Cross & Quill

First order of business, I promised to provide poems this month, so here we go:

The Red Wheelbarrow
by William Carlos Williams

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

Exercise 1: Poetry Exercise

Using "The Red Wheelbarrow" as an example, choose an ordinary household item, for use indoors or out, and describe it. Try to avoid using cliches, but paint a clear picture in our head of this particular item. Be sure to include a statement implying the importance of the object without beating the reader over the head with it.

Exercise 2: General Exercise

Time Warp

Think of an era you would like to be from (past or present, real or imagined). Give yourself a new name from this time, using your current initials. If you think you should be of the opposite sex, make that change, too. (Remember, this is only a fictional character based on things that intrigue you.) Be sure to include the following information for your character:

Name, age, religion (real or made up), what do you spend your days doing in this era, who is the closest person to you, and what is your favorite possession? You are now this character. This means that this particular piece should be written in first person, even if this is something you wouldn't normally try. Start with the line: It was so close I could taste it...