This tab in my blog makes me pause. Do I or do I not ? I close my eyes, hesitate for a few seconds and hit “Publish” before that tiny, inner voice becomes louder and tyrannical. But I forge my way through and say,” It is fine to post and share my words!”
Do you sometimes feel the same way before you hit “Publish” ?
And after seeing the words on the page, you edit and make it clearer if someone has pointed out a vague word or a cluttered stanza. Now this is the beauty of community – to be able to receive feedback, encouragement, affirmation and even a critique (if you ask for it). Interestingly enough, these comments and feedback serve as a fuel and inspiration to continue writing and hitting “Publish” each and every week.
Welcome to OpenLinkNight, everyone. This is Grace (aka Heaven) hosting for today’s sharing of our words, whether in final “perfect” form or a work-in-progress. This is also your opportunity to link poems you missed last week because Mr. Linky has expired, whether for Thursday’s FormforAll or Saturday’s Poetics. Best of all, we welcome any theme and poetry form for today and tomorrow.
Ready, get set & GO ~
If you are new here, let me tell you how it works:
- Write a poem and post it to your webpage.
- Click on the Mr. Linky button below and enter your name and direct url/web address to your poem
- There you will also find the list of those participating this week. You might want to refresh this occasionally or check back in as there are people joining over the next 33 hours.
- Read other poets that have linked. Let them know what you thought, how the poem moved you, what you think of their style, what caught your attention. The not-so-secret formula to receiving more comments on your blog is to read and comment on the linked poems. Please don’t forget to return the favor of those who have visited and commented on your work.
- Encourage others to participate through social media, promote your own piece and others.
- Have fun meeting and engaging your fellow poets.
Happy Tuesday to everyone ~ Grace
dVerse 
Happy OLN! Saving you a spot at the table, Grace, for when you need a breather *hug*
Thank you Beth *hugs back*
happy OLN everyone… great seeing you behind the bar Grace – and yeah…it surely is inspiring and rewarding to connect in a community of poets…see you out on the trail in a bit
Thank you Claudia ~ See you out in a bit ~
It is always, always a bit nerve-wracking to hit publish…. especially when it’s these little pieces of our heart we’re putting out there. Happy Open Link Night!!
And thanks again to everyone for all of your kind comments yesterday, this is such a fabulous group of people!
A great interview feature Kelly ~ Happy OLN ~
I hate that button…I hold my breath until I hit it…and let the chips fall where they may. My typos and spelling errors count as proof positive I do my best not to overthink! 😉 Looking forward to playing catch up…thanks for tending bar Grace!
Thank you Tash ~
Welcome to another OLN everyone ~ happy to be tending the bar ~
Grace
Hello Grace, and hello all! Wonderful to see you all here tonight!
Thanks so much for this wonderful forum. And happy Tuesday!
Yet another “Mad” limerick at your place 🙂
Happy Open Link NIght, y’all. I’m sharing another Vietnam poem today. I wrote it and two others on the same day after finishing TimO’Brien’s book “If I Die in a Combat Zone.” Mr. O’Brien is a fantastic and very inspiring writer! My previously posted poem is called “Guard Duty”, and this one is titled, “A Dog Begins to Bark”. I hope you enjoy it.
Nice to see you Charles ~
A hude dVerse hug to you, Grace; always nice to have a new face in the Pub. In just 20 seconds it took me to link in 2nite, I became #16. Have fun reading the poetics.
Thank you Glenn ~ It does get crazy here ~ Happy OLN ~
Oh yes Grace, the deeper I dig for a poem, the more honest it is, the harder that button is to push! Happy OLN everyone!
Takes a lot of guts for sure ~ Happy to see you here ~
It is a big step to hit publish, isn’t it? I’m glad we all feel comfortable enough to do that here. I like your ready, set, go Grace… it is that way with Mr. Linky on OLN.
I am always nervous Laurie specially with this first post at D’verse ~ Happy OLN ~
Nice to see you behind the bar Grace 🙂 Now I get to see if the training has worked! Hitting publish is usually a scary moment for me – until I remember that my blog is a place where ideas get developed as much as one where abandoned poems get left. That development is fuelled by the critique that some of the dVersers give – and that’s something I’d like to see more of, because I want to improve my writing if possible [as in If I am able to make the improvement, not because the writing is already perfect :-)]. I’m waffling now, so it’s time to hit “Post Comment” and then the trail – in that order.
