Having recently bitten someone's head off, on another board, over a perceived (but unintended) insult, I believe the problem is ecological. As you know, late September is the peak season for prickly pears, which propagate through microscopic prickly particles that waft on the breeze, and, when inhaled, have been known to cause prickly sensations. The high winds from Hurricane Ivan seem to have exacerbated the problem this year, hence the heightened prickliness among the general population; and this perhaps poses an even thornier problem among poets, many of whom seem particularly susceptible to this allergy.
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