The occupational hazard of the hyphen -

When a poem or a writer's body of work drives me nuts - steers me gonads - accelerates me testicles.. whoops! wrong joke -

As a poet-critic, when I feel sharp irritation at a poem or body of work, immediately I quarantine myself: what quality of my own do I not enjoy seeing mirrored here, exactly? What tendency would I prefer to avoid enacting - Narcissistic despair? Smart-alecky one-up chop-shop stuff? More of the gusto, please? etc.

Criticism like poetry the opportunity to bring a preponderance of love and excited attention to bear on.. whatever it wants.