Poetry Reviews are not for Pansies!

My family doesn't like to read poetry.  A couple of the members of my family consider ANY type of reading a punishment.

One day after supper, I asked them to read one of my poems.  I knew it was a bad idea, but I was just that desperate for feedback.

Shortly after they each had a copy and started reading - the conversation went something like this:  (They didn't even get past the first line, which started with, the rather cliché phrase, "Dust motes ...").

"Dust mote...what the heck is a dust mote?”

"Dust mote, mom you have a mis-spelling, it's dust MITE."

"Ain't a dust mite a bed bug?"

"You wrote a poem about bed bugs?" 

"Isn't a moat something that goes around a castle? Why the heck are you writing about a ditch full of dirt..." 

When I finally finished laughing, I asked them if they understood what the poem was about.

"Well duh, words on a page..."

Well - yes - but it is also about stories, and about history, and the importance of writing down what happens before it is lost forever. It's about keeping creativity alive for the ages. It's about remembering people we have loved.

I know my poem seemed bland and boring, maybe even juvenile, but just getting something out there was an important milestone for me.

I have however, learned a very important lesson.  If I ask my family to read my writing, and request their opinions, I had better be able to take what they dish out.  In my family, reviews are not for the faint of heart.  Poetry reviews are not for pansies!


To review the poem yourself, visit: 

Words on a page  (E) A poem about reading; Request suggestions for improvement #1760343 by Sil