Can anyone recommend a place (forum, bulletin board) where I can post a short poem whose author or source I would like to identify? Of course I've already tried Google and so on, with no success. Same lack of results looking for first and last line in books (physical) in the local public library. Thanks.

Can anyone recommend a place (forum, bulletin board) where I can post a short poem ?

There's here, of course. Or try http://cartalk.cars.com/Mail/BBS/Tow-Truck/index.html

Not "off topic" at all - poems are words, aren't they? Post the poems here and let us all examine it - I'll be surprised if it is so obscure that nobody on this board has any idea about it!

With the encouragement of RhubarbCommando, here's the poem whose author I'd like to identify. I'm looking for this information on behalf of a French friend. She studied English 40+ years ago, and memorized the poem at the time. I have major doubts about the poetic value, but (as a favor to a friend), here it is:

Everything gone everything lost
Until I made myself stop
Made myself realize that
If people die and things change
It's all port of it
And that the worst thing to do
is to turn your face away
to hold yourself against
and not let life go flowing
through you

That is a good poem, reed, and very appropriate to the way that many of us are feeling at this moment, but I confess that I have no idea at all about its provenance. It is modern, and I don't know anything much after Omar Khayyam

BTW, my apologies for not extending the usual welcome to the board - I hadn't realised that this was only your second post. It is a job that is usually filled by our own dear Jackie, but she is suffering from a sickly computer right now.

In her absence, therefore, may I bid you warm greetings and hope that you stay with us and enjoy all the good things that this forum has to offer.

May we hear from you many times.

Seconding (or thirding) Faldage's and RC's recommendations that you post the poem here, I also welcome you but regret I have no answer for you. You might try Max Q's link:

http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/maxq/References.html

Reed, I resurrected this post partly because I'm wondering if you ever found the answer to your question. I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the board even though you've been signed on much longer than many of us. Keiva reads a lot of poetry. Maybe he'll know. Y'all come back [or speak up] anytime!

Welcome, reed! Though this seems like deja vu all over again!
I have the site for your request: http://eMule.com/poetry The Poetry Archives, and click on Forum. There's a whole crew over there ready to dive into your dilemma!

Howya Reed

I was a Stranger meself here a few short months ago - and look at me now - a Newbie on the Welcommen Committee! That's the kinda confidence this Forem gives ya.

Hope ya find the writer of yer pome. It wasn't me, even though I've written a few meself.

Happy worden ta ya and all that sorta thing

Be seein ya

GallantTed

Thanks for the compliment, Connie, but I'm drawing a blank too, and so did Google. Very interesting poem, Reed. Sorry I can't help.