Have fun everyone.
Hi Tony ~ See you in the trail ~ 🙂
actually, that would be a “huge” hug for you; am not sure what a “hude” one would be like; damn publish button!
Ha..ha..Glenn ~ See you in the trail ~
Hi, Grace~ I cross my fingers, toes and eyes each time I hit “publish” doesn’t everyone? I’ll have one of those lil drinks w. the umbrella, please.:) Cheers!
Takes a deep breath too ~ Here’s one for you Jackie ~
Grace, I’m chuckling because the post I linked to, before reading your intro, has a ghazal in two version and a query about which one readers like better and why. 🙂 I’m on the east coast today (down in sunny Florida for a conference) so it was kind of weird to post my link at 3:00 instead of 12:00. Have to head off to a conference session now but will be back after our conference closing event to read and provide feedback on some other poems. Peace, Linda
Nice to see you Linda ~ Peace ~
Did someone say “ghazal”? 😉
hi Grace, hi everyone, so glad it’s tuesday (oln-time)… i’m sharing an older poem today & looking forward to some good reading here
Hi Ruth ~ Good to see you ~
Hi Heaven, and everyone else here. I am reading your post, Heaven and thinking of the word ‘publish’ in a little different fashion.
To that, I am linking to dversepoes for the last time this week. I hope to be back later, but things are pressing in on me right now. I need a break. I think that poetry critiques should be deeper and more than one word. I fall to this and I don’t like it. So, I need to reconsider a lot of things about writing/poetry.
This week, my offering is “Lady Nyo Forgives Her Husband”. It’s the answer to “Bad Quarrel” of last week.
I want to thank so many here…especially Brian, Joy, Gay, Karin,Ayala and many others for their encouragement. I have made friends here and I will treasure them.
“I will not show tears
Let the tall murasaki
Wet my silken sleeves.
Lady Nyo
Luckily I can follow your bog and still read anyway. I enjoy your very original work. Yes, when reading so many in a short space of time, it is hard not to fall back on one-word comments. I don’t regard them as critiques, however, but encouragement. I don’t look on this community as a place for in-depth critiques, which could be wounding to newcomers or even old hands. Perhaps there are some on-line workshops which would serve you better in that respect. (I am in one on facebook, where people are actively seeking critiques and post on that understanding.)
Damn! I mean of course your blog.
No, I think you had it right the first time, Rosemary…Bog.
LOL!
Lady Nyo
Happy Open Link to all. Thanks for hosting, Grace. I found myself being somewhat melancholy, not sure exactly why though.
Pamela
Nice to see you Pamela ~ Will check out your post in a bit ~
So happy to join the party this week and I’m looking forward to a marathon poetry reading! Thanks for this wonderful forum!
Nice to see you here ~
Grace
Hi
I’ve just added mine – it’s the first time – be gentle 🙂
Hi Alex, and welcome. Been over ot your place and dropped a comment. I enjoyed reading your poem 🙂
Thank you – and thank you to everyone’s response – you are such a friendly and supportive group – Thanks 🙂
haha…we ARE gentle…smiles…. warm welcome…smiles
Hi Claudia
Yes you are a great group – I will be investigating everyone’s blogs later 🙂
Welcome and nice to meet you ~
hopefully we were gentle enjough…enjoy your time in the pub….
Thank you – What a great group, and a lovely way to read more poetry 🙂
Hi Grace…have no idea yet, but want to be here/later. 🙂
We are open all night and day tomorrow ~
I look forward to Tuesdays because of all of you…as much as I am down on myself, I can always find a poetic perspective here that changes my mirrored frown to a smile…and I thank all of you for that…namaste…Edward
Smiles back to you Edward ~ Nice to see you here ~
Happy Open Link 🙂
Happy OLN to you too ~ 🙂
Hi, all! Just stopping by to say I’ve convinced a friend (Lincoln Freemont) to join the fun. If you get a chance, be sure to drop by his site: http://www.lincolnfreemont.com/blog/2013/01/30/my-silhouette/
The first time can be a little scary. Thanks all, and it’s fun to see you hosting, Grace!
nice…just jumped over to read…
Thanks, Claudia 🙂
Enjoyed my visit there too 🙂
Thanks for visiting 🙂
Hi Lori ~ Will drop by his blog in a bit ~
Thanks, Grace 🙂
I somehow anticipated this prompt! How cool is that?! My piece is A Basement Poet. – A Free Verse
That’s cool ~ Nice to see you ~
Thanks.
