write a poem or prose piece about a relative. I just finished one about my Italian grandfather. Try not to make it schmaltzy, but rather aim for an objective portrait of the person. To make the piece more alive be sure to include sensory aspects, such as smell and sound. You might want to focus on a particular incident that somehow functions as a showcase for the whole person. For instance, I focused on an afternoon sitting with my grandfather in his garden. His actions that day show him as a gentle man. The poem is entitled “A Changed Heart”. The poem begins with retelling how he had been known as a cruel man until his youngest son was born. He then made a novena in the church to change his ways. So, in the poem there is a contrast between the man he was and the man he became.

Have fun with this one.