[Cally Conan-Davies]

G'day, David!

It's the strangeness of "the Dhoor", indeed the whole first line, that actually makes the poem far from 'unpromising' to me! I like that it begins "when" was the Dhoor, not 'what' was the Dhoor.

What follows is universally true. These "Dhoors" are holes or wobbles in our family histories. In all histories there are Dhoors! But it's really how time lulls us into feeling it's a line. But there really isn't time. And some things are gone when we go.

I enjoyed this, and enjoyed pondering the thoughts that grew from the simplicity of your expression.

Cally

[Perry Miller]

If we take the word "Dhoor" to mean something in your mother's past that isn't quite understood or identified, then the poem works for me -- although you say she "taught" there, so how can it be a complete mystery? That line alone is in danger of derailing the poem (to the extent that it identifies the "Dhoor" as a school). To keep the poem entirely mysterious, you might change ...

It was somewhere she taught, the Dhoor.

... to this ...

Was it somewhere she taught, the Dhoor?

Do you see what I'm getting at? This will never be your greatest masterpiece, but it will fit somewhere in your canon.