Merrick seniors have the ‘write’ stuff

The Merrick Senior Center was full of life and exuberant energy on May 22 as it held its annual Merrick Senior Center’s Creative Writing Workshop showcase. The showcase was comprised of 17 seniors who participated in a 16-week creative writing program that concluded with them reading their work.

Instructor Paula Rodenas, a longtime Merrick citizen, has been a part of the program for 30 years and enjoys the weekly meetings. She says the class has “always been a wonderful group. They all have a lot of motivation and stories.”

The class is centered on poetry, but participants are welcome to write in other forms like dialogue, anecdotes, memoir and vignettes. The class covers many types of poetry, from prose and limericks to haikus. During the workshop, Rodenas assigns tasks that bring out the creativity of her students — such as asking her students to write a poem after seeing a picture. This exercise results in hysterical poems like “Burgers Have Personality” by Rosemary Roach and bittersweet pieces like “It Used to be Us” by Jackie Craig.

The students don’t just keep their work in the classroom — they have also created award-winning writings. Mike Hertz, known as “The Limerick King” by Rodenas, recently won a poetry contest with his limericks about the pros and cons of being a senior citizen. “I read at Lido Beach. There was a lunch in for 360 guests,” he said. Hertz has been a regular member of the workshop and loves coming to work on his poetry. “I started when I retired six years ago,” he said. When asked about his favorite part about the class, he said it’s the people he meets and the life stories they tell.

Bernice Busch is another longtime member who was recently a finalist in a competition for her poem “My Bouquet of Flowers”, in tribute to her friends that have passed away. Within the class there are “some funny poems, prose, and conversations,” Busch said, but all of that is due to Rodenas’ leadership. “She’s very instrumental and helps all of us; supporting us,” she said.

“I’ve had people in their nineties,” Rodenas said proudly. Through the 16-week program, poems and written works about love, loss, aging and the beauty of life flows through the Merrick Senior Center. All poets come from various walks of life with stories to tell. The writers open up about their childhood, loved ones, religion and reflect on the lives they have lived.