Yes, I'm a bad poet.  In more ways than one.

Some of my writings are okay, a few are really good, and a lot of them suck.  I think that goes for just about everything, not just poetry.  Unless you're an uber genius, which I am not.

Also it seems I have to be in the mood to write poetry, and that comes and goes in waves.  There's something about when you first get into that first hot wave of a new relationship, it sparks a poetic mood.  And then there's alcohol, which can spark the same mood (but usually not the same quality of writing.)

The alcohol that sparks my mood the most is absinthe, preferably mixed with champagne -- in what Hemmingway used to call the "Slow Death in the Afternoon Cocktail."  I love that stuff, but I've had to back away from it, because no if ands or buts, it's a drug.  Also I've noticed it makes me more than a bit crazy, and this thing that's called "moderation" goes out the window.

My friends, "MODERATION" is something you should keep near and dear to your heart, especially if you want to live a long happy life.

I'm working on a manuscript right now in which one of the characters is a poet, and she's teaching the POV character poetry, and so I'm going to have to start writing some poetry again.  I'll steal some of my better poetry from myself and use that, but I'll have to come up with new pieces as well, and I'll post them here.

Please, do me a favor, and tell me straight out if they suck.  I can't judge my own poetry, so I need objective advice.  The good thing is, ones that suck, I can use those in the book as examples of ... well, poetry that sucks.

Tongue across wet lips

Love is a four letter word

She speaks silently

Her fingers in mine

My fingers between her lips

My heart in her hands

She shows me such things

Bright public hidden and dark

Mom never told me