>>> >>>> In context it could be to some readers. >>> >>> In context of the poem, it is most definitely offensive. >>> >>> However, it is offensive for the reasons that I pointed out above. The >>> word in and of itself is not offensive. >>> >>> Words have very specific meanings, Will. >>> >>> You need to learn how to use them correctly. >>> >>> When you use a word that doesn't quite mean what you think it means, you >>> end up saying something that isn't true... or that isn't what you'd >>> intended to express. >>> >>> "Hole" is not an example of "foul language." >>> >>> Your use of "hole" in the poem is extremely offensive. But that >> doesn't >>> make it "foul language." >>> >>> Foul language is offensive by definition. However, not everything that >>> is offensive is considered foul language. >>> >>> IOW the words "foul language" and "offensive language" >> are not the same >>> thing. >>> >>> If I call you a fat, stupid redneck, I am using language to offend you. >>> "Fat," "stupid," and "redneck" can all be seen >> as offensive words in >>> this context. >>> >>> However, "fat," "stupid," and "redneck" are >> not examples of "foul >>> language." >>> >>> Neither is "hole." >>> >>> It isn't difficult to learn how to use language correctly. But you >>> aren't going to learn it by simply picking it up from experience. When >>> you read a word in an article, a book, or a Usenet post, you can figure >>> out its meaning from its context. However, this method only provides >>> you with an approximation of the word's meaning at best. >>> >>> The fact that you have learned everything you know about writing from >>> this method is obvious from your posts. Apologizing for having used >>> "foul language" is *close* to being correct. That is to say, it's >> close >>> enough that others can figure out what you actually mean without much >>> difficulty. >>> >>> And while this sort of thing is acceptable in casual, spoken >>> conversations, it is not acceptable when writing literary works, or >>> conversing with other writers online. >>> >>> If you want to be a writer, you need to learn how to write. >>> >>> If you want people to take you seriously in Usenet and other social >>> media platforms, you need to learn how to write. >>> >>> And the only way that you're going to learn how to write is by enrolling >>> in a series of online courses. >>> >>> -- >> >> >> Thanks for the advice but I've been writing poetry for over 50 years, so >> I >> know what I'm doing. > > Obviously Exactly: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48808396-selected-poems-1976-2019&ved=2ahUKEwiw14igx8aLAxWQLtAFHabxJGIQFnoECCAQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3xxyq9fiWP8SIo6KuERr4x Thanks again for asking, Harry.