In my writing class, a collection of minds,

where we focus on true or imagined stories of love,

as we painfully sketch our way to new insight,

and hang our varied thoughts on a page.

In my writing class, flashes of character

may sprinkle a canvas with colors of

despair, smiles, struggles, tears, and laughter

while we hope, over time, that the history

which is in all of us

will arise

in the pages of our book.

— Tom Mach lives in Lawrence.