After next month, the poetry group I’ve been a part of for the past three years will be disbanding. I am sad about it. It has been great to have the support of other writers and the monthly deadline. Because of this group, I actually have a stockpile of coherent poetry. Thanks Kristi, Joan and Cam for your insights and dedication to the well-written word.

Here is a partial list of our prompts we used for our meetings. I know I’m missing a bunch, but I take it as a good sign I can’t remember the prompt when reading through the poems.

Partial list of poetry group assignments:

• A pop culture poem
• Using a word you hate in the text of the poem
• Each line has to start with the a letter of your name in order
• A set of 5 haikus or tankas
• A sonnet
• A political poem
• Travel poem
• Point of view from a country other than the United States
• A poetic response to another author’s poem presented in workshop
• A group poem written with each stanza written by one poet (this took a few months)
• An historical event
• Starting with a line taken from another poet
• Love poems
• The point of view of an animal
• A ballad (personally so hard for me I never completed one)
• Sestina
• Inspired by other work of art (a song, a painting, a play)
• Inspired by an object found in your house. Show & tell included, if possible.
• Revision of a poem not yet presented to the group (with a copy of the original poem to share)
• Comedic poem
• Based on a photograph taken at a place recently visited (Season 2 Project Runway style)
• A packet of 5 poems revised for publication