My Senior Adult Minister at Skillman church somehow talked me into facilitating a class on “personal writing,” encouraging people of my age group to write their memories, stories, poetry, etc. One of the class assignments was to write a poem which brought a lot of groans! This
is the “demo” poem I wrote:

Stretching Your Mind
By Ray Thompson

Our writing class
May not last,
Beyond the second lesson.

A poem, assigned
To stretch the mind,
Was roundly booed by many.

“Too hard!” they said.
“Oh, why the dread?”
I said, to these whiners.

“That’s just the point,
And why I did anoint
You as poets undiscovered!”

Will some try, and find
It did expand their mind
To catch the muse in rhyme?

Or, will they despair
And bring only “air”
To class for us to read?
RMT 2003