If she were ever to publish a book of poetry, Kansas Beta Mary Ann Atzenweiler Woodcock would call it “Homespun” because her poems are written from the heart. Her first poem, written in 1959, was an assignment in her high school English class. The topic, a reflection on Fidel Castro’s overtaking of Cuba, she chose on her own.

Mary Ann writes her poetry by hand in a small, spiral-bound notebook, the kind that slips easily into your purse. Most are written in black ink pen (not ballpoint because they tend to annoyingly run out of ink), in Mary Ann’s messy cursive. Sketches accompany some while others have a picture, cut from a magazine, taped to the page. Most are simply stanzas on a page.

All the poems have titles. “The Train Whistle” causes the mournful sound of a train in the distance to ring in your ears. “It’s Summertime” makes you yearn for poolside reading and backyard BBQs. “Cloud Gazing” encourages you to take a moment, relax and find the pleasure in simple things. “I write whatever comes into my mind,” Mary Ann said, though she admits the seasons are one of her favorite topics.

Her poems also rhyme. Not the invented rhymes of Dr. Seuss, but the familiar pattern of alternating rhyme, back and forth, and back and forth. The rhyme scheme makes Mary Ann’s frequent reciting an enjoyable, comforting exercise. During conversation when asked questions she loudly exclaims, “Oh, I have a poem for that!” She remembers them all — no notes to peak at or breaks to remember the next line. “They just stick with me,” she said.