Category
"On the one hand, the Aristotelian, perhaps evolutionary need to put everything into categories—predator, twilight, edible—on the other, the need to pay homage to the transitive, the flight, the great soul of being in which we actually live."
– Maggie Nelson, tHE AGRONAUTS FIRST…
Create a list of 12 categories.
Spend about 60 seconds on each category, listing as many antithetical things as you can. These will be things that do not fit into the category, but may somehow work to describe and/or challenge the category in some way.
Examples:
Category is Twilight: candor, mallard ducks, tarot cards
Category is Predators: starlight, pill bug, bouquet
Category is Edibles: rocks, salt water, still life portraits
Category is Arachnids:
Category is Flammables:
Category is Hummingbird:
Category is Disaster:
Category is Paranoia:
Category is Intoxicants:
Category is _________:
prompt
From this list already a poem is forming, I can feel it. If you’re ready to write this poem then go on and write it. If you need more prompting…
Now that your list is formed circle the ten most interesting objects, ideas, or categories.
Write a self-portrait poem that includes all of the ten objects you circled.
