[David Anthony]

Googling "Blomquistian", I was narked to find that this Nigerian git has not only stolen one of my sonnets but ruined it:

http://te-in.facebook.com/topic.php?...931&topic=9356

Here's the correct version:

Cushioning the Blow

We thought it best to leave the cat with Ted
along with Grandma, when we went away.
No sooner were we home from holiday
than, bluntly, he announced the cat was dead.

“Listen!” I said, “Bad news is better told
obliquely—like this: ‘Bess went climbing on
the roof, and fell. Her legs and back were gone.
They tried to save her but she was too old.’ ”

Ted—who’s direct but not a thoughtless man—
was chastened (so he said) and mortified.
“Don’t worry, Cousin Edward,” I replied,
“we all drop clangers. By the way, how’s Gran?”

“Not great,” he said, “In fact, to tell the truth,
last night she went out climbing on the roof……”

[Janet Kenny]

Originally Posted by David Anthony

Googling "Blomquistian", I was narked to find that this Nigerian git has not only stolen one of my sonnets but ruined it:

http://te-in.facebook.com/topic.php?...931&topic=9356

Here's the correct version:

Cushioning the Blow

We thought it best to leave the cat with Ted
along with Grandma, when we went away.
No sooner were we home from holiday
than, bluntly, he announced the cat was dead.

“Listen!” I said, “Bad news is better told
obliquely—like this: ‘Bess went climbing on
the roof, and fell. Her legs and back were gone.
They tried to save her but she was too old.’ ”

Ted—who’s direct but not a thoughtless man—
was chastened (so he said) and mortified.
“Don’t worry, Cousin Edward,” I replied,
“we all drop clangers. By the way, how’s Gran?”

“Not great,” he said, “In fact, to tell the truth,
last night she went out climbing on the roof……”

David,
I would be fuming if I were you. I remember your poem well, in fact, as you know I have a copy of your book in which it appears. That's outrageous!
Janet

[John Whitworth]

What on earth were you googling Blomqistian for David? There used to be a College in London, known unofficially as Visa College, with no teachers and no premises but 200 well-heeled Nigerians on the books. For all I know it flourishes still.

What would a dog be climbing on the roof for?

[Martin Elster]

David,

I love your sonnet. It's really witty. The person who stole it should be ashamed. And changing the cat to a dog is really stupid.

Martin

[Janet Kenny]

But David, he speaks as we all should speak:
..and I would honorably accept the critique and work on its betterment.

Seeking perfection we surge forward. Excelsior.

[Maryann Corbett]

The stolen item is on Facebook, is it? There's got to be a way for Facebook a member to contact those in charge and say, "This is stolen, and I know who the author is, and this should come down."

Members should make a stink. There must be lots of us here.

[Marybeth Rua-Larsen]

If (when) there is a stink afoot, I'm happy to join the campaign and write a letter. This is disgraceful. I'm sorry to hear it, David.

Marybeth

[Mark Allinson]

David, there's always this aspect to such plagiarism: no one steals junk.

Shakespeare stole some excellent story-lines for his plays.

So if someone wants to claim your poem as theirs, it's a strong vote for the poem.

I have come across a few of mine under various names.

This one for instance, claimed by someone called "Foreshadow", actually won the on-board competition, so I shouldn't complain.

At least they didn't change the original.

[Janice D. Soderling]

Mark, will you please stop doing that.

Talking like it is OK or a compliment that these creeps take other people's work and call it their own intellectual production. They are theives, pure and simple, and all of us who have had our work stolen dislike them intensely.

[Janice D. Soderling]

David, look beside the name. There is an option REPORT and you can confidentially report to Facebook that it is stolen.

Do it before he takes it down.