Here’s the way my poetry workshop works. Once a month, we meet in the Mansion Activity Room, the workshop usually draws about 15 people. We choose a topic – today it was “Poetry In A Storm.” We ask people in the room to offer their ideas about the poem and today, they all wanted a poem that rhymed.

When, everyone has added their ideas, I talk to them, read them some poems I have chosen, and take the poems home and pull them together. Julie Smith, the Activities Director at the Mansion, writes them up on the board.

We struggled to rhyme today, but the feeling behind the poem was strong and clear. I can pull it together.

I hope we can publish these poems in book form, the way we did the Mansion book, “Tales From The Mansion.” This day was special, the biggest storm of the season was  raging outside, and I felt strongly drawn to get there, which I did, although a bit late. I’ve never seen the roads in my town so empty or slick, people know how to handle snow up here.

I was so glad I went, I was right. Even on cold and wet days, the residents go outside for short walks or to sit on the porch. They were feeling landlocked today, and I think a bit lonely.

The poem about love circled around, there were stories about the heart and lost loved and lost loved ones, and love left behind. This one is going to be tough to pull together, but it meant a lot to the people writing it together, I am surprised at the deep love of poetry some of the residents have.

Madeline, Tim, Allan, Peggie seemed the most interested in poetry, I think they would love any poets sharing their own poems or their favorite poems with them. You can write them c/o The Mansion, 11 S. Union Avenue, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816.