Painted by Charles Wilson Peale
I am participating at the Shannon Abercrombie writing challenge for the new year. We just need to do the prompts and post a comment. What’s cool is we aren’t required to publish anything on a blog.
Today’s prompt is: “Write a brief piece about a subject (it can be a person, an animal, a historical period, or even a fictional character), starting with a question, and noting fun facts that may allow the child to guess who or what you are interested in, before you give the satisfying answer.” ~Roxie Munro.
This reminded me of a poem I sent off to Mary Lee, a belated summer poetry exchange poem. I didn’t make Mary Lee guess the person but he’s someone who’s life fascinates me, Benjamin Rush. Here’s the poem:
Benjamin
Rush
Declaration signer
American Revolution Doctor
Disagreed with General George Washington
Corps of Discovery used Dr. Rush’s Bilious Pills: thunderclappers
The high mercury content: left clues for archaeologists tracking Lewis and Clark’s route
Dr. Rush know for bloodletting, father of American psychiatry
Against slavery, advocate for education
Fifth great-grandfather provides
Middle name
Jone
Rush
I am always grateful to link at Two Writing Teachers and to read about other slices of life.
Jone Rush MacCulloch 
In the years my class studied American History, I often started with those founding fathers, having each one researched, then presented by a student. They were brave and courageous, weren’t they, Jone. Your writing challenge sounds interesting.