I love this poem by Beth Marquez, published by Mulberry Literary, builds upon itself to that breathtaking ending and allows readers to make their own connections between the images and reasons.
For the first prompt, make a list of causes without stating the effects or clarifying their connections, using “Because” as an anaphora.
As a supplement to this prompt, change “Because” to another conjunction for the anaphora. What happens when you use “but” or “when” or “if”?
Your second prompt is to use “Because the footsteps in the hall / are approaching” as a ghostline for a poem or short story. Or choose another statement from the poem for an ghostline. After using it as a jumping off point, remember to erase the line and give credit to the poet.
The third prompt is to write a poem or story using the following word list: “flush,” “steep,” “shine,” “leaves,” “locks,” “lace,” “clasp,” “bloom,” “mouth” and “fall.” Try to switch up the parts of speech (nouns for verbs and vise versa). Bonus points if you can use “oubliette” and “shawl” in your piece.
And the last prompt is simply a writing exercise. Mad Lib the poem, changing all the nouns and adjectives. If you like a particular line (or entire because-statement), use that for your first line.
Good luck! Have fun!