this makes me nervous

Back in 2014, a reply-all unsubscribe outbreak on the Malahat Review listserv brought such joy to my heart that I wrote a found poem compiled from the various replies. You can read that poem here.

One might have thought that in the intervening nine years, the Malahat Review would have addressed this flaw in their listserv system but, bless them, it appears they did not. We're back at it, and the replies are even more confused, angry and conspiratorial this time around (this is Pierre Poilievre's Canada we're living in, after all).

Rhonda Ganz has stepped up to write a found poem for this year's meltdown. I present it below. If you'd like to contribute your own Malahat Review listserv found poem, please email it to me at roblucastaylor(at)gmail(dot)com and I will post it here. And most importantly, enjoy the madness while it lasts. It will be another nine years before we get to do it again!

Thought it was love - Rhonda Ganz

I did not get the original love, but I am getting all the replies

My inbox suddenly flooded

Este amar, no es un virus.

People I don’t know

People pressing “love”

This makes me nervous

(Me, too!)

(I’m also receiving this love, but I don’t think I’m supposed to)

(Likewise)

Please

I don’t think I should receive this love

Anyone paying attention

You’re making the love worse

Please

Please stop pressing “love”

Please remove me

Remove me from your love list immediately

Please stop pressing “reply all” to this love

Please take me off your love list forever

All of you! Stop sending love!

All of you brimming with love

You are the problem