I’M A pretty good teacher. In fact, I am so great at it.
So please, for the poetry workshop, do not cheat.
Do not start writing now.
I will provide the prompts.
I will post the next day challenge only on the day before.
If you do not comply with the challenge, you die.
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If I ask for a new poem, and you submit an old poem, you are dead.
If I ask for a love poem, and you submit an elegy, you die.
Because you cannot follow my instruction.
That also means you have no respect for me. No trust.
So eff you!
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But mostly because following instructions, for me, is key to knowing what instructions you can break later.
Allow me to teach you. Give me a chance.
Before you show me any attitude.
This is still my poetry workshop.
And I am god.
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This is not the only writing workshop in the world.
And other workshops are even better.
Run by people more capable, more qualified than I am.
I am humbly admitting that.
There are bigger and greater gods than I am.
If you don’t trust me, go to their workshop.
Thank you. Bye-bye. Good riddance!
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But if you want to see what I can do, if you want to give me a try, you have to play by my rules.
This is my workshop: June 2018 Poem-a-thon and Poetry Workshop with Peter Solis Nery.
Find it on Facebook.
There is a reason why my name is up there.
You are not forced to join it.
You are only invited.
And so, I can also uninvite you.
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Just like in school, you can drop out of the course.
But I can also kick you out if you don’t play by my rules.
I think the word is, Expel.
Yeah, let’s do that.
If you cause the whole “class” some kind of distress, I’ll expel you.
If you are not submitting my requirements and your assignments promptly, let me expel you.
If you are going to “delay my class”, I’ll expel you.
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Will I listen to reason?
Like, what if you don’t have internet connection and can’t post your poem assignment?
I will be reasonable.
But your responsibility is not to disappointment me.
If you can’t do the thirty day challenge promptly, just drop out.
It just means you failed.
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How can you say you did my poem-a-thon if you are always three days behind the others?
How can you do Poem-a-thon: thirty poems in all the thirty days of June if you miss three days of it?
This is a training in discipline, too.
In living a poet’s life in our busy world.
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I am working on several jobs, too. If you must know.
I cook my own food, do my own laundry, clean my house.
So, yeah. I will actually give you my time by teaching you everything I know. And by reading your works patiently, and with godlike understanding.
And somehow, that last one about reading you with patience and understanding, that gives me the right to hurl insults and harsh judgments.
But it’s not personal.
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My critique will always be on, and about, your work.
There will be good days (praises), and bad days (insults, and sarcasm).
Occasionally, I will tell you more about yourself.
And that will be a critique of your person.
Like, if you are trying too hard, and failing even harder, to write in English, when you are better off writing in another language.
I mean, if your English is atrocious, how can you think that you will be a great poet in the English language?
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I will not check for grammar, syntax, and spelling.
I am not your English teacher.
This is not that class. Not that workshop.
But I may say a few words if you are writing in Hiligaynon.
Because I am a Hiligaynon language expert.
The champion of Hiligaynon for that matter!
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I will not edit your poems for you.
I will not make them better for you.
You have to do that yourself.
You have to earn your title as poet.
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Wait, wait, wait.
After the poem-a-thon, if I really like your poems for publication, I will, of course, offer some edits.
I cannot afford to publish poems that readers will laugh at.
Don’t worry, I tend to make my authors/writers look good.
Yeah, I’ve been editor of books and newspapers, so…
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Here’s your assignment at this time: Tell people about this workshop. Tell your friends. Tell those who you think would be helped by a poetry workshop. Or would be interested.
Look at your June schedule. Have you time for this? Can you commit to a Peter Solis Nery workshop?
Do you have internet for the whole month of June? Like, do you have data to post your poems on Facebook?
Think about this. Pray about this.
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For now, read back the wall of Peter Solis Nery on Facebook for workshop details.
While on Facebook, like The Peter Solis Nery Foundation page. I sometimes post things there. Post-workshop announcements will probably be posted there. Like, if you will be included in the book.
If you haven’t already, follow @petersolisnery on Instagram. I have some very short poems there. The photos and psycho-spiritual and empowerment posts are also amazing. You might wanna review some of them ahead of the workshop, just to see how I think. (To be continued on Wednesday) (500tinaga@gmail.com/PN)
