h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This is, yes, heartbreaking. I think the Why? repetition breaks up the calmer reflection appropriately. I don't think it can be considered a legitimate poem with so many cliche's (button nose, ruby lips, etc) but it certainly is a moving reflection.

What do you consider a legitimate poem though? How do cliches change the legitimacy of a poem?

A legitimate poem would not have cliches, unless they were doing something different with them. Poems are meant to change you, just emotionally even, every time to read them. An ideal poem is word-perfect. You wouldn't change a letter of it, it's beautiful no matter which section you read (Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is a good example of this).
As far as emotions go, this is very, very sad and moving, but I would not call it a poem.

But surely as poetry is so subjective, what one person likes is what someone else dislikes. There are no hard and fast poetical rules, unless one stays with a recognized style. THink of T.S. Elliots works:Can you say that isnt poetry?.

My mother died Jan 2003, and it would be easy to adapt "Why" to fit my feelings. It works for me, and thats enough for me.

Modern Poems

Modern poems/no sense/no rhythm/no tense.
Modern poems/no rhyme/no humour/no time.

Written by my mother as a moan at critics. (she could be very sarcastic)

Keep up with the poetry; its a great release. And if other people dont like it so what. Some will.

Lots of purrs & love

true . . . what can't you call a poem? nonetheless, i wondered at the publishing of what seemed a deeply personal piece, even if it is by many standards a poem.

All that a poem has to do is stand alone from any surrounding text, if its part of prose, and at the end of the day, make you think YES!!!
That is how I felt/feel/would like to feel. One knows a poem whilst reading it.

Modern poems (Blank verse etc) can be judged by the same standards.

Bear in mind how Shakespear could go from prose to poetry in a single act- think of Henry V.

Anyway I think its good.

well if it does something for you personally, then it is in that respect a poem. i must still object to the dependence on cliches, etc.
you have a very poetic attitude toward poetry . . . i do not know if that helps your criticism be objective. but of course, the poetically attitudinal would say that poetry criticism is NOT objective, and they may have a point.

Hell, Ive written enough rubbish in the past, and having had about one in three pass my 'read it the next day' test, only perhaps one in ten of those get properly published.

Good job Im better at novels, or Id be broke!

Anyway, can we leave this and go back to the lighter thread till tomorrow.?