If I'm Gonna Help You Write a Poem -- It's Going to Rhyme

Just the other morning I was working in my den, wrestling with a piece I’d written 2, 3 weeks before, When nephew, David Jensen - who had stayed with us that night - and was struggling with his homework - did a ‘tap-tap’ on my door. “You don’t have to knock,” I said, “you’re not disturbing me...I’m working on a poem I wrote a couple weeks ago.” “Our homework for the weekend is to - write a poem,” he whined...and, Uncle Mark...you’re the only poet that I know... “So I was kinda hopin’ you would help me with my project. Luckily our teacher says, ‘it doesn’t have to rhyme!’” “Doesn’t have to rhyme,” I hollered...“that would make it prose... and I will not be party to a literary crime! “I’ve been writing metered verse for more than 30 years, and - having cut no corners in the process all that time - If she’s disappointed you can blame the piece on me, ‘cause if I’m gonna help you write a poem...it’s going to rhyme! Then little brother, Grant, piped up - who’d also stayed the night, with...“I’ll whip up a picture that will sorta match the piece! I’m super good at drawing,” he self-confidently bragged...a trait we knew he’d gotten from our not-so-humble niece! Well, by the time the poem was finished - and the illustration - both the boys and I were feelin’ pretty doggone good... And while - like me - they do agree that ‘POETRY’ needn’t rhyme...they now believe, to be a ‘POEM’ --- opposed to ‘PROSE’ --- it should!