Writing Exercise # 32

I've given this exercise in a few workshops before, but I've always handed out the phobias. In this case, it's up to you:


INGREDIENTS


1. List five phobias you have. If you don't have any, make some up. Need some help? Who's your mommy!?!?!

2. List ten routine things you see in a house. Or a city. Or a church. Or a playground. Or a supermarket.

- - -

Title your poem with one of the phobias as well as the setting you chose for #2. For example, "In The Church of Automatonophobia." Make sure the routine things are tweaked to accommodate their settings. I'll always remember when a poet wrote, "In The Town of the Forgetful / the mayor is a dead elephant / there is no electricity / the daisies deceased..." What do the people here pray to? If you want, write a letter from someone who lives in this place to a person in the "outside world."

If you don't want to do a phobia, and would rather it be "On The Island of Well-Hung Waiters," SWEET.

Dream big, kittens. This is your fairytale. This is your daydream't nightmare. This is your fantasy island getaway. Happy birthday, all the time.

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(This exercise was inspired by this get-up designed by the late great Alexander McQueen.)