Poems by themselves are nothing more than clever phrases. When they connect with important moments or emotions they become much more powerful. I recall memoriz

Poems by themselves are nothing more than clever phrases. When they connect with important moments or emotions they become much more powerful. I recall memorizing and composing poems with my mother on long car trips growing up. Some of which I can still recite. I remember revising a poem for school, sat on the toilet, next to a shower on full hot, because the heater was out and the house was freezing cold. Birds chirping in the morning remind me of the line "And smale fowles maken melodye that slepen al the night with open ye" in the voice of a memorable teacher who predicted the only thing I'd recall from his class was the intro to the Canterbury Tales. Poetry is a lot like idiomatic code. It looks right. It feels right. There's a thrill when a terse expression efficiently accomplishes exactly what's needed.