Hi CyberPoets,

Next weekend, we in the U.S. celebrate Memorial Day. Similar holidays are observed in Australia (April 25) and Canada (November 11) as a day for honoring those who died in service to country, for honoring those who with their life's blood and flesh or balance of mind and spirit purchased the peace we enjoy and most often take for granted. It seems strange somehow that when the world is fresh from chaos, we are quick to observe the day, to swath the heroes and their monuments with bunting, to strew flowers and speak words of tribute. Yet, the longer the interval of peace, the shorter our memory of the sacrifice made to safeguard it. Perhaps, this truth arises in the fact that it is impolitic to borrow glory from those who earned it when it is no longer fresh. I do not know.

Nor do I mean this statement in condemnation. It is merely observable fact, and perhaps one which is at the very point of having made the sacrifice. That is: that these few died or forfeited wholeness and youth so that we would not have to remember war or be touched by it, except, that in truer tribute, we set aside one day to remind ourselves of the cousins and brothers and fathers and uncles and grandfathers and sisters and aunts, we never knew, taken from our lives sometimes before we were born or otherwise forever changed.

When Memorial Day arrives next Monday by observance (or Tuesday by tradition), perhaps, instead of making the entire of the day one of self-indulgence--an excuse to party--you could set aside a moment or two to contemplate what makes it possible for you or I or any poet to put such words to paper as we are moved to write rather than as we are allowed.

-- AngelPie_Mouse

The website is authored and maintained by AngelPie_Mouse and is located at the following addresses:

newsletters/faqs/favorite poets	http://www.geocities.com/cyberpoetsniche
showcases/our writings	http://www.geocities.com/cyber_poets

That's right! During the past month, we've divided our website into two distinct sections to give us more space. The old page remains dedicated to our showcases and our writings. You won't have to send out a new URL so that your friends and others can find your work. The new page contains all links, faqs, favorite poets and poems, Poet of the Month reviews, and newsletters.

And, it will soon contain a new section dedicated to off-line poetry clubs, a place where they can post information about upcoming meetings and events and publishing opportunities. If you belong to an off-line club or workshop, be sure to send the information about your group along to be posted on our new website.

Oh, and by the way, if you see any non-functional graphics or bad links, please let me know so I can fix them promptly. And now for the standard jazz�

Of the fifty-eight members of CPN, sixteen are members with showcase pages on the club homepage. In alphabetic order, showcase members are: AngelPie_Mouse, ArrylT, Cendrilloner, Crowstouch, Elfenone, Faerimuse, Jazz_85, Isitis, Kattlyn, Mgonzalez01, MooseLodge1999, Oldcusser, Poetry_Gal, Romusthepoet, Sis_Sarana19, Telescope07, and TheCyberwitch (see Showcase Information below).

This month (between April 21 and May 23) contributions were added to the showcase pages for the following members: crowstouch, OldCusser, and Telescope07--or for three of our sixteen showcase members. You may view these additions by clicking the name (on the website repost of this newsletter only).

With the passing of our first anniversary of our newsletter, our homepage and showcasing, the push is on to get more of our members to showcase and to post their work to the message board more often. Some of you out there haven't been heard from in a while and we miss you.

Why should you post/showcase your work? Our clubsite and homepage represent forms of publication. It is as simple as that. By posting your work to the clubsite message board, you are able to assert that the works shown with your name affixed are of your authorship as of the date of the entry. That is, in effect, a notice of copyright legally supportable. The additional reposting to our homepage makes it a more permanent and more accessible record of your work alone.

Yes, you can take out your own homepage and publish yourself. The difficulty is that you do not get a witnessed time/date stamp on such documentation. And showcasing on our homepage gets you one other thing that makes it worth your while, traffic. Let's face it, we don't write for ourselves alone. We want others to share in and see our work.

How can you showcase? There is a single requirement. We require a simple release that says we have your permission to print. That's it. The copyright remains yours. The Showcase Questionnaire, which asks a bunch a questions, constitutes such a release and helps us tailor a page for the display of your work. It is accessible on the club homepage at: http://www.geocities.com/cyberpoetsniche/miscellaneous/questionnaire.html if you would like to get started right away. Too, we'll be sending out a copy to all new and not currently showcasing members in the coming week. Currently showcasing members are asked to visit their showcase pages to verify that they are in good order and review the material posted.

From time to time we like to bring you news on contests and publishing opportunities we come across in which you might be interested in participating. This one offers a rare opportunity for you to do some public service while at the same time getting your voice heard. It is the MONTEL WILLIAMS "CURE FOR MS" FREE POETRY CONTEST, which is being sponsored by Poetry.com. For every poem received, the on-line poetry agency will donate $1 with a minimum donation of $25,000.00 towards the fight against Multiple Sclerosis. First prize is $1000 and an all-expense paid trip to New York City to be part of the Montel Williams Show. And there are over one hundred additional prizes.

