How do you know when a poem is finished?
When the poem flows as well as it can. When the poem jumps off the page and demands to be read in one sitting. After this reading in one sitting, if there are no hiccups or errors, one knows it is finished and ready to submit. I feel that figuring out when a poem is complete is like when you’re making oatmeal in the morning without instructions. It’s not your first rodeo. You know what it takes to get it just right. Before a poem is ready, you tinker with it. You add spices or specificity (of imagery, for example) to the initial writing. You make sure the punctuation accentuates the pace and tone. You add a little of this; take out a little of that: until it's just right. Sometimes poems require very little editing. Others require a more hands-on approach,
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