I wrote this poem in one of the two poetry-writing courses I took, Xer.

 

I don't write poetry, but learning the forms and the conventions of poetry has made me a better prose writer. And these classes were such fun!

 

My thunderstorm takes place in a symphony orchestra. It's gratifying to know that a reader gets wet when he reads it.

 

I wish you would relent and post some of your poems, but I'll try not to wart you. (Do you know, I've met people up here who don't know what the verb "wart" means?)

 

Talking of regional vernacular, a woman in my writing group, who grew up in Houston, had one of her characters say, "I swan." I was the only person in the group who knew that wasn't a typo.

That's pretty close, Xer. It's sort of like nag, as in nagging someone to do something that person doesn't want to do.

 

Do you know what "I swan" means?

You're right, Xer. In our culture, it was a sin to say, "I swear." (Something about taking the Lord's name in vain.) "Swan" is to "swear" as "darn" is to "damn." Actually, my people took a dim view of "darn" too. The older ones said "dadgummit" from time to time.