Poetry 101

Let me see...paper--nothing too glossy: even the novice instinctively knows last thing a serious or not so serious poet needs is wasting time attempting to adhere skiddy words to slick, skating surfaces. Pencils--yes! Lots of pencils-- with penetrating points; and clean erasers-- used sparingly of course; for only blank punctuation or to smudge a few doubtful words: for gentle thumping of the forehead, trying to coax those unruly vowels and consonants to fall from mind; all those literary children-- Incorrigible! God Love them! A task getting them to stop bouncing around long enough and settle into some sensible roll call with reasonably clean faces-- Oh!--almost forgot: Learn to feel comfortable undressing in public.