1. Spend thirty minutes writing about a childhood obsession. The obsession can be anything tangible: a geographical location, a toy, a sport. Be able to use the five senses to describe the obsession.

2. When you’re done with your free-write, read through what you’ve written once. Try to capture the essence of your obsession in a five-word image. Write that five-word image down.

3. Tell your obsession to get lost. Write a poem that attempts to rid your life of its presence. Get rid of your images and your associations. Throw out its seductions. Toss out its murmurings. You’re through with it. Now banish it. This banishment poem needs to contain the following ingredients:

1) A kitchen apparatus.
2) A body of water.
3) Lyrics from a “pop” song.
4) The word “madrigal” needs to appear at some point in the poem.
5) Your five-word image from the previous free-write.
6) The first line should be the same as the last line.