So, I've never been very good at writing poetry but lately I've turned to it to deal with my current crush. I would love some constructive critique or some poets and pieces to read for more inspiration. If you want to share your poetry here too, that's also fine.

Now, I love writing freeform, because it lets me get my emotions out without trying to find rhyming words. I just write in the style of my train of thought, really. I feel that it keeps things short and sweet. Here's one of my freeform pieces:

You deserve to love someone, Who loves you in return, and I don’t stand a chance against The alternative, a perfect girl, Her loose curls and big teeth, I’d rather live a life of heartache, Seeing you smile, in her arms, Than see you with any less Than you deserve

And then there are times where I actually put some effort into my writing and rhyme the words. No particular pattern. I just roll with it.

We could be holding hands In the midst of a crowd, And the chatter is constant And their voices are loud, But quiet compared To my heart in my chest, Strangers act like they know me But you know me best

Our fingers are tangled And our lips often meeting, But your feelings for me Are infrequent and fleeting, People ask if we’re dating You smile and shrug, You say we’re just friends, I’m wrapped in a hug

Oh, there’s that smirk, That confused look, “Come on, who do you like? You’re an open book.” Our hands pressed tight, Just like my pages, From cover to cover, Anger rampages

You know that I love you, But you pretend that I don’t

• You know that I love you, but you pretend that I don’t, and I don’t know how to feel about that, 2016

Please let me know what you think of my writing! If this isn't allowed then I apologise! Also, I have a poetry blog if you want to check out the rest of my writing.

Hi :) Thanks for sharing your poems. These are both great starts. I have written some feedback for you, that I hope you will find helpful.

In the first poem you posted, the narrator seems to be saying something like - "She will love you better than I can, so I'd rather see you be with her." Though it's a short piece, I found a few moments I think you did really well. First, I love how you put a line break after the word "and" on line 2, followed by "I don't stand a chance against" on its own line. The line break after the "and" forces the reader to make a small pause before continuing to the next line, a phrase which is now emphasized by that little pause (and also by being on its own line). That little pause after the "and" is a small detail, but it's significant, because it allows anticipation to build in the reader for whatever may come after - making the "I don't stand a chance" even more powerful.

I would change "the alternative" to something else, something more descriptive, because as it is, you are coming out of a powerful moment, and I feel that "the alternative" sort of takes away from that. Can you think of a phrase you could use to describe the other girl - a phrase that might simultaneously accomplish something else (either capture the essence of that girl, or the essence of your feelings about her, perhaps?)

I like "loose curls and big teeth". It's great to be given imagery like this in a poem, so that I can start to picture the other girl. It's even better that what you described is not the conventional idea of beauty, but rather hints at that girl's personality. (Loose curls + big teeth make me think of someone outgoing and carefree.) It's a unique image that helps draw the reader into the poem.

I would end that line with a period, not a comma, as it's the end of the thought. This seems like a minor detail, but it's important to signal a full stop to the reader because what you say on the next line is so important. The comma prepares the reader for a continuation of a thought; a period prepares the reader for a new thought. It gives a different feeling.

This comment got rather long, so I'll be a little more brief with the next poem. First of all - great job on the rhyme. It doesn't sound forced at all (something I've noticed a lot of beginners struggle with when they try to rhyme). It flows. I like how the poem just ends with a couplet rather than another full stanza - it gives emphasis to that couplet as well as something else I can't quite put into words. Constructive criticism: I love that you used imagery in this poem. My only suggestion is that, in future writings, try to come up with more and more original images. This is hard at first but gets easier the more you practice. What I mean is that the imagery you've used are pretty typical for a romance situation (holding hands in a crowd, fingers tangled, lips meeting...) In future writings, you could challenge yourself to try to convey the same ideas, but using images that aren't used very often.

In general, I think you should give yourself more credit. :) These aren't masterpieces but they show that you've got potential and I think you could become very good at writing poetry if you keep doing it! You have real emotions to express, that are interesting and relatable, you have a good sense of language as well. I hope you keep writing and keep sharing <3