Living my golden years as athlete, naturalist, photographer, and occasional poet, happily married after 50 years. Frustrated idealist still, and trying not to be cynical. Lifelong student and teacher.
My three Sixfold poetry submissions have fared poorly, barely in the top 1/3rd, but my submissions to poetry journals have done better. I had 7 poems published last year.
I'm not a fan of most prose poetry, most narrative poetry, and much post-modern points cynicism. My favorite contemporary poet is Billy Collins. Robert Frost is one of my favorite moderns.
I read poems aloud and expect good poetry to show craft beyond those of an essay, diary, flash fiction, and other prose. Is it poetry- with sounds, rhythms, imagery that delight, stun, excite, or calm, and is it worth reading a second and third time?