Okay, we know, Poetry.com is really a gimmick to get you into publishing with a vanity press. You write the limited-to-twenty-line poem and for eight bucks plus shipping and handling, you can get a nice coffee table volume containing your words in print. But come on gang, we can do this and wouldn't be fun to see one of our own on TV?

Check out contest rules and restrictions at http://www.poetry.com/montel.

The group (or interactive) poem begins on the 20th of each month with any member of the club posting a few lines that suggest a topic to the message board under the heading "[month] Interactive." It may then be added to by other members of the club, who repost the material preceding their entry. The purpose of the group (or interactive) is to provide an exercise in critical reading skills and promote participation. You may read more about it on our homepage at: http://www.geocities.com/cyber_poets/ourwrite/interactive1.html.

This month, for the month of May, the Interactive began with a pair of couplets in a-a-b-b rhyme scheme, which attempted to set the topic within the green world of Spring, which is what we are calling it�

The Green World

Mild and bright with temperate rite Guardian of the flowering light Fusing green with pastel hue The jasmine with the dew.      (AngelPie_Mouse)

Surpassing Than over Solomon's zenith Be in bloom silently At the roadside A flower of Dandelion      (Telescope07)

Whose mane, like the Lion Is scattered to the winds Across the horizon Spreading its seeds For other generations to come...      (MGonzalez01)

[end]

We have 58 members at the CyberPoet�s Niche. We have Chat Night every Wednesday at 10 PM Eastern (well, we try any way).

Club Ranking. The ranking of clubs in Yahoo! is based solely on the number of members, not on member participation. This month we gained eight new members. As for our position in the numbers game�in January, we were in 29th position, pretty low as these things go. However, in March and April, we were 31st so this is an improvement.

New Members. This month, we acquired eight new members to whom we would like to extend a special welcome and extend particular invitation for all of them to share their work. Our new members include: _Darkest_Rose_Of_Night, ablueromeo, adolfo_fa, aircon111, airdancerpoetess, Airheadica, al_azrael and professor_quimbett.

Welcome One and All!!!

Member Name Change. This month our friend TAZINATOR4EVER gave us a heads up on his new Yahoo! Identity. From now on, he is Poetic_Prophecy_2000, a name that seems to promise lots of new work with his name on it.

Member Homepage Notice.crowstouch has completely redesigned his website and gotten a new URL to go with it. The site, which explores poetry as well as many of his varied interest, is located http://thewrittenway.andmuchmore.com/. Why not drop by for a visit and let him know what you think.

A Poet's Handbook
Mary Oliver
Format: Paperback - 130 pages.
ISBN: 0156724006
Publisher: Harcourt Brace
Pub. Date: January 1995

Mary Oliver uses wit, good common sense and passion to teach the basic ways a poem is built�meter, rhyme, form and diction. Using poems by Robert Frost, Bishop and other poets the author gives her audience a great deal of information on the subject of poetry writing.

Rules for the Dance: A Handbook for Writing
     and Reading Metrical Verse
by Mary Oliver, Mary Cliver
Format: Paperback - 194 pages.
ISBN: 039585086X
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co (Pap)
Pub. Date: April 1998

Oliver gives her insight on the need to understanding metrical verse and other styles of poetry and guides on the tradition of poetry writing.

In the Palm of Your Hand: A Poet's Portable Workshop/
     A Lively and Illuminating Guide for the Practicing Poet
by Steve Kowit
Format: Paperback - 288 pages.
ISBN: 0884481492
Publisher: Tilbury House Publishers
Pub. Date: June 1995

Steve Kowit brings poets a general knowledge on the subject of poetry writing, employing more than 100 poems and excerpts to illustrate his discussions on everything from metaphor to meter to metaphysics. Working your way through this book--and it is work--is like sitting in on a terrific creative-writing seminar, minus the criticism (both constructive and destructive) of fellow students. If you go by the book, you'll have written.

inkspot.com The Writer's Resource
Inkspot is an award-winning resource and community for writers of all ages and levels of experience. Includes resource tools and current news on everything in the writing world. [URL: http://www.pmpoetry.com/]

Bartleby.com Great Books Online
The preeminent Internet publisher of literature, reference, and verse providing students, researchers, and the intellectually curious with unlimited access to books and information on the web, free of charge. [URL: http://www.bartleby.com/]

IR -- Indiana Review
A non-profit literary magazine publishing biannually and dedicated to showcasing the talents of emerging and established writers. Our mission is to offer the highest quality writing within a wide aesthetic. [URL: http://www.pmpoetry.com]

Credits:
Editorial and page layout by AngelPie_Mouse
Book Recommendations by Mgonzalez01.
Links Recommendations by Poetry_Gal.

For those who check the Readability of this newsletter: Flesch Reading Ease: 59.3 (above average) and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 9 (above average).