A ruling please.

[Zondrae]

But, Bob,

There must be rules and the rules must be applied. If I were too precious about my babies (poems) than I wouldn't put them in the baby show, would I. It has also been my experience that one single word can hold back an otherwise good poem. I have had several poems that I have sent into more than one competition and done no good. In my heart I felt sure they were worthy. On doing a lot of analysis and after changing one word, or maybe two, they have shone through.

Wouldn't you really feel hard done by if you had a perfect poem and someone else was placed above you with a lesser write? I would. I sweat blood (metaphorically) over many of (well most of) my poems trying to get the metre consistant. Without a lot of success. However I have it on high authority that one day it will all make sense and it will flow like a veritable river from the pen with metre to please the poetry God. Like playing the Ukulele, practice, practice, practice and one day it will feel like I was born doing it.

[Wendy Seddon]

Thanks kids, I'll keep going.
Zondrae, I'll try to not sweat too much blood in the process!
Ooh! Messy!

[Maureen K Clifford]

It works fine for me Wendy.....Go for it....sometimes too many restraints destroy the flwo of a piece, but obviously therehas to be some consistent structure.

Zondrae I so look forward to this day -

one day it will all make sense and it will flow like a veritable river from the pen with metre to please the poetry God.

Sometimes I get it without actually getting it, but then it seems to slip away again. Now I have just become totally confused about it but I am still trying hard trying to whip one into approved shape.