The residents intently listen to Hoos in the center’s dining room.

So it’s not surprising the Montague resident’s career included poetry, and now in retirement he’s sharing his love of verse with residents of Heartland Health Care Center in neighboring Whitehall.

And, the former Montague High School teacher, has been faithful in sharing poetry at Heartland, showing up the first and third Monday afternoons (3 p.m.) each month to share his favorite verses with a core group of faithful listeners.

“I’ve been coming here (Heartland) to read poetry since I retired from teaching in 1985,” Hoos said during a recent visit to the skilled nursing care and rehabilitation center.