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Suzette Richards
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Mission statement: I don’t use AI to generate or even tweak my poetry, because I am a better poet than it.

 

Poetry has been my passion since my retirement from an accountancy based career a dozen years ago. I currently live in South Africa and this rainbow nation has inspired many of my poems. I also have British nationality and embrace their grammar and spelling, but I read widely and am not fazed by strict grammar rules: A pavement/sidewalk; glasses/eyeglasses; judgement/judgment, et cetera; they are one and the same to me when I read poetry. To date, I have self-published a number of books, including the poetry anthology by international poets, © Time, 2014 ISBN 978-0-620-60578-6, and have been cited in many international publications, both poetry journals, as well as in scholarly handbooks. Some of my short stories have been published in international electronic publications, and one of my novellas had been short-listed for an Afrikaans SA publication.

I serve on the Board of Advisers, of Taleemi Baithak.

I have a number (14 to date) poetic forms to my credit, notably, Suzette Prime, 2012 (listed here on PoetrySoup under Types of Poems), as well as The Tesla 3-6-9, 2017, and Suzcrostic, 2021 (listed under New Poetic Forms here on PoetrySoup), Suzette sonnet (Suznet), 2023 - introduced via an article here at PoetrySoup, as well as the brand new Suzette Swan Arc, 3  April 2025. These all resist AI imitation.

My most recent books which include examples of my poetry as well as notes regarding poetry - available directly from me:

  1. © The Eutony of Words, 2018 ISBN 978-0-6399382-0-2
  2. © Docendo discimus, 2021 (Revised 2023) ISBN 978-0-620-95432-7
  3. © Flight of Thoughts, 2023 ISBN 978-0-6397-8880-7
  4. © Downtown - Poetic Devices, 2023 ISBN 978-0-7961-1968-1
  5.  © Rocking Poetry, 2033 ISBN 978-0-7961-2824-9
  6. NEW: moonwake - Suzette Prime poetry, ISBN 978-1-0370-1836-7(PDF). It is a collection of 61 Suzette Prime poetry spanning from 2012 (when I designed the poetic form), up till now.

A Gentle Nudge is not a Critique

Blog Posted by Suzette Richards: 7/13/2025 3:17:00 AM

A gentle nudge is not a critique; it’s an invitation to join the conversation.

We poets know the thrill of the first draft—that delicate dance of impulse and imagination, typos and truth. But what happens after we hit ‘submit’? Sometimes, silence. Sometimes, applause. And occasionally, someone offers us a nudge.

Not a rebuke. Not a rewrite. Just… a tap on the creative shoulder.

Too often, nudges are mistaken for criticism. But what if we saw them instead as signs of life in this poetic ecosystem? A nudge says: I read you. I heard you. I wondered what would happen if…

It’s an invitation to engage, not defend. To reflect, not recoil. To grow together, not in isolation.

Whether it’s a comment suggesting a fresh line break or a contest prompt that dares us to write with one eye closed and the other teary, it’s all part of the magic. Nudging builds bridges between our minds. And in a time when many voices echo but few truly connect, that bridge is sacred.

So next time you receive a nudge—thank it. Or better yet, pass one along. Who knows what poetic wonder you’ll inspire?

Let’s keep the dialogue going. Imperfect. Authentic. Alive.

Happy quills!

