The white space simmers around its poem. "Make me make you profound," it hisses to the ink. "Otherwise, stick with prose and fill me from margin to margin." The blank page is the poet's most severe judge. When it comes to writing a poem - especially a short poem - one must justify the space in which the poem is captured. The poet should ask, "Am I serving the page well as its single representative?" A great weight of expectation rides on the short poem. Here are some of my favourite short poems that entirely justify the space around them: Mrs Darwin By Carol Ann Duffy 7 April 1852 Went to the Zoo. I said to Him— Something about that Chimpanzee over there reminds me of you. non-creation vs. creation By Kat Obsessed with creation - the idea of it. So quick to define, title and sculpt. But, what if you waited. Don't create. Just wait. See what emerges. Haiku By Billy Collins Mid-winter evening, a...