I’ve got a dilemma. I know that it’s true.
Keep reading along and I’ll share it with you.

My Seussian tendencies have got me quite stuck.
I try to break free but I’m stuck in a rut.
“Not all of the stories I write have to rhyme,”
I say to myself as I jot down each line.

But rhyming is what I seem always to do.
Should I reform and try something new?
I start with great plans, big ideas in my head,
But rhythm and verse are what come out instead:

Rocks in My Socks; Head on the Bed;
Who’s Toes are Those; That Word that Fred Said.
The rhyme is so easy. It’s catchy and fun.
With a meter that’s pleasing, it rolls off the tongue.

Yet… what will the critics think of my work?
“Juvenile, simple, with way too much quirk!”
They’ll sigh as they rip it and tear it to shreds,
Gnashing their teeth and shaking their heads.

But what can I do? Where next should I go?
Should I censor myself or let the words flow?
Maybe simple and fun is what it should be
If I’m going to be honest and be true to me.

So, let them pass judgment. Let them say what they will.
The rhyme is true artwork. It captures us still.
For all of you out there who like a good rhyme,
Raise up your voices and let your lines chime.

Worry and scurry and Larry and Hank,
Scary and hairy and cupcakes and bank,
Silly and Willy and frilly and wood,
Sylvester and Chester. Now, doesn’t that feel good?

Thank Heaven for rhymes, so melodic and plain,
That come from some place deep inside of our brains
Where there’s longing for innocence and childlike refrain,
Instead of the worries that bring so much pain.

While the world can be troubled, a frightening place,
The rhyme offers haven for heartache and grace.
It rings of our struggles, it sings of our joys,
It gives us a platform to raise up our voice.

Use it with hope, or for passion and rage.
Let it draw images that jump off the page.
Use it to question and use it to praise.
May the rhyme carry with us through all of our days.

So, whether you use it to challenge beliefs,
To talk of your struggles and pour out your grief,
Or use it for mirth, to bring humor and fun,
Let the rhyme be your template – it gets the job done.