Poetry isn't about rules. It is about words of the heart. True words you have writen for our past is who we are and if it were to change we would never be.

Indeed. Any self-righteous prick who tries to argue rules for poetry doesn't actually know what poetry is.

Dead Poet's Society anyone?

If I had been thinking more clearly, at half past midnight last night, I would have clarified that I meant the different forms of poetry. As I said above, I can never remember what it is that, for example, makes a poem a sestina. Not that I think that this necessarily weakens my work, but it would be nice to be a bit more diverse.

I suppose not. Though what I meant was that I can never remember the different forms and what patterns you follow to, for example, write a sestina. I simply feel inadequate when it comes to poetry, because it's not really something I've given a lot of study, the way I have with prose.

As for the past, knowing that doesn't stop me from wishing for certain things. But the art, and the words, do help.

Simple and beautiful. Right to the point, without any of the melodramatic fluff stereotypical poetry clutters itself with. Most would-be poets seem to worry more about making the words themselves look pretty and flowery, than about putting actual content in it. Much like most rappers, they spend all their effort saying a lot of words, but almost no effort in saying something.

You should write more poetry if this is how you write it. Don't worry about formatting or rhyming or presentation - poetry is about emotion and speaking from the heart, as Zervon said. And if this submission is any representation of your poestry skills, you do it beautifully.

Well, at the risk of sounding smug, I've read an awful lot of poetry in my life, from the big names like Shelley, to some of the better known local authors, and I flatter myself that I have some vague idea of what I'm doing. In my philosophy, if I can call it that, I believe that good writing should have an element of universality. A story or a poem should be able to speak to everyone's experiences and emotions, not just to the author's. That's something I try to be conscious of, especially when I write poetry. I tend to prefer to use fairly plain language in my writing, too, and to focus on what I want to say with a piece, rather than trying to make it look lyrical and pretty. There's no point in writing a poem, if it doesn't say anything, after all.

I'd like to write more poetry, if I could. It's simply that, when inspiration strikes, it's usually something I want to turn into a story. I tend to think in terms of characters, and histories, rather than little snapshots, and it's really pretty rare for me to be able to fit an idea into just a few words. But, sometimes, things align themselves just right. Maybe it helps to have something solid from my own life to draw on, as I've done with this one.

Anyway, thank you. I'm really glad you liked it.

You're right, of course. I just feel a little self-conscious when I try to write poetry, because of all of the wonderful poets I know who make it seem like the easiest thing in the world to sit down and write a sonnet. But I do like this little poem, and I think it's maybe one of my better attempts at writing one. It probably helps that I know more now than I used to, as well.

*Hugs tight* I'm very glad you liked it so much. And yes, I wrote this with you very much in mind. I started to say something about it, but I didn't want to embarrass you, or make you uncomfortable in any way. But I did want to post it, in the hopes that it would let you know that everything was okay.

Oh, I've always been very nervous about posting anything I've written to FA. And this poem is so personal that I was downright terrified. I worried about it all day, and what you would think of my having posted it, let alone written it. So knowing that you liked it so much is a huge relief.

*Nuzzles* You're welcome, of course. It really wasn't something I planned. It's just something that started forming after your first response to my confession to you, until I just ended up writing it down. But I really do mean every word of it, and everything you've said about it really means an awful lot.

I'll get to your e-mail as soon as I can, and thank you so much for everything you've said. *Hugs again*