Hi ER, I think the power of Carver is that he uses no word tricks, just simple language without a single wasted word. Carver's poem I used in this piece is a positive piece I think, just taking a moment of time, the peace and satisfaction of riding in a car with his brother, just killing time, hoping the moment might last forever. Trauma? Or just a skilled writer taking us along for the ride? Try some Mary Oliver, especially her later work, all nature and peace and thinking about the moment of time she is in. You play sports, you learn the skills of that sport, you dance, and you spend years mastering the basics so you can finally make it look natural. Gymnasts start when they are four, put in the years, and maybe are good when the are 18. Writing is the same, master the basics, as Carver did, to make it look so natural and easy. Thanks for the read ER and keep reading, there might be more to it than meets the first glance. And nice to meet you. thom