These prompts are inspired by Traci Brimhall’s two poems entitled “Dear Thanatos,” and “Dear Thanatos—“both of which address the obscure Greek god of peaceful death. Choose a minor deity, one that calls to you, and write a letter addressing the god/goddess. If you wish to also write to/about Thanatos or another Greek deity, this link is a good resource.

The next prompt is a word list compiled from both poems for you to use in your poem: “bridge,” “coiled,”bruise,” “fossil,” “damn,” “ease,” “liver,” “feast,” “testament,” and “wracked.”

The third prompt is to use the line “Damn the daylight, too. Dream me” as a ghostline. Remember to erase the line after you finish and credit the poet for the inspiration.

If you wish to read more of Traci Brimhall, check out her website. I love her book Rookery and have her next two on my list to buy.

For a final prompt, write an ekphrastic poem from the image below. You can be historically accurate (refer to the link provided above) or whatever you wish.

Good luck!