child wearing a dunce cap (Atwood)‘Know Your Place’: A Poem by Peter Venable The Society May 21, 2025 Culture, Humor, Poetry 3 Comments . Know Your Place __“Know Your Place!” In grammar school, that stung like mace.“To the corner!”—my timeout place. __“Know Your Place.” On my first date, with pimpled face,I never even reached first base. __“Know Your Place.” Now I craft poems, surely first rate!An editor wrote, “Do erase:Your poems plod like a sack raceWhen they should soar through outer space.”But I key on—in case, in case—In hopes that mine aren’t commonplace. __Is this my place? . . Peter Venable has been writing poetry for 50 years. He has been published in Windhover, Third Wednesday, Time of Singing, The Merton Seasonal, American Vendantist, The Anglican Theological Review, and others. He is a member of the Winston Salem Writers. On the whimsical side, he has been published in Bluepepper, Parody, Laughing Dog, The Asses of Parnassus, and Lighten Up Online (e. g. # 48). NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. ***Read Our Comments Policy Here*** 3 Responses Frank Rable May 21, 2025 Peter, yours was the first poem I read today, and a good one to ponder as the day begins. The philosophy “Shoot for the stars but crawl through the mud if you must” is the path many of us did well to take. Some poems soar through space and our hearts, and they are rare and beautiful. But many, particularly of a humorous bent, guide us through our everyday lives as we slog through that mud. I truly enjoyed your poem! Reply Joseph S. Salemi May 21, 2025 About poetry editors — take it from me, who has been dealing with them for decades. For most of them, their secret agenda is to prevent the publication of poems that deviate from their accepted aesthetic criteria, or from their categorical imperatives. Reply Kelli Logan Rush May 21, 2025 Delightful – way to go, Peter! Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Frank Rable May 21, 2025 Peter, yours was the first poem I read today, and a good one to ponder as the day begins. The philosophy “Shoot for the stars but crawl through the mud if you must” is the path many of us did well to take. Some poems soar through space and our hearts, and they are rare and beautiful. But many, particularly of a humorous bent, guide us through our everyday lives as we slog through that mud. I truly enjoyed your poem! Reply
Joseph S. Salemi May 21, 2025 About poetry editors — take it from me, who has been dealing with them for decades. For most of them, their secret agenda is to prevent the publication of poems that deviate from their accepted aesthetic criteria, or from their categorical imperatives. Reply
