oh**oh**, this is beautiful. i love this poem.

its wonderful

sometimes when we write (and I'm sure you know this)
we don't like it. And we don't know why.
simply because we write to serve.
and you have served me with this beautiful, beautiful poem

-lady

the first time I read this I didn't like it, to be honest. but then I reread it a few times and it grew on me a lot, especially certain areas, the first stanza, "the strange way a thumbprint" (! thumbprint!) and the smart, kind of "sassy" ending. being in a slump myself I know poetry can be demanding work, and for having been in one, you wrote something quite worthwhile. here's to hoping you get out of it soon- your stuff is always a pleasure to read.

I have to agree with you that the beginning is charming - especially the image of 'quiet machines' and thumbprints turning into heart-shapes, but it does dwindle a bit as it goes on. Although I do not quite 'get' what point you're trying to get across, I would suggest you cut this poem in half - because it seems like it's two poems vying for one space, if you know what I mean... If you cut one poem from the beginning 'til:

(and my voice will quit
into my stomach if left alone)
and then make the left over parts - from 'did you know?' onwards - into a totally different poem, I think you'd be left with two completely decent poems instead of one kind of confused one.

- Clap Trap, from Review Marathon (link in my profile)

I love the last three lines.
the beginning seemed kind of odd to me because of starting the poem with "to stop". i couldn't really get where the thought ended or where it had gone.