Then you see what the problem is. For another example, I wouldn't write a poem called "I Love an 8-year-old Girl", although my wife certainly was one at one point. At worst, I would write "I Love a Grown Woman Who Was Once an 8-year-old Girl". Which means something totally different. The obvious answer to all this is, Jesus loved Mary when she was a prostitute and nothing He did was wrong. My answer to that is, That's exactly right.

This isn't about blame. Even though I used the word five times in the poem, it's really about causes and importance.

Yes, and proudly, I hope. For you shall be blessed in suffering persecution in the name Truth.

Yeah, and when someone asks me where I recieved my insanity from, I can point to the bookmark's signature: "By Dovina"

You might want to receive comfort by printing this poem and using it for a bookmark. Then you can check each one off as it occurs. Unless, of course, you become one of the 20 million.

HELP! HELP! I'm being repressed!

I am part of the media, and I know the future. Repent of those evil words or die!

Fourth stanza looks fine, to me. :) About the third stanza - it just looks awkward seeing 'I lay' right above and below each other. Maybe two different words, but both meaning some form of 'lay'?

'Seasoned' as a poetic twist of 'seasonal' does not work for me because 'seasoned' has an established meaning; also it would be 'seasonaled.' Actually, I know a woman who says she has only loved only one man, and he has never returned more than a hill returns to the wind.

If you used 'seasoned' as a synonym for 'seasonal' (not correctly, but in poetry it could work) don't you think it could well be a 'seasoned' mate? May be the two people met only once a year. And 'seasoned' could mean 'evergreen' or 'experienced' too. May be he was (or could have been) a seasoned partner to her. Such a tale might seem unimaginable to many but it's not so. For some people their first love is the love of a life-time for them. May be a wastage, but that's how it is.

I meant in the first line.

The '...' shows the story continues. It's a never ending cycle!

I think I'll retain the THE as it refers to one particular thing. Leaves is a metaphor for memory and thus THE is is required. Yes, if you look at the title, it opens the poem to a different level of interpretation and it has more beyond the surface. The poem is about the three stanzas in the life of the man in question. The first is his youth where he loves this woman blindly and his love makes him pretty touchy and frgaile. But she's hard-hearted and remains unmoved by his affection. Later, they develop a certain amount of friendship but it's still not enough to quench the thirst of the man. He offers her his friendship and love but it's still not enough for the woman to develop the long term relationship with him. The third stanza looks more into the life of the woman. They are no longer together or even in touch. She too is now old as the oak and his memory passes by her sometimes and causes a momentary distress i her mind but even that passes of soon and she's back to her normal life. Certain pahrases like 'seasoned mate' and 'too much is never enough' have deeper metaphors but then again, they are for the reader to figure out! Thabks for reading!

I see now that your passion will never subside. You will clutter each and every poem, mine or not, until I give in to you and answer why I said blacks are the most different from whites, or retract it. Well ok then. I now commit to doing that, but it will take some time which I don’t have now. Perhaps this will abate the onslaught.

I see now that your passion will never subside. You will clutter each and every poem, mine or not, until I give in to you and answer why I said blacks are the most different from whites, or retract it. Well ok then. I now commit to doing that, but it will take some time which I don’t have now. Perhaps this will abate the onslaught.

Alert and standing vertical with respect to his center of gravity. Actually there's no other way to stand without falling.