1. Today’s Prompt: Change
Our lives are constantly changing as we navigate what we can and can’t control. Every day there is a new beginning and ending—in big and small ways. We fall in love. We lose an eyelash. Write a poem about how your life is changing. Be specific. Change is complex and emotional on any level because it reminds us of our humanity—and of our mortality. Get writing.

2. Formal Poetry: The Sestina
A sestina is a form of poetry that uses a method of repeating words at the end of each line. It has 6 stanzas of 6 lines each, with an envoy (or tercet) of three lines to conclude the poem.
The first six-line stanza should alternate the ending word of each line using the following pattern:
Stanza 1. ABCDEF
Stanza 2. FAEBDC
Stanza 3. CFDABE
Stanza 4. ECBFAD
Stanza 5. DEACFB
Stanza 6. BDFECA
The seventh stanza should be three lines long and contain all six of the words from the list.

3. Some Sestinas
“Sestina” by Elizabeth Bishop
“Hooters” by Ms. Rolfe

4. Now Write your own!
You may work in groups up to four.