What is Poetry?

Poetry is an extension of us all.  It is the words that we cannot express in prose when we suffer through a tragedy, or when we are trying to pick the pieces of our lives back up again.  It can be a message, a call, from the author to the reader, or simply the expression of the beauty and simplicity of a dandelion at the foot of a Redwood tree. Sometimes it comes from the most raw parts of our soul, or from the rambling thoughts we experience in a 7 a.m. shower.  It can pulse to the beat of our favorite rhythm, or it can be cryptic in its rhythm.  In essence, poetry can not be determined by a prototype. Poetry is a unique look into the world, and into each one of us.