Criticism of a Marriage (Writing Exercise)

Last night I went to a writing group called Illuminated Words and was given a challenging assignment. We (all  of us) went around the room sharing something they had seen that week. Then we scattered all over the library to write incorporating all these random items.  I tried with a personal essay. It didn’t work. So I tried another. It didn’t work.  So then I switched to poetry and I got all the items. Let me present: Criticism of Marriage. See if you can spot the items we listed in the poem below.

Fender amp lies next to an abandoned guitar, the blue light illuminating them both

A cockroach scurries under the couch emphasizing it’s filth

She came home with a dozen bouquets last night

“They said give one to someone else.

So I’m giving it to you”

I ponder as I sip my pint glass full of stout

She drove me away and her solution was flowers

But I knew. And it was just as embarrassing as a grown man not knowing how to use a treadmill,

Falling off, sprawled on the ground

“Honey would you help me with this demonic branch

It’s eight feet and lodged in my garden”

Why was she only nice when she needed something?

I was waiting for something

Maybe to fly

But there was a long line at passport control

“Honey, there’s an umbrella in a tree”

The stout glass was empty now

Here are the items we had to include in our writing. Did  you guess them all?

·        Fender amp

·        Blue flickering light from a furnace

·        Cockroach

·        Display of a beautiful bouquets that say “Take one and give it to someone else”

·        Pint glass full of stout

·        Demonic branch eight feet long in flower garden

·        Man falling off the treadmill

·        A line at passport control

·        Umbrella in a tree’