If you are feeling dry—both in writing and in editing—sometimes a fun exercise is to riff off of famous poems. It’s a good way to keep practicing craft even during the dry periods, and you can give joy to others.
Twitter had a trend of people spoofing the famous William Carlos Williams poem “This is Just to Say” a while back. Recently, artist and illustrator Dawline Oni-Eseleh offered her own version on an @AITA thread (Am I the Asshole). Perfection! Follow her on Twitter (@Dawlinejane_Art) and check out her website. If you are inspired to write an ekphrastic poem for one of her artworks, make sure to name the piece and give her credit.
For your first prompt, write your own version of the poem. Bonus points if you can write a poem that skewers an asshole.
And, yes, I have offered this same prompt, but I have a soft place for this particular poem because my maiden name sounds like “plum” and have written multiple versions of the poem.
For the next prompt, choose another poem to follow the structure but using your own words and experiences. Be careful that instead of paying respect to a poet or parodying a famous poem, you aren’t simply plagiarizing. If you feel that your intention may not be completely clear, don’t share the poem as your own but consider this as just an exercise. Not all poems need to be published or performed.
Bonus prompt: write an ekphrastic of this monument to my culinary skills. Or a horror haiku. Your choice.