Problems

Introduction

This is a semi-diatribe or rant, but it isn't really. This is a piece on how we expect things to happen and when they don't, it at the least disconcerts us. Part of my psyche wants every single thing that I produce or do to be done in a positive manner. I see many people going mad at the least inconvenience (and usually it is just that and they usually have the means to circumnavigate the problem) and I see people in worse situations who just try to cope under states of duress.

Anger

One of John Lydon's books took a line from my favourite Public Image Limited song "Rise", "Anger Is An Energy" but I find anger a very destructive trait. I get annoyed and upset but seldom let anger get a hold of me. This does surprise many many people.

I find the song "Rise" very positive despite that line, and it is one of those songs that I never want to finish, perfect music for walking and just listening to. Please take a listen as you read this piece.

A Problem

I do write a lot about issues and problems that I have and the reason I am writing this is that last night I was waiting for the conclusion to my story "Go Ask Alice" to be published. Vocal introduced virtually instant publishing six months back which in so many ways has been really beneficial, especially giving control of when something is published to the Vocal Creator.

As I write this the story "The Mirror In The Hall" has still not been published but it is a requested finale to "Go Ask Alice" so I did want it to be published quickly. Now I know there are system glitches but when you see your notifications flooded with single authors publishing tens of limericks or haiku and yours is still waiting, it does grate a little.

Stories are being published as I write but just not mine. This can make people feel ignored or persecuted, but I do remember waiting a week for a story to be moderated and published, often rejected for some unspecified nebulous reason.

A Test

I decided to post a story as a test to see if it would be published before "The Mirror in the Hall". I had an idea for a poem or two, a limerick or haiku would be quick and simple, but my psyche rails against short-form poems as they flood my Vocal notifications.

I do love the haiku and limerick forms and have nothing against people writing and publishing them but feel that some people see them as free lottery tickets for the challenges. Haiku seem to have stopped since the challenges have closed. My thought on this is "Just because you can doesn't mean that you should"

My preferred poetry formats are villanelle, sonnet and for short-forms sedoka and butterfly cinquain, but decided that a poem should not be used to test this situation, I do try and put my soul into my poems as they are often for special people in my life.

So In Conclusion

I am in a good mood but "The Mirror In The Hall" is still unpublished, but the Vocal technical staff will be in their beds and this is just a system failure, and I work in IT and I know what that can mean sometimes.

I know it will be published and I hope that people will be happy with the concluding tale. I always try to limit myself to single Vocal Challenge entries and most of the time fail miserably. I think they are generally wonderful as prompts and in some ways, the more awkward and annoying that they are is better for stretching us as creators.

So I am now submitting this to test the situation, then getting off to work. This was published immediately so there is a Vocal glitch stopping the publication of "The Mirror In The Hall"