I love this poem by Sharon Olds: how it progresses from a young child’s simple puzzle to a complex physics problem as the child herself progressed and how it connects the physics example to the mother-daughter role and then upends the expectation.
For the first prompt, open by describing the physical action of a game or child’s activity, connecting it to a specific memory either from your own childhood or from parenthood. See where it takes you in a poem, story or essay.
The second prompt is to use a scientific theory or concept as a metaphor for a human relationship or interaction.
The third prompt is to write a poem or story using the following list of words: “pieces,” “flush,” “frames,” “wooden,” “groan,” “scarlet,” “gaps,” “rung,” “hum” and “grown.”
For the next prompt, use the line “I have not grown up yet, I have lived” as a jumping off point, finishing however you would. After deleting the line (or kept in with italics or quotation marks), give the poet credit for inspiration.
The last prompt is either begin or end with the line “I have not been born yet” in a poem or story, again remembering the poet.
Bonus prompt: write whatever this photo of butterflies crowding around a wasp trap for a drink.
Good luck writing! Have fun!