Landscapes leave their imprint on our DNA. On the tongue, the skin, the instincts we carry. The houses we were raised in, the creeks and rivers that ran nearby, the culture that dressed our days. These are embedded in the code of who we are.
This writing prompt invites you to write a prose poem titled “In My ______ DNA.” Fill in the blank with the name of a specific place that shaped you. It could be as expansive as a region or as intimate as a front porch. This prompt was inspired by my soon-to-be-published poem, “In My Appalachia DNA.”
Write your poem in paragraphs rather than line breaks, and begin each paragraph with the word: Find. Each “Find” should unearth something that shaped your essence. Something woven into you at the molecular level.
Consider:
- persistent, indelible memories
- creatures and pets
- plants and natural landmarks
- cultural or political moments
- seasons and weather
- imagined or inherited stories
- clothing and textiles
- music and sound
- people and their influence
- food and their ingredients
Let the language move freely between memory, sensation, and imagination. Let each “Find” uncover another strand of what makes you, uniquely you.
In revision, search for rhythms, textures, sounds, and words that are, too, a reflection of this place that left such an indelible influence on you that it shaped your DNA.
