h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Beth. I'm Ed. I was hiding behind a pseudonym rather than a number, but is that better or worse?

Hi Ed

Thanks for stopping by.

I would think a pseudonym is no better and no worse than a number. No maybe a pseudonym is better - it at least shows some creativity. I just could never come up with anything that felt comfortable.

I am now going to visit you - I hope you don't mind.

Beth

Bracing myself and speaking in a higher voice than is justified byb other factors... No, I don't mind.

Hi again

I just wanted to let you know that I have bee around to your reading your poetry. And I am impressed - especially with 'Under the Knife' which I could identify with.

Beth

Sorry Ed - if one is going to write to a writer, one should write coherently!

Please forgive the many mistakes and atrocious sentence construction in the previous posting.

Beth

Don't worry. We all stumble (I introduced the word "byb" into an earlier response). Let's just try to make sense (that last word took three attempts, and now I'm getting self-conscious (I was going to say 'paranoid' but that's not correct or helpful...)).

-- draws breath --

I hesitate to ask, but why did "Under the knife" mean so much? I can't read it comfortably now, though I suppose I thought it was worth other people's attention.

I note that you said that you could not comfortably read that particular poem now. I'm not sure if you mean that it is something that you are entirely pleased with or if it is because of what it represents for you.

I have just gone back and read it again and find I can't comfortably read it. However it is the discomfort that makes it effective. To me it captures the terror and aloneness of going through something seriously invasive.

This is something I had to go through about six months ago - and you'll excuse me for preferring not to go into detail publically. I looked over your page again and didn't see an email address there. (
I did take a quick look at your writers' group web site though - I'll go back there and read sone stuff soon.)

Anyway, the point is, the poem does capture those awful feelings and I want to put it in a box and hide it away.

Beth

Beth, I wrote it in a few minutes for exactly those reasons. I don't think it's perfect, but I don't really want to revisit it. There is an email address on my page. It's cunningly concealed behind my name. Ed