I see what you mean, and I think there might be something here...one problem I've noted is that I can't have two POE sessions running at once, but that is exactly what I need (both the draft program and the trade program).

I got this impression from the following link poe.perl.org:

POE's event handlers are cooperative. No two handlers may run at once. Even POE's dispatcher is suspended while an event handler is running. Handlers therefore have an opportunity to monopolize a program. They cooperate by returning as quickly as possible, allowing other parts of the program to run with only minimal delays.