Yes, I do often revise after posting — which means I dont worry too much about hitting Publish. Although of course I try and get things as good as possible first. I was too late for Mr Linky for David James’s inspiring prompts, but have now achieved a Karousel, to which I am linking this time, and it has already undergone some tweaking since I first posted it two days ago. Sometimes it takes seeing it in print (not merely in a document) to show up where something needs improvement.
(I have yet to succeed in a Weave, but it’s coming!)
A work in progress is a good way to look at it ~ Will check out your work, thanks ~
I’m so with you. Even after I hit it I sometimes go back and edit. As a friend and editor told me once, you have to let go sometime. I suppose he’s right, so here goes, I’m letting go. Looking forward to seeing you around.
Letting go is a good to me ~ Happy OLN ~
Hey, Grace! Aptly put! I hesitate all the time, and then sometimes edit after (ruefully). It’s a crazy process. Thanks for hosting.
I will probably not be able to visit much until late tonight. k.
See you later K ~
Grace, thanks for normalizing my lack of confidence before I publish. When I read such good poets, like you, I think there’s no hesitation in their sharing. Today I considered not publishing my poem. But, I decided to go ahead and at least join the crowd in this friendly pub.
Thanks for hosting.
oh and i’m glad you pressed the publish button…just read…loved the message…
I always hesitate dear Myrna ~ Thanks for linking up today ~
Good evening folks!
Good evening to you as well ~
Awesome showing so far. Place is pretty crowded for it not being dinner time yet. Just wanted to stop in and link my piece up before going to the Dr. Be back later on tonight for what should be another awesome Tuesday night/Wednesday Morning of Poetry. Cheers
Cheers to you too Fred ~
great opening grace…smiles. there are def time i wonder at publishing…maybe more before..but then again if i am not nervous perhaps i am not talking hard enough you know…smiles…
way late getting out today…got pulled into a meeting right after school…will be around though…see you out on the trail…
I just arrived from work myself ~ See you out on the trail ~
Peace and love to all xoxo
Nice to see you Poppy ~ Peace and love to you ~
Hey look it’s snowing 😉
Struggling to stay awake here, despite it being relatively early for me. Think I’ll hit the sack and be back on the trail tomorrow.
See you tomorrow Tony ~ Will edit my piece..he..he… 🙂
Beautiful! Week 82? Where in the world have I been to have been missing this much fun?
smiles…glad you found us….
thanks, Grace! i have to run for a bit, but i’ll be back to visit.
Hello Dani ~ Nice to see you here ~
Hello everyone and Grace, thanks for MC’ing today’s OLN.
I have been sitting on a poem that I have been leery of hitting the publish button on because it is personal and political. I have tried to tame the heat without extinguishing the fire. But I will let you all be the judge and jury on whether that has been accomplished yet or not.
Cheers!
Good evening ~ Cheers to you too ~
Hi Grace and dVerse Poets! I love the welcoming spirit here which makes it lots easier to push the publish button. As a group–despite or because of diversity–you tend to be excellent poets, careful readers and also enthusiastic and kind ! TGI Tuesday.
Hi Grace, I have been ‘on the trail’ for a while now already and just realized I had not yet come in to say hello. The ‘bar’ seems to be pretty busy tonight. Always great to see what people choose to share on this busy day!! Good stuff always! See you here later….
Great to see you Mary ~ Yes we have more than 100 poems linked up 🙂
Yes, Grace, that publish key is a bit intimidating–especially when it’s going to put out a rough first draft, as I did today. I am most open to critique…it’s as though our work is never really finished. Thanks for the great intro.
Your share is lovely Victoria ~ Nice to see you tonight ~
alright poets…caught up and taking a breather…dinner…play with the fam…be back later to imbibe some more…smiles…some great stuff out there tonight…
See you later Brian ~
I noticed that we can now edit our comment ~ Smiles ~
Yes, this happens to me too right before hitting “publish” – no editor on the blog, you know? And I badly need one. Usually I have to go back an hour later and fix a misspelled word. Self expression is the starting point, sharing has to be the next goal.
Self expression is a good place to start ~ Nice to see you here ~
Great connecting with you all tonight and reading your work.
