Poems using "of"

A spin on Kenneth Koch's "Swan of Bees" exercise.  Students are asked to use not only the word "of" as a connective, but also the phrases "full of" and "made of."  I added the phrases based upon the fact that students would often use those phrases on their own.  I just decided to formalize the gesture into the exercise itself.  Two students used each possibility in stanza form, as in Leo S's untitled poem:

school of birds

house made of dogs

world full of invading Corn Pops

school of guts

people made of bugs

world full of bugs that have heat vision

volcano of snow

volcano made of water

volcano full of flying cows

dogs of cows

dogs made of monkey butt

dogs full of houses

sharks of fish

sharks made of lions

sharks full of people

world of roller coasters

world made of ice cream

world full of dead dogs

Here's a more typical example, filled with a good ear for words and the fantastic synapse-fast jumps from wishful thinking ("Birds made of chocolate"); amazing image ("Statue made of lightning"); silliness ("Ham full of hands"); and opposition ("Trees made of paper").

Mysteries

by Cassie R.

Shoes of flame

Statue made of lightning

Reading full of writing

Board full of basket

Ham full of hands

Cats of lizards

Wonderings of mind

Snakes made of ties

Belts full of cement

Paper made of markers

Sweaters of summer

Trees made of paper

Lakes made of Pepsi

Birds made of chocolate

Limos made of pillows

Tarantulas are full of eyes