Quintessence

Indeed a very nice poem and a quintessence of well written poetry. :-P

Indeed a very nice poem and a quintessence of well written poetry. :-P

'Purest or most typical instance. Pure, Highly concentrated essence of a thing. The fifth element in alchemy - completion of a work.'
^^
I love how you have started your poem with a definition as I had no idea what the word meant. As a writer that really is a talented trait - to be able to display to the readers an extension to vocabulary and to back it up with meanings!

There once was a girl, who taught me a word
It sounded strange to me, when first it was heard
I couldn't quite understand exactly what it meant
so to the distant corners of my mind it was sent
^^
Here you are entering the reader into a story - a personal story of how you encountered this world - I find story telling techniques in poetry is so highly effective and powerful as it allows the reader into your mind. You are expressing experiences that have happened so freely - gripping the reader in and when consuming the words you have written, enter this experience and world that you are expressing!

For a long time, this word remained a mystery
until I met another who embodied it entirely
though not in a manner I expected it to
the word became crystal clear in you
^^
Beautiful extension of experiences here! You really highlight a skill for drawing in the reader - here I want to know more and love the details of this realisation that you have put forth - that this word came back to you yet its meanings are different according to the situational analysis as well as the people involved.

Quintessence of a friend
quintessence of a lover
quintessence of a woman
quintessence of myself found in another
^^
Love the use of repetition here - this can easily be transformed into a song - the good flow of the poem structure as well as the easy read and rhyming scheme! I also like the different situations where this word can relate too!

Now that I know the meaning of this word
and the ways it can be read
I am quite astonished and flattered
by what that girl back then had said
^^
This stanza displays a sense of reflection as here you are contemplating the understanding of the word yet the essence of it continues to surprise you as the experiences and situations it associates are always different.

And as i think about it more and more
I realise the truth about a dear friend
she's not like any other I've known before
and she'll remain in my heart until the end
^^
I can truly relate to this - For me it was the opposite - I took for granted a girl that was my best friend growing up we were so close, yet it was because she secretly liked me the whole time and I was blind to see it and then all of a sudden she just avoided me and it hurt so much then I realised that I liked her also but it was too late, although we are no longer friends and havent been so in years and years she continues to hold this place in my heart and whenever our paths cross, although so rare - emotions consume me and I feel like I am re-entering the same person I was when it all occurred.

Quintessence of a friend
quintessence of a lover
quintessence of a woman
quintessence of myself found in another
^^
Another reason this could also be a song as this can easily be a chorus - I love how you repeated this - truly builds emphasis and power - expressing to the reader the main important points you are trying to convey!

Thankyou for sharing such beautiful words and poetry!

I rate this poem a 5 out of 5!

This is a beautiful poem Jacquie, its so heartfelt and soulful and the flow of your words is incredible 5/5 :-)