Pizza, wine and poetry!! Finally home from work and stopping by to read for awhile!
Great to see you Ginny ~
I’ll be back to read more. It feels so warm here.
Great intro Grace! The Pub is packed but I made it in the doors!
Nice to see you here Jennifer ~
This is my first time posting at dVerse but not unfamiliar with your site. I was invited previously to enter in but perhaps the timing was not right. Look forward to reading some other posts as well.
Sometimes the timing just isn’t right. My muse doesn’t always co-operate on Tuesdays. Welcome to the pub – I’ll check out your poem now 🙂
Nice to see you link up with this time ~
Yes, I feel that way often. And when I have the same post up for more than a day, it’s like wearing the same clothes two days in row to work.
Colleen, I feel the same way too ~ Nice to see you here 🙂
back in and making my way around….
good morning…back in the pub and catching up…
My offering was too stupid to post here this week. Yes, even too stupid for me. So maybe I’ll play another time. Been a busy week visiting Detroit and Cleveland. Great U.S. destinations when everyone else in New Orleans. Some rest and maybe the writing muse will return. Have a week of greatness and safety!
Changed my mind. Wrote something different in a quickness. Stupid poem still exits below this one. But I thought I would stick something out there.
nice…great you’re joining us henry… always good seeing you in the pub..
Thank you for the choice and opportunity ~ hopefully I’ve followed the directions correctly ~ but just in case I posted~ girlwiththepen1118.wordpress.com Thank you All, its a joy associating. Deborah
Your link in Mr Linky is working fine 🙂 Welcome to the dVerse pub.
Nice to meet you Deborah ~
Grace
This is my first time here, so I’m trying it out. I wrote this poem a while ago, added and changed some things. I posted it for a different forum, but I’d like to get some more feedback. I’ll be checking everyone’s poems out tomorrow. My writing day is coming to an end. Aloha!
Welcome to the pub. Thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed reading your poem.
Great to have you behind the bar – and a trillion thanks for your wise words, it was really good to discover that I am not the only one who makes corrections and amendments to the work as soon as it is posted. Bless you for that! I shall do so more easily in future. (Oddly enough I didn’t do it this morning!) Shall be back anon to visit.
good morning poets….trimming through and grabbing the overnights….hope you all have a wonderful day!
Good morning to everyone ~
I will be around later to catch up on the readings ~
We are still open all day today so its not to late to link up ~
Happy Wednesday ~
I used to hesitate–now I just leap into it, lots of love out here 🙂 Though I did have some hinky formatting issues, that eventually I had to give up and just let it ride. Happy OLN Grace!!
Lots of love here ~ Happy OLN to you too ~
Hesitate? Oh yeah … sometimes… less now than before, but I still do…
“And after seeing the words on the page, you edit and make it clearer if someone has pointed out a vague word or a cluttered stanza. Now this is the beauty of community – to be able to receive feedback, encouragement, affirmation and even a critique (if you ask for it). Interestingly enough, these comments and feedback serve as a fuel and inspiration to continue writing and hitting “Publish” each and every week.”
Yup! Still edit months after, as long as someone points something out I missed. I love community!
I am late to the party coz I’ve been busy … but I made it!
back from work…returning comments and trying to check out some new faces as well… happy wednesday everyone
Very late to the party (and am not even remotely original, as you will see), but look forward to catching up with you all.
Nice to see you here ~ Mr Linky is still open ~
wasn’t sure i’d make it in this time, but glad i did, happy february everyone 😉
Happy February to you too ~
my wife’s birthday is on valentines, so the month stays strongly on my attention-radar 😉
My first time here! Only just this minute put on to this by a tweet I noticed from Natasha Head – seems like a real good thing to me, so big thanks to those who’ve put it together… I will let you know how my virgin experience goes! With Best Wishes Scott http://www.scothastie.com
Welcome and nice to meet you ~
Grace
Oh, there were many times when I had to edit and correct posts I have already published.
I am late to the party – but I am glad to be able to join. 🙂
Nice to see you here Imelda ~
First time here…. some old haikus..
Welcome and nice to meet you ~ Any poetry form is fine on OpenLinkNight.
Grace
I’m even later!….but better late than never. just so good to be in the pub…cheers.
Cheers to you Geraldine ~
I’m cutting it pretty close, but I finally made it! 🙂
Thanks for joining in David ~
on my way over to read… good morning…smiles