In the world of poetry there are would-be poets, workshop poets, promising poets, lovesick poets, university poets, and a few real poets.

The lovesick, the betrayed, and the jealous all smell alike.

A poem is never a put-up job, so to speak. It begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness. It is never a thought to begin with.

A poem begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness.

In the world of poetry there are would-be poets workshop poets promising poets lovesick poets university poets and a few real poets.

A poem begins as a lump in the throat a sense of wrong a homesickness a lovesickness.

The lovesick the betrayed and the jealous all smell alike.