“The new metaphor is a miracle, like the creation of life.” – Donald Hall
Get your hands on a packet of seeds from a friend or hardware store, plant nursery, dollar store, or order online through a seed company near you.
Plant a seed in a pot of dirt. Give it a sunny window; water it.
Consider this tough little shelled life that’s buried in darkness until it’s ready to sprout. Does it remind you of anything in your own life or in the world?
Each day, write about the seed, its progress, your feelings for it.
Stick to sensory details and specific language. Don’t force any comparisons but allow metaphor to be drawn through your creative intuition (for inspiration, read Homage to the Mineral of the Onion (I) by Erin Mouré. )
Write about the long wait, the first green, the anticipated sprout.
Write about the stem, the first true leaves, the eventual bloom.
If the seed fails and doesn’t sprout, write anyway.
Write even if you totally forget to water it and, months later, you find a pot of dust. Write about that.