To perfect any skill, one must practice, practice, practice. That is what Christopher P. Obert has been doing with the art of poetry, as evidenced by his book, Reflections: A Collection of Poems & Writings.

This becomes clear as soon as the reader discovers his notes at the back of the book, which discuss nearly every poem, revealing his inspiration for writing it, what form he was attempting to use and information about why he made the choices he did in his poems.

From reading through these notes and comparing them to the poems, it's clear he's done a lot of poetry reading, which is essential for any serious poet. He's also done a good deal of research into various poetic forms and has tried his hand at them, another laudable practice.

He's aware when his poems fail to live up to his goals, as in his notes about "Not Everyone Can Be a Poet," where he writes that the poem is an Ars Poetic, or a poem about poetry, and that he wrote it in the style of a ballad, "which tells a story of recent events, lost loves or supernatural events." Still, he's somewhat dissatisfied with the result: "I feel that this poem is kind of childish sounding but the sentiment is still very true."

While he's right that the poem doesn't achieve its goals — it is, at best, a somewhat truncated Ars Poetica, which usually delve more into the poet's personal philosophy of writing, and it's not nearly narrative enough to be called a ballad — he avoids flowery diction and gets to the meat of what he's saying in a straightforward, believable way.

My advice to Christopher Obert would be to keep going. At this moment, his poems still sound like those of a novice. To perfect his craft, he must continue to hone his skill.

One of the best things he could do would be to sign up for a poetry workshop at a local community college or four-year university, many of which offer non-credit classes for returning adults at reasonable prices. There, he could get some real feedback about his work. At this stage in the game, it's important to hear advice from others, to hear how they see the poems and to learn a variety of ways to improve them.

I would recommend against simply joining a local writing group, since many of them are composed largely of amateurs who feel uncomfortable providing usable feedback but tend to simply pat each other on the back and tell each other how wonderful their poems are.

While it can be difficult to hear criticism, it's important to hear it as a writer if you're going to improve, in much the same way a bodybuilder must work a muscle almost to the point of fatigue in order to make it stronger.

I commend the poet for his ambitious work: this book compiles all of his poems written as of the date of publication. The good deal of thought that he's given to each poem, tracking his goals and his work processes for each, may prove useful in the future as his poetry grows. Likewise, his book may prove interesting to other poets who are just discovering the art of poetry, since many of his notes provide useful information on poetic forms or insights on other poets who have inspired him.

It's heartwarming to see a poet who understands that writing poetry is work: it is not simply scribbling a bunch of personal thoughts onto a notebook. It means seeking out poetry in a variety of forms, practicing one's craft, challenging oneself, never taking the easy out.

Clearly, someone with this combination of love for the craft as well as a strong work ethic can only improve the more he writes.

Obert Publishing, 2005: ISBN, 0-9749291-1-5