ON READING OTHER PEOPLE'S POEMS

I judge a painting on a simple term, one benchmark that covers them all - considering everything else I ask: ‘would I have this up on my wall?’ I love to read other's poetry and I hope that they love to read mine. There's much to be gained and lost (only time) and iron, it is writ, sharpens iron. And yes, I can list the things I insist make a poem a wonderful thing: what does it say and without cliche; does it rhyme when it's read, does it ring? Does it resonate, this topic they chose? Is their point belaboured or brief? What image was used to start a thought? What thread runs through the motif? Criteria piles up and gets in the way - are there artless gauges or signs? Perhaps, in the end, did it make me say: ‘How I wish I had written these lines’?