Nicely written and well expressed, Ted. I also have a colleague I thought of as a friend who has turned into somewhat my nemesis, by continually belittling my poetry and mutual commenting on the posts of others , especially if he deems their writing not worthy of positive comment.

He has claimed he isn't a poet and if he does write a poem he rubbishes it. I once made the mistake after such a comment to say, " ... I have read a lot worse poetry than yours." He apparently took offence to that believing that to also mean, "I have read a lot better poems than yours." Ever since that day he became critical of everything I wrote or said.