Coffee & Prose

Came across this on the mail today:

Dear Nicole Aleja,

Imagine your poem featured on an entire page to itself . . .

Over the past several months, we have been reviewing the thousands of poems submitted to us, as well as examining the poetic accomplishments of people whose poetry has appeared on the Internet and in various editions released by other poetry publishers in America and Europe. After an exhaustive examination of this poetic artistry, The International Library of Poetry wishes to feature an entire page devoted exclusively to the poetry of NicoleAleja Maramo in a collection of new poems written by the Best Poets we have encountered.

Congratulations on your accomplishment, NicoleAleja. Your poetry will be featured along with a distinguished group of just 200 of the Best Poets that were selected to participate in this special project.
And that's not all. To honor the accomplishments of this elite group of talented individuals, we have established a separate contest with over $3,500.00 in prizes to be awarded among you. You will automatically be entered into the final competition, but you must submit a new unpublished poem. Prizes will be announced by December 31, with an anticipated publication date of January 2005.
The Best Poems and Poets of 2004 will be among the finest quality books we have ever produced. Every aspect of publication and design will convey the quality craftsmanship and attention to detail that will go into the production of this special edition. This coffee-table quality book will be printed in two colors on fine-milled paper and will feature a highly detailed, full-colored cover, and quality typography throughout. And best of all . . .

. . . this special edition will feature an entire page devoted exclusively to a new, unpublished poem by Nicole Aleja Reyes Maramo!

Before going any further, Nicole Aleja, let me make one thing clear . . . you were selected for publication on the basis of your unique talent. The new poem which you will submit for this edition has been accepted for publication because your previously published poetry sparks the imagination and presents the reader with a fresh, unique perspective on life.

Bull. Just totally bull. How can anyone be blinded by stupidity?

It got me excited the last few weeks I was receiving weird awards and invites to poetry conventions, but sadly, I could not have the time to go, and it was just a sort of advertisement they were having. Gee, I mean you have to pay a couple of dollars to get them to place your name on the friggin' book or something. Why not create one instead? I was just taking my chances last summer posting my most sane poems on poetry sites for people to either read or diss. My aunt in California got this fax of me 'winning' and being a semi-finalist for the poetry convention. It's just too bad I can't make it.

For all of you aspiring poets. I suggest you write more. I write everywhere. Coffee napkins, back of my Physics book, scraps of paper. Wherever. My mind floats. I just doodle up a couple of phrases subconsciously in a span of seconds. But not every so-called poem I write would make sense at first, it just would after a million and one readjustments. Ladeeda.

Here's the "winning" piece which was my least favorite.


Infatuation

I feel inspired by you
And I can describe, the malady
that had turned me against my will

You mesmerize me;
So when I feelso vulnerable
I want you to hold me in your arms
Until forever

It's such a pity
That you're in love with someone else
And it's only then that
I realize
That my mind was blurred
By this pure, driven passion---infatuation

I am aware now.
I am aware now.


So much for my poems back in highschool. I can hear the riffs of John Mayer's "No Such Thing" in the background. I got an anonymous comment. Anonymity breeds contempt. I guess people actually read my blog posts. Scary. I just hope that they would find whatever I have to say uh, stimulating? C'est la vie.