Required Field Poem by Miroslava Odalovic

Required Field

Rating: 4.6


how on earth do you expect me
to fulfill your required field
you want the poems to be about
friends
dreams
family

but what if i want to write
about the hand...

what if i want to write about
required fields...

you want me to put
all my thoughts
in your little slots

but

you cannot put the worlds
within the boundaries
of your limited perceptions

you
categorization freaks!

Thursday, March 6, 2014
Topic(s) of this poem: poem
POET'S NOTES ABOUT THE POEM
This poem is inspired by the recent poemhunter procedure by which the poets need to categorize their poetry put their poems into a limited number of the fields required and proposed by the site administrators. My opinion is that such limitations are not and will never be in sympathy with anybody's serious writing, which is damage done to the poetry itself, which in turn makes the purpose of the site even more absurd.
COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Tirupathi Chandrupatla 06 March 2014

A poem may not fall into a category defined in the system. Sometimes a poem may fall into several categories. The categorization seems symbolic.

0 1 Reply
Lorraine Colon 06 March 2014

I wouldn't get too upset over their request. This is to make their job easier of putting each poem into a specific category. If you will check the Home Page, there is a wide list of fields from which to choose. I'm sure you will be able to find a field for your poems to fall into. I know how you feel, though. We get used to a format, and then feel uncomfortable when it changes. But we'll get used to the new format - just give it a little time.

1 0 Reply
Bri Edwards 07 March 2014

New 'Required' Poem-submission 'Field': My Opinion(s) And Suggestions..... [Topic 'field' requirement; my thoughts] PH members may object to..... the new poem “Topic” field; until it has been satisfied, a poet may not, a poem, to us yield. It did surprise me when I saw it, and I’ve only seen it once, but I feel there is a good reason for it; I don’t think PH is a (total) dunce. I already categorize my poems..... (somewhat) , ......following each title. Now it may seem to some PH poets..... that they’ve been fixed with a bridle. PH has allowed some rules to be..... ignored, and poets don’t suffer for it. For THIS rule we may have to be more..... flexible or CUNNING.....as we CAN’T ignore it. I’m sure some poets and readers.... will like what this new rule does bring. Some may enjoy the benefits so much.... that praises for it they soon will sing. It’s too early for me to tell...... if this new rule will impede me at all. I don’t think in order to fill the “field”..... I’ll have to bang my head against a wall. [[ I find the poems I read on PH.... in various ways indeed, and rarely have those ways included..... using PH’s topic list of subjects such as “snake”, “love”, or “greed”. Until one is familiar with various poets..... and what sorts of poems they write..... you may go fishing at ‘who’s online’; there you may find poems in which you delight. OR, if you can, you can stay “online”..... for countless hours a day and see who “fishes” you. You don’t have to be awake while online, and through comments received you may find a few..... other poets who like your stuff, and in return you may like theirs. You may find some which make you laugh or cry, or scary ones which curl all your hairs! ]] DO complain, if you really “must”; in PH you don’t have to always trust. But it’s a useful FREE site, and..... what it feeds ME beats water and crusts. I’ve sent a note to PH..... giving my concerns about this field. Why don’t all concerned poets do the same..... and see if, collectively, some power we wield? ? (March 6 + 7,2014) dear readers (and those not-so-dear) , there is a lengthy poet's note about my poem on its page. :) bri

0 1 Reply
Terry Craddock 06 March 2014

how on earth do you expect me to fulfill your required field you want the poems to be about friends dreams family is there no other topic in poetry, moron poemhunter.com critics, seems if we desire to write about love et cetera we had better move to another site! period!

1 0 Reply
Thomas Vaughan Jones 06 March 2014

Me thinks a compromise is required here. There are so many postings per day that it is neccessary to allow readers the opportunity to follow their preferences. Some of us appreciate Free Verse. Some prefer Blank Verse. Some prefer Formal Poetry. Some of us don't know the difference in any of these formats. That being so, why should we be required to sift through endless diatribe to find our daily poetry fix. For instance, I absolutely loathe personal angst, with people cutting or similar abuse. Especially when it is written in cold blooded prose. So perhaps the categories should be subjective rather than objective. Having said that, I like this outpouring of a grievance is a feisty feminine way.

1 0 Reply
Dr Dillip K Swain 10 June 2023

you cannot put the worlds within the boundaries of your limited perceptions.....I liked it.

0 0 Reply
Kelly Kurt 25 August 2015

It is the same on all the poem sites I have used. I just enter, Life as a default. I was alive when I wrote.

1 0 Reply
Smoky Hoss 13 May 2014

Very well stated. Thank you for expressing this point. Freedom of expression is always beyond the walls!

0 0 Reply
Daniel Y. 08 March 2014

Superlike this poem. Has a pertinent message. I don't even use the categories on this site. Most of the poems you search for aren't that great and just have repetition, and redundancy, and rants. It gets kind of sad how many crappy poems there are about God or heaven, or cats. Crappy, sappy love poems that don't even use metaphors and have rhymes without progress. But your message is accurate. Poetry defies definition. You certainly have both poetic and technical skill. As far as I'm concerned this makes you a perfect candidate to help criticize my poems. I am always looking to improve. This is similar to my poem Censorship. Please check it out and a few others and let me know what you think.

0 0 Reply
Patricia Grantham 08 March 2014

We must submit to changes in one way or the other. Life brings on new changes each and every day. Apparently PH found it important to add this new required field. We may not see the benefits now but we may see it in the months ahead. It may prove to be very beneficial to all of us.

0 0 Reply
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