WATERMARK

This is a copy of a post from 2008. I came across it today, as folks have been landing here on searches for "NaPoWriMo prompts".  I think these are actually pretty good prompts, so this will stand as my post for today:

These are not your usual poetry prompts; they deal not at all with form. They came to me in the night, and — though not a poem — I am going to use them for today's NaPoWriMo post. 

If you write from any of these, leave a comment telling me which, and a link, and I'll bring the link up under the prompts so that we can all go visit the results. Who knows, I may use one or two of these myself.

PROMPTS:

1. What color is water?
2. Use these three words: salt, pineapple, chrysanthemum
3. Tell the story of a year in a life (any life) entirely in metaphor
4. Make arithmetic interesting
5. Convince me that wood is erotic
6. What have you learned from your dog? Your cat?
7. That trash bin — what's in it?
8. Describe the smell of iron
9. Turn me on
10. Write your biography in three lines
11. What is comforting?
12. Tell me: what is the basic, primal metaphor?
13. Why should I love you?
14. What do you not regret, though you should?
15. Write a poem that must be sung
16. Why red?