The Demand

Today I wrote an email of concern to the Bloomington Writer's Guild about my disappointment with their Poetry On Demand booth which was set up at the Fourth Street Festival on Labor Day weekend.  

On a cheerful lark, I approached the Poetry on Demand booth on Sunday last.  I engaged in some chitchat, donated 10$ and requested a haiku. The poet told me to come back later and he would have my haiku.  "Go enjoy the festival," he said and I decided not to tell him that I had already enjoyed the festival for a considerable amount of time.  I was not thrilled that the haiku would not be written "on demand," but I took another amble around the festival and picked out some earrings.  I also talked to some friends. In short, I allowed for plenty of time for the writing of a haiku before returning to the booth.

And yet, upon my return, the haiku was still not written.  I told the "poet" that I had to leave, so he took my address and said he would send the haiku via snail mail.  

One week later. No haiku has arrived.  For five days, I have hoped for my haiku to appear in my letterbox despite Husbandman's confident, and somewhat dispiriting, comments that the haiku would not be in the letterbox and would in fact never be in the letterbox.

I told the 3rdLanders about this situation on Friday morning and was sad when a 3rdLander yelled out, "Do not trust people!" I told him that it's okay to trust people, but probably we should all write our own haiku. 

In my email, I told the Writer's Guild that I wanted no return of funds, but hoped they could improve the Poetry on Demand experience for future donors. 

ps Truly annoyed at this stretch of white space that I can't get rid of for some reason. 

Hello Writ

Last week I attended the 4th Street Arts Festival.  I went to your Poetry on Demand booth and requested a haiku.

The poet told me he had a queue of poems to write so I should come back later and he would have it for me.  I donated 10$ and

walked around the festival again.  

I was actually surprised that the poem would not be created on the spot, but I understood that others wer haiku was still not written and I told the poet I needed to leave t

He took my address and said he would send the poem in the mail.  It’s now been a week since the festival and I’ve gotten no haiku in the mail.

I don’t want any compensation.  My donation was happily given.  

BUT…. I think you should know that my Poetry on Demand experience was far from what I expected.  

I hope future visitors to this booth will have a better experience.

Thank you,

Lee Heffernan

Hello Writer

Last week I attended the 4th Street Arts Festival.  I went to your Poetry on Demand booth and requested a haiku.

The poet told me he had a queue of poems to write so I should come back later and he would have it for me.  I donated 10$ and

walked around the festival again.  

I was actually surprised that the poem would not be created on the spot, but I understood that others were also waiting for their poems.

I walked around again and came back 30 minutes later.  The haiku was still not written and I told the poet I needed to leave the festival.

He took my address and said he would send the poem in the mail.  It’s now been a week since the festival and II don’t want any compensation.  My donation was happily given.  

BUT…. I think you should know that my Poetry on Demand experience was far from what I expected.  

I hope future visitors to this booth will have a better exp