Catatonic Comments

Nancy, you have, it is most obvious, put much thought into this poem. You are an animal lover, as am I. I love dogs. Dogs, cats, what have you - we are ALL God's creature. But avoid repeating certain words or phrases like 'stand' and 'won't'. This easily gives a reader the impression that the poem was composed by someone less than mature. I don't know how old you are. I don't mean to offend you. Your poem is sincere, and you appear to be a person who loves sincerity and has heartfelt adoration for animals. If a poem lacks rhythm it appears to the naked eye as simply prose.Rhyme helps, but even that, if over used, makes the poem silly. Animate the inanimate. Let your images, metaphors, sounds and other textures explode before the reader's eye. Let everything fall into place. A good poem must have a gentle flow about it, like the rolling waves in a current of water, running along its path, carved into nature's breast. But it was good. I give it 6/10. Keep trying. Never give up writing. You have raw talent. James