Prompt

Write a poem about a character who goes for a walk at the beginning of autumn. Make it
a clear afternoon. Have this character walk twelve blocks. One line per block. Let his eyes
describe each object he passes. Show your readers what he has gained or lost along the
way. Let his mind wander as quickly as his feet. A forgotten train in which people are
still traveling. A sigh passing. A door that never closes. Remember– show your readers,
don’t tell. Hold still as you try your hand describing the prints of famous watercolors
plastered to the bus stop. The Ferris Wheel under construction. The face of the auguste
clown gesturing at the camera. Match it, color for color. Consider the little leaves.
Consider the wind so gentle. Consider its early autumn song. Consider adding a quote
from Cocteau as an epigraph. Let your pen slip. Let it sink in to where the sun is very
strong, & where the shadows, very pale– lengthen. Vanish them. Act as though your
character recognizes the gentleman sitting alone on a bench on the quay of the Seine,
tossing fresh bread to a swan. Have the man use the phrase, “After me, the flood.” Give
him a name. Take a deep breath. Start each line off with

Because
because

Adam J. Gellings is a poet & instructor from Columbus, Ohio. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Louisville Review, Salamander, Willow Springs & elsewhere. He currently teaches writing at Columbus College of Art & Design.