I read about a person who sets up a table with a typewriter in Los Angeles with a sign that reads, ”Poem Store. Your Subject Your Price.” And people who pass by can ask her to write a poem about any subject that is on their mind. One woman requested a poem on ”New Beginnings.” A man asked for a poem on ”LongTime Love” to give to his wife. The poet then begins to type and soon pulls a written poem from the typewriter and reads it out loud. For the poem, a customer can pay what he or she wishes and place the money in a tin box that sits in front of the poet’s typewriter. Now it’s your turn: Why don’t you run your own poem store and have a friend or fellow student request a poem from you on a subject that is important to them? See what you can write — it doesn’t have to rhyme, but it should be from your heart.

What if I asked you to write your life story in just six words? Maybe these would be six separate words that describe the highlights of your life. Or, maybe the six words combine to form a simple sentence that conveys the most important belief you have or what makes you different from other people. Or, maybe the six words describe you physically. Try this to see if you can tell us about yourself in only a few words — I know you can do this.