Well, she is perfectly correct. People aren't interested in poetry. I like poetry, but only poetry that rhymes and has rhythm. I have no interest in poetry that doesn't. Most people feel the same way.

I eventually read up about why so much of what I don't consider to be poetry is now accepted to be poetry. Apparently, poetry is supposed to experess profound thoughts.

Well, lots of books express profound thoughts, and as what they say is just as much prose as that of poets, the books that tell stories at least have some entertainment value.