SOMERS - Mary Ringwalt, 43, of Wind Point, describes Moe, her family's Portuguese water dog, as "the love of my life."

When she heard the first family also got a Portie named "Bo," the wheels started turning for the writer, who enjoys writing rhyming poems for weddings and rehearsal dinners as a tribute to friends and also teaches writing classes at University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha and Gateway Technical College in Racine.

So came "Moe's Ode to Bo," which she read out loud to her Composition Preparation class at Parkside Monday afternoon.

"It's to add a little humor to the classroom and to personalize your relationship with your students," Ringwalt said. "Also it's fun to play with language."

The rhyming poem, beginning with, "Yo, Bo, it's your bro Moe," drew applause and appreciation from the class, as well as a few laughs.

"Without (the rhyming of) Bo and Moe, I'm not sure I'd have written anything," Ringwalt said.

Ringwalt sent the poem to the White House in April and finally got the long-awaited reply in August. The White House response, albeit a generic letter from Michelle Obama including a picture of Bo, was exciting for the Ringwalt family, she said.

Ringwalt is even considering sending a second poem. The first one was a hit with her students at Gateway, she said, when she read it back in April.

On Monday, she also read the second poem, "Moe's Ode to Bo, Part II," to her Parkside class. The students encouraged her to send a second poem to the White House, saying she has a better chance of getting a personalized reply this time.

"It shows you care," said Cedrina Washington, a freshman in Ringwalt's class.

Her goal is to get a rhyming response - perhaps from the Obama girls.