How do I know if I write decent poetry?

[Foolacious]

15. If your other poems are of this general calibre, then I would say, yes, they're pretty good.

But here's what I notice in this piece:

The first five lines are highly metaphorical; you express your idea by painting a word-picture in an inventive way. They're really good. But the final line seems out of synch with them. It uses a very obvious simile to describe a very literal truth. For whereas clouds are not literally burdened, or resolute, and do not mount, or falter, they do literally contain rain, which they do literally shed. And what is that rain like? Tears is the very first thing that pops into one's head.

You might instead tie off the piece by remaining metaphorical, but painting the word-picture more economically:

"And weep."

Or by letting a bit of literalism in without buttressing it with an obvious simile:

"And shed their rain."

Those aren't suggestions so much as examples or illustrations of how you might maintain the texture of the piece all the way through.