You might already know that it's important to use the five senses when you write poetry. (For ideas on how to do this, look at the workshop based on another one of my books, Laughing Tomatoes.) Here, you're going to learn how to use the "sixth sense" of poetry—your own imagination.

You will focus on the community in which you live. We all live in communities that have developed certain unique characteristics over the years. Many of these features give people a sense of pride in their community. Often, poets use their imagination to celebrate the community in which they live in original, striking, and insightful ways. As poets, your task will be to use your imagination to see your community in a new way.

For an example of what I mean, read two of my poems that celebrate the San Francisco Bay Area-a city, a neighborhood, and a region where I have lived for many years. The first of the two poems, which is called "City of Bridges," is on page 7 of Iguanas in the Snow. Read the whole poem several times. Notice that in the first four stanzas I give some physical or exterior descriptions of the city of San Francisco. Discuss the following questions with a classmate:

• How do you explain the title "City of Bridges"?
• What physical features of San Francisco appear in the first four stanzas?

In the second part of the poem, I give a different kind of description of the city. Talk with your partner about these stanzas:

• Where did I use my imagination in the second part of the poem?
• How do you interpret the stanza, "with bridges/ ready to/ embrace us all?"
• What do the last two stanzas of the poem mean to you?

Now I want you to read a second poem, called "Mission Dolores." In this poem, I use personification to celebrate the oldest building still standing in San Francisco. This old Spanish mission reflects the deep historical roots of the Latino community in the region. Read the footnote that appears on page 9 for more information on the Mission Dolores. Read the whole poem and answer the following questions together with a classmate:

• Why is this building called "grandmother"?
• Where did I use my imagination in the poem?
• What do you learn from this poem about the history of the Mission Dolores?
• Using your own imagination, can you think of original ways to celebrate a building, monument or landmark in your community?

It can be scary to sit down to write a poem! For this poem about your community, try following these steps.

Step 1: Identify your community

Respond to the following questions by writing down the answers with as many details as possible. These ideas will help you decide what to put in your poem.

• You probably belong to many communities. Which community do you want to write about?
• What are the main characteristics of your community?
• What do you enjoy most about your community?
• What about your community makes it special?

Step 2: Use Your Imagination

Use your imagination to describe your community. You can come up with original ways to compare and celebrate your community by focussing on one of the special features you wrote down at the end of Step One. You'll use the answers to these questions to write your poem.

• What is the history of the special feature of the community?
• In what way does this feature give people a sense of community?
• Can you compare this feature to something else?

In order to make comparisons, poets often use similes and metaphors. Similes are comparisons that use the words "like" or "as": "buildings/ decorated/ like pastry." In metaphors two things that are usually unrelated are identified as sharing the same characteristics: "a city/ where people/ become/ bridges/ to each/ other."

Step 3: Show, Don't Tell

Specific details and description are very important in poetry. In many ways, poems are like photographs made up of words. Instead of a visual picture, a poem gives us a verbal picture. The reader understands what you mean, not because the poet tells him or her about it, but because the poet makes him or her see and feel it. That's why one golden rule in poetry is "show, don't tell."

When you think about your community:

• Try to include specific details in your description of that special feature.
• Try to "see" and "explore" the community with your five senses and your imagination. As you think of details, words, or images, write them down.

Write a new poem using your notes from Steps 1, 2, and 3. Your notes should help you focus on visual details—the sense of sight. Try also to include the other senses: smell, taste, touch, and hearing. Make sure your poem also includes the sense of imagination. Come up with some new insights that will surprise your readers.