Barry, I believe W.T. Clark's comments about honesty did not refer to your poem, but in general to one's crits of the poems of others. His comment was, I believe, occasioned by this remark of yours in your original post: "I can't post my poems yet, as I am required to give positive responses on others work first, that's fine, but I wonder if someone could explain the etiquette a little for me."
You have gotten sidetracked from this original enquiry with your own poem on this thread. But I must respond to your question about etiquette. You acknowledge that you are not allowed to post a poem until you have shown good faith in critting the poems of others (and not in a "positive" way, this is not a vanity board, but simply in an "honest" way, as W.T. observes). Yet then you simply go and post a poem on this thread! Don't you see the contradiction there? In fact, there is a rule on the boards that poems are not to be posted on talk threads, but only on the prescribed poetry boards according to the rules. So (I say this in a friendly manner, and since you asked) you are in breach of the rules of eitquette of the boards.
As far as explaining these rules of eitquette, well, it is really quite simple. This poetry board, in order to thrive, needs writers who are as interested in the work of others as in their own work, as interested in the collection of selves gathered up here, as they are in their own selves. The strict rule that one must first crit the poems of others, well, it takes one's eyes off of oneself for a period of time, at least partially; and that is, in the end, quite healthy for both the individual writer and for this board where those individual writers are gathered.
This is also a somewhat advanced poetry workshop, so your profession about writing ("it was fun, my only real aim") rings a little out of tune with some of the arduous work that goes on up here. Just sayin'.
There is no hurry to crit and post instantaneously.
Sit back and observe, test the waters gradually.
That seems the best approach to becoming an active member here.
Respectfully,
Nemo
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