Thanks Matthew! Happy to publish this piece since it’s well-constructed verse and we like to encourage thought-provoking points of view embedded in rhyme.

I do have to note for the record that I agree with Christina’s main thesis — while introspection, emotions and self-reflection are the indispensable fuels of poetry, pushing those raw materials out to your audience shouldn’t be done at the expense of attention to the craft. Reduce, revise, refine, sleep on it — always.

I myself am prone to similar tough-love rants aimed at my fellow writers from time to time:

Thanks, and welcome to NCiR’!