Borrowed Lines

An easy, mellow class. I gave each student a list of lines from other poems and read a few examples. "Three thousand years ago" was a big hit, as well as "i was born with twelve fingers" and "We live in the night ocean wondering." I asked each of them to choose their favorite and use it as a first line for their own poem. Here is a sample:

3,000 years ago I was
the earth. Every time somebody
stepped on me I ached. In 3,000 years
I was a human. I had to get
a massage because my body ached.
And I'm still a human, and
I want to stay a human.
-Elijah

Sundays too my father got up early
because my dad works in recycling
and he never sleeps. It's hard to
not sleep.
-Samira

Years ago I lost a penny, a special penny. My dad's dad gave him it, he gave it to me, and I lost it when I was walking to school. That was a sad day.
-Paulina

Cloth from the moon. Cloth from
another planet. Cloth made out of super-
hero clothing.
-Fartun