This paper discusses, from a personal point of view, the process of writing a poem, from inception through revision to the final product. The intention is instructional for any person who wishes to explore the nature of creative, directed expression in language. Because it is a personal account, however, it is idiosyncratic in nature and possibly not teachable in a broader pedagogical sense. It is a kind of workshop, albeit one which is focused on self-criticism and the intuitive personal evolutionary process through which a poem matures. The paper was written as a self-reflective assessment of the author's own approach to writing and done so as a possible model for others interested in writing and how one individual goes about the process. From an instructional viewpoint, such explanations may provide useful tools for writing poetry, particularly in the case of the novice. (Contains 3 samples of writing with revisions noted; the created poem is appended.) (Author/CR)