The One Time I had a Poem Stolen(Shirley Smothers) In 2010 I posted a small poem to a website. It was a small, silly poem aimed at kids.

A little over a year later a friend asked me where I posted my poem. I was like “gee I don’t remember.” So I googled the poem. I found around a dozen websites.

Some of the websites had shared my poem and credited me as Author. I was like “Oh cool, they liked that small poem well enough to share.” I really have no problem with anyone sharing my works as long as I am credited.

Some of the websites had shared the poem with no credit or Unknown. I was annoyed, but I thought, “Oh well, whomever shared these meant well and it’s still kind of cool.”

But I found two websites where someone had posted the exact poem word for word. And these posters gave themselves credit for my creation. I asked My Daughter how I should handle this. She warned me to not be rude, to just contact the Administrates. She said to E-Mail them and say something like, “Hi, my name is Shirley Smothers and the poem you have on your website is mine. Please either credit me as the author or please remove the poem.

I never heard from the first website. I checked on it several times and I can’t find the poem so I assume they honored my wishes.

But I got an E-Mail from the second website that said something like. “Who cares? Why is this such a big deal. Besides this is the stupidest poem I have ever read.”

I showed my Daughter the E-Mail. She said let me handle this. Her response was something like, “The stupidest Poem? Then why is it on your website? I have a sneaking suspicion that you are the culprit. I am making copies of our E-MAIL chats and sending them to every Online Poetry Website I can find. Hopefully this will warn others not to use your site.”

We never actually did this, but I laughed so hard I got dizzy. I gave my Daughter a big hug and said “Thank you for all of you help!”

And now for the small poem:

Can a mime make
A rhyme?
Sure a Mime
Can make a rhyme.
But who would
Hear it?

I also re posted this small poem on other websites as Haiku

A mime make a rhyme
Sure a Mime can make a rhyme
But who would hear it

This version was also used without permission. Not nearly as much. Yes some gave me credit, some not, and yes some just outright stole it. LOL

From small minds come small Rhymes.

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