I just finished week one of a new school year. Everyone is writing. My creative writing students are (re)establishing their writing practice with timed writing and go-to prompts (like I Remember…) but I fit in one exercise with a group.

As You Like It from Room To Write by Bonni Goldberg

Today draw comparisons between two things. Choose at least one from your surroundings. The other can be an object, a person, or an abstract concept like love, jealousy, fate. How many ways can you compare them? Go for at least twenty-five. Stretch yourself.

I looked up at my classroom ceiling. I wasn’t going to compare a ceiling tile to anything. I wrote down Fluorescent Light. Then I cheated a little, thinking of two or three immediate comparisons, and wrote Truth. We gave ourselves fifteen minutes. I got to number five in my list and blanked. It got easier around number fifteen or sixteen, until I got to number twenty-four.

1. glaring
2. can be harsh
3. brings clarity to a situation
4. not shy
5. unavoidable
6. hidden until a switch is thrown
7. runs on a current
8. can prompt finding a softer alternative
9. sometimes unwelcome
10. long lasting
11. hums under conversation
12. made strong through/ by reflection
13. sees the way flesh goes: cellulite, bruising, pores, lines, veins
14. can yellow
15. not always everywhere we go
16. may cause a headache
17. wakes you up, ready or not
18. knows not everyone is a fan
19. offers no apology or excuse
20. can change the atmosphere of a room
21. conserves energy
22. eliminates shadow
23. necessary
24. blinds
25. restricts what happens next

Try it. Turn it into a poem. Or explore a comparison from your list.