Writing Student

I taught school for 32 years, and I taught writing to children and adults.  This poem states my feelings about writng and loosening up to it:





                                                                            Young man
                                                                             staring into space,
                                                                             are you searching
                                                                             for the right word
                                                                             or just hunting in                                
                                                                             the vast jungle
                                                                             of your thoughts?
                                                                             Watch out
                                                                             for the tigers of apathy,
                                                                             and the cliche' python
                                                                             that will squeeze
                                                                             your good thoughts
                                                                             to death!
                                                                             Don't let the
                                                                             the worry of misspellings
                                                                             become stinging insects
                                                                             that keep your ideas
                                                                             inside---
                                                                             Afraid to come out
                                                                             and be seen.
                                                                             Open the door---
                                                                             Release your mind--
                                                                             And let that new
                                                                              Red pencil
                                                                              begin to
                                                                              write.