Haggard

I think about editing old poems all the time, but find it very difficult. One reason, as you allude to, is that old poetry does seem like shit - we move on and improve. Another is that all the elements that make a poem - thoughts, feelings, rhythm, vocabulary - all change as well. I find it difficult to get into the same mode from which the poem originally sprang and thus the editing feels uncohesive.

One request I'd make of you, mosquitobyte, is that you stop flooding the site with your old poems for awhile - it not only has a tendency to make us disregard what you're posting, but also tends to bury whatever anybody else has posted. Many of us turn to the Latest Articles page to see what's new. Maybe you could limit yourself to one a day for awhile? I find you to be an interesting poet and would enjoy seeing either your favorites or what you're currently writing.  As it is now, I just see an endless (though certainly prolific) stream of titles from which I can only randomly choose.