When I'm Alone

Students read the following excerpt from Liz Swados's play Runaways:

When I'm Alone:

I throw my knife into the wall.
I make up dances.
I make graffiti.
I have two pillows -- Simon and Sylvester
and I beat them and then apologize.
I do Kung Fu.
I do karate.
I draw a special squre in the
center of my room and sit there with
my most important thoughts.

Among the poems generated by this model are the following:

When I'm Alone by Althea Canada

I stare at my goldfish.
I play solitaire.
I clean my jewelry.
I polish my fingernails.
I eat dill pickles.
I throw shoes at my cat.
I play with dominoes,
I feed my pittbull.

When I'm Alone by Shirley Jung

I turn up the radio
and sing at the top of my voice.
I talk to myself.
I pretend I'm a soldier in training.
I take a long sudsy bath.
I make crank calls to my friends.
I sit on the toilet cover and I think.