Note: Our internet crashed due to a violent storm. I cannot correspond with any of you until it is fixed, hopefully in a week or two. My postings have been prescheduled, so they will continue. It’s storming as this additional note is being typed on a tiny cellphone.
Note: The following reflects my personal outlook regarding the best types of poetry; if the poetry that you write or that you happen to be fond of is not of the type that i most admire, it does not mean that it is not valid poetry for you; (it does not mean that it is not interesting to me ; one finds many types of poetry interesting). Everyone has different tastes. Please do not be offended if the following poem does not reflect your viewpoints on poetry.
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If it takes your breath away
and helps you see the world with less fragmentation,
then that’s poetry
If it encourages you to take better care
of Mother Nature and of yourself(who is part of her),
then that’s poetry
If it goes beyond mediocrity,sameness,and bourgeois values…
causing you to not merely see through others’ eyes,
then that’s poetry
If it takes away the crass separation between
the observer and the observed,
then that’s poetry
If it merely enthusiastically entertains you
without a profoundly deeper meaning,
then that’s not poetry
If it merely helps you to fit in
with the copiers,the mimics,and the perpetually indifferent,
then that’s not poetry
If it fixates you with more mere details to maintain a blindspot
regarding truth for the rest of your so-called life,
then that’s not poetry
If it helps you to see
beyond the ordinary,
then that’s poetry
If it peels away your stiff,robotic dependence
on the patterns and symbols of others,
then that’s poetry
If it comes to you uninvited,silently in the middle of the night
bringing immense insight,true bliss,and vast understanding,
then that’s poetry
If it helps you to actually feel
rather than to merely mechanically react and think,
then that’s poetry
House Hunting (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2017
House Hunting (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2017
Tom's Nature-up-close Photography and Mindfulness Blog 
keep safe Tom
Sorry to hear about the weather/Internet issues. It has been pretty violent here in FL as well. Take care and be safe!
Sorry to hear of your storms. Keep safe and dry.
I think you can say something in poetry that just doesn’t translate to prose. “Takes your breath away” sums it up well. (And yes, I know I don’t write this kind of poetry, but I do enjoy reading it. )
That poem is my sort of poetry Tom 🙂
I love this poem! Good luck with your internet connection. In our state storms knock it out often.
Thanks for these standards for us who have to be selective on our browsings because time is running out. Also the pixelated second photo could perhaps be the bird’s vision frequencies seen as it is eye-balling the guy with the camera…
that’s wonderful, Thomas. Hope your internet connection will be ready soon, even though some days without will not matter for such an intelligent person like you. Regards Mitza
Thanks for your insight on what poetry is. Sometimes I feel like I am supposed to write poetry a certain way but then I just write how I feel. Hope you internet gets fixed soon. I have lived through many a power outage!
Wow. Beautiful.
Tom, I hope you get a quick fix on the internet, to continue enjoying your writings and your photographs!
I really liked your poetry! 🙂
Please check out my website and book of poems. Such an appreciation for these great works 🙂
Lovely and deep
Please check out my blog on my favorite poems. Some of it atleast fits into your description of poetry. This poem provides the guideline to writing more poems and will stop me from meandering. Thank you.
I thoroughly enjoyed this poem about poetry and I agree with your viewpoint on what poetry is. I’d be interested to know what you think of my poetry if you have the time.