In addition to being omnipresent on the planet (every culture has a conception of lyric) poetry appears to have been written and composed in every ancient and historical cultural we’ve been able to investigate. And yet, many people (including writers) never read poetry. Why? Or perhaps more importantly: why not? In this two-panelist conversation fiction and creative non-fiction writer B.K. Loren and poet Juliet Patterson discuss poetry and the personal lyric, as both a source of inspiration and a tool of the writing craft. What’s special about poetry? And how does poetry enlist imagination in the art of story? What can poems teach us about metaphor and language? And beyond matters of craft, how does poetry specifically speak to the heart of the creator as well as find a solace in the reader who finds transcendence in the work?