I am in the process of editing a book of poetry now. I insist on speaking directly with the poet for approval before making any changes. The best poems are made up of images that are perceived differently by different people at different times. And like all art, they cannot be made perfect.
I learned that from my American Indian Grandmother. Indians purposely place an imperfection in everything they create. A small off color bead will be sewn in the hem of a dress or a slight lump placed in pottery. It is meant as a tribute to the Great Spirit, the only creator of perfect things.

What the editor did with your work was wrong, but as I have learned in theater, sometimes you have to give up some of yourself and what you consider perfection in order to get your work seen and heard. Sometimes it is worth the trade off.
Blessings.
smile