Hello. Although just prior to this time 1 year ago, I had stepped into cyber world-it was on a flipphone so......yeah!
   Anyway exactly 12 months ago i got my first portal key( smart phone) and was immediately overwhelmed like a kid walking through the gates of a Disney park or a teenager walking into the first concert venue or anyone (okay me) walking into my first Colorado "green " grocer.

Anyways something happened and I'm having to redo this my apologies.

     It was on the day before Thanksgiving that I found hello poetry and posted my first poem here. What has ensued in that time has been the best year of my life and the worst year of 28 years I've lived here on this secluded 10 acres in central Oklahoma.
  It is been a great year because of the boost in my spirit and confidencie you have provided,  and the worst year due to the fact that as a remodel carpenter in oil field America, I was left with no work through all of winter January February and beyond. In order to keep my 40 + Wolf Cross dogs alive and myself , I was forced to pawn most all of my tools of trade to get through  that terrible winter with  oil prices so low. (it hurts my hippie soul to say that)  As for the 40+ wolf dogs.... they're a service breed  I created over almost forty years.
   Not a pat on back thing here.  I train and provide them to people who are in need.
   They're also the thing (responsibility ...since I have no other )that has kept me alive all these years
.
They are my personal responsibility and anchor !   Contact me for more info. .PTSD, Autism ,Severe Depression,  Parkinsons etc.

     Don't get  me wrong.  I'm not whining or crying ; in fact, I would not have traded this hard fought year for any amount of money. Truly!!
    So as to the Thank you part.
  I was made boyant by the welcome and appreciation of my work as December sloshed on , so much so that I ;with some trepidation, posted 3 pages of a novel that.had all but abandoned (once again) due to lack of self confidence.
   The feedback was amazing, so in january i posted the first chapter
( prolog) and grew a set ( of standards) haha !!
   Now I'm almost 100,000 words into the rough draft.

  So my HEARTFELT THANKS AND APPRECIATION TO ALL.
  
Those who have read me and commented, those who have read my work and gave it  a like and all you have just read my work.  
  A special thanks  to all of those who have no clue ;at all, as to who I am but post here on hello poetry or come to support by reading  for you are  keeping it a lively and vibrant place for all those who post here!
Thank you.
  The apology part of this comes with a slight deviation for explanation purposes.
   I do hope there are some; if not many ,who will understand when I say - that very often -I put pen-to-paper , write a poem, then I will have to read it to see what I wrote and /or do a self interpretation of.
    Therefore I must say.  "Due to a constant fear of plagiarism ( any form shape or reason)  I refrain from reading other people's works ;while on a writing Jag, such as I have been on since January this year
    Inspiration is a wonderful thing, but - for me- there's a very fine line between that and plagiarism -so I must be sure!

       Simple as that!

  Since that mid-January day when I became convinced that I had viability beyond poetry( due to the comments on my novel pages) I grew in proportion and in that nine months I have not missed a single day of writing- at least one decent poem. 
  Alas, all good things must end and  I was thrown from the saddle two weeks ago.  
    All good,  because now it gives me the opportunity  to read the wonderful works of  others here; who, due to  the manipulation of 26 simple letters are able to  create worlds,  grow Gardens of wonderment,  Forest of enchantment or frightful wickedness and of course ' those who write down the painful or personal words from their heart their souls and sometimes just their reason for being.  
  So to all those here : I apologize for not reading you and commenting as I now wil,, with all sincerity each feedback I give.  (Until the next  writing Jag happens of course),  I am 60 years old soon and I must write while I still can.
 Though I will try to find a balance  now.

   If you have read this to this point ....thank you very much and I will be reading you.

With Peace Love and deep appreciation

                                 .   Keith w Fletcher