poetry for peace

So I went to poetry for peace last night and heard some interesting poems. The theme was gratitude and many made some good points. The theme also went along with Thanksgiving which was cool. A few dealt with what you should be thankful for. And it pretty much came down to be thankful for the hardships in life, mainly because they make you stronger. I though it was nice that people have been embracing the good as well as the bad. After all, I think you learn a lot about yourself when you are facing a challenge. It kinda makes you grow as an individual, and I guess make you a more understanding person. Like the more you have been through, the more you can understand situations of others. It gives you a connection to others. I am not sure of the exact lines but it was something like life should be "healthy, strong, and beautiful as a poem." It was cool to see someone's definition of what a poem should be. I thought that the line was slightly vague too though. I mean what exactly is beautiful? This makes me think of Ashbery's poem for today. That as readers we all have our own interpretation of a poem and the poet writes, hoping for a certain interpretation I guess. I think that's the part of poetry I think the best. There are no right or wrong answers. It is simply what you think and that really isn't set in stone either. You are always allowed to change your mind.