Wow - a powerful write although it just confirms my long held beliefs " 'bout them thar mountain folk" .

OK - bad joke. This is a serious subject and one that's often whispered about but seldom sees the real light of day. Bravo for tackling it. It is a fascinating read and I applaud you for capturing the severity and serious nature of this without sensationalizing the details.

Let's talk form for a minute

Narrative poems don't have to rhyme (although many do) What is important is two things - the story (which you aced, by the way ) and - for lack of a better word - the communication. Typical narrative forms are written in blank verse - unrhymed pentameter. This was totally vers libre.

The key to free verse is to keep a poetic feel which is difficult to do. I kept looking for a reason why you made your line breaks where you did - how they helped the flow of the story or emphasized a particular point. I didn't get a good consistent feel about the why. Some were obvious but some seemed arbitrary - like you felt the line had gone on far enough and it was time to move to the next. I'm probably wrong .

Overall, a great story and a most provacative read. Thoroughly engaging and enjoyable.

Thank you for sharing your talent and abilities with me today.

Ken

PS Yep - sending those pesky GPs back LOL. Keep 'em for the new comers.