Su



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Date: 7/13/2025 11:50:00 PM
I guess that some people will happily queue in front of a WC door that has a "Closed for repairs" sign on it. I like what Andrea said that if you know the person, giving them a nudge should be fine. Personality, I used to give people a heads-up when it involved my contests, but would rather give it a miss nowadays. In conclusion: Watch from a distance and interact when you know your tribe.
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Suzette Richards
Date: 7/14/2025 8:44:00 AM
From personal experience, some of my poetry definitely benefitted by timely nudges, eg, the final line of "Verismo" was supplied by Sara K, lifting it up to the next level. Recently, I added a stanza to my poem, "Echoes of Poets", after a comment left by Kim R had me thinking about refrains, tone etc. A wandering mind - even when I read poetry... Some draws me in from the beginning and one can't help getting immersed in the picture painted. :)
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Linda Alice Fowler
Date: 7/14/2025 8:14:00 AM
I agree with Andrea. "They" say that ~30% of the population is overly sensitive. Realizing you are that person, you should try understanding yourself before getting your hackles up. LOL. That said, I am cautionary with gentle nudges (constructive criticism) unless I am a member of the same tribe. ;) I am ever-thankful when someone takes enough interest in my work to encourage me with their comments. :)
Date: 7/13/2025 7:22:00 PM
I learned my lesson years ago not to give worthwhile nudges of critiques. Several poets took great defense to it. So now I just shut up and unless it is a good friend, I won't give any advice unless it involves things such as pointers on obvious typos, reminders of syllable counts or other rules people missed pertaining to contests they are entered in. They do seem to really appreciate that, at least. Myself, I have taken a few pointers into account if I truly felt the poet has given me helpful device that bettered my poem. I don't mind such nudges. But a few people have been way over the top with me and I just quietly ignore them then.
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Suzette Richards
Date: 7/14/2025 9:22:00 AM
Yes, same here ... Some lessons learned.
Date: 7/13/2025 11:39:00 AM
Thank you
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Suzette Richards
Date: 7/14/2025 9:24:00 AM
Bless you, Craig. Your opinion is always appreciated as it keeps me on the straight and narrow. ;)
Date: 7/13/2025 8:50:00 AM
Suzette,I am forever grateful to Debbie Guzzi for the 'polite nudge' she gave me ( circa 2011) to move on from 'short forms' to longer poetry which resulted in me developing my own individual 'open' organic style in 2012.Cheers Debbie.
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Suzette Richards
Date: 7/14/2025 9:25:00 AM
Yes, sometimes we may be ina rut and a good friend can give us a nudge to expand our horizons.
Date: 7/13/2025 8:31:00 AM
You are asking highly emotional people to be civilized...I wish it could be so "fragile the heart that is insecure"...
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Suzette Richards
Date: 7/14/2025 9:26:00 AM
I can but dream ...
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Andrea Dietrich
Date: 7/13/2025 7:23:00 PM
True in some cases, that's for sure
Date: 7/13/2025 8:21:00 AM
What a wonderful blog. I have often had poet friends point things out to me and I'm so grateful because I want to hone my craft. Usually they are typos. I have this system on my phone where I can quickly get words out by connecting letters. My fingers fly...I don't click each one so, typos are a plenty!! Content is another matter... we can either take the suggestion or leave the work as is. The important thing is dialogue and learning. You have such s way with words, dear. LOVED how you wrote this blog. Wish I had that gift of choosing the right word for the right thought! :)
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Suzette Richards
Date: 7/14/2025 9:28:00 AM
Thank you, Eileen. We all have something to contribute. Who knows what doors we are opening for others?
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Eileen Manassian
Date: 7/13/2025 8:21:00 AM
You can nudge me anytime!!!! :)
Date: 7/13/2025 7:31:00 AM
Encouraging blog, Su. Let the nudging begin!
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Suzette Richards
Date: 7/14/2025 9:29:00 AM
Thanks, Mark. :)

Previous Blogs

 
Go Fish - A Book Prize
Date Posted: 7/30/2025 1:37:00 AM
Mathematics, Poetry, and Trust Issues
Date Posted: 7/26/2025 2:10:00 AM
A Fascinating Cultural Tension
Date Posted: 7/20/2025 1:20:00 AM
Blasphemy
Date Posted: 7/14/2025 8:12:00 PM
A Gentle Nudge is not a Critique
Date Posted: 7/13/2025 3:17:00 AM
Tonal Slippage – The Ins and Outs
Date Posted: 6/30/2025 4:45:00 AM
THE AI-BRAIN SYNDROME SYMPTOMS
Date Posted: 6/26/2025 3:09:00 AM
JUDGING GUIDE FOR SPONSORS
Date Posted: 6/20/2025 1:10:00 AM
Suzette Swan Arc - Contest Finale
Date Posted: 6/14/2025 12:12:00 AM
Suzette Swan Arc and AI with Examples
Date Posted: 5/25/2025 6:00:00 AM
Lost in Translation
Date Posted: 5/21/2025 3:17:00 AM
Elements of Nature - Suzette Swan Arc Poetry
Date Posted: 5/14/2025 11:20:00 PM
Klein’s Vase Verse - A New Poetic Form Freer than Free Verse
Date Posted: 5/7/2025 12:54:00 PM
Free Verse – How Free is It?
Date Posted: 4/26/2025 11:37:00 PM
Gender Influences on Contests
Date Posted: 4/20/2025 2:54:00 AM
Memento on the Moon
Date Posted: 4/9/2025 12:26:00 AM
Tariffs on Penguins Limerick
Date Posted: 4/4/2025 7:02:00 AM
Light or Shadows
Date Posted: 3/25/2025 1:55:00 PM
Blood Moon Eclipse - Light or Shadows
Date Posted: 3/11/2025 12:46:00 AM
A Timely Intervention
Date Posted: 3/2/2025 12:42:00 PM
On a more serious note
Date Posted: 2/23/2025 5:40:00 AM
Weekend Wacky Limericks
Date Posted: 2/22/2025 3:34:00 AM
Saints and poets maybe – The Bride Trilogy challenge
Date Posted: 2/14/2025 12:37:00 AM
Saints and poets maybe
Date Posted: 2/9/2025 4:24:00 AM
According to the poem’s meter is stressed
Date Posted: 1/25/2025 9:53:00 PM

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Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry