They can be stressful sometimes, but some of my poems owe their very existence to the presence of a specific commitment about when and how a certain poem will be communicated to another person.
A blessed deadline helped me break out of my winter slump recently. It was an especially useful deadline because it is an event being held at an art gallery and I had agreed to write two poems about two paintings. It wasn’t like submitting to a magazine…miss your deadline and they just don’t consider you. Missing this deadline would have meant flaking out on something that was specifically expected from me and creating a blank slot in the program.
So I got the two poems done. I got them done in time to send them off. I had to finish a version of them even if they felt stupid or awkward or forced. In doing so, I was reminded that finishing a poem is satisfying even if doesn’t seem like my best poem ever. I was also reminded that sometimes a poem can grow on me.
It will be interesting to see what the artists think of my contribution, but I have gained something from the process no matter what happens.
Lori Lynne Armstrong 
Yes! It’s like that idea that the hardest part of going to the gym is stepping through the door to go. Writing is absolutely about writing even when you don’t want to, and it is honestly the only way to really get better–no shortcut. Great insight!
It depends on how you feel really. If you are okay with it not being perfect then it’s okay. 🙂
Congratulations on completing the two poems!