There is no inspiration in assigned poetry...

I have to write a poem for English class. It has to be about either "something that surprised me or continues to surprise me" or "something I want to tell myself at another age." Said poem must be written in quatrains (four line stanzas) and must have 4-6 stanzas. There must be no end rhyming. Include one strong similie and one question. Do not write in abstractions and use proper punctuation.

I am having a really hard time doing this. I've wasted a dozen or so pages in my notebook and several more full sheets of notebook paper trying to write a poem. These are the snippiets I have so far:

Now that you have
Grown into a woman
Try not to forget
You used to be me.

Before you chastise
That daughter of yours,
Remember that you
Were once just like her.

She is timid and talented
And optimistic and spunky.
She is confident and firey
And intelliget and sweet.

I go to the bars.
I stay out until dawn.
I play pool with the boys
And even more with some.

I might make mistakes
But I learn from them well.
I must have suceeded,
For I turned into you.

When you look in the mirror
Are you ever surprised
When you find yourself thinking:
my daughter is me?

~*~*~

Dear me who is older
Pease follow your heart
Don't forget to have fun
For you only live once.

Living is loving and learning
Tking time to explore.
Be spunky, see beauty
Make crazy decisions

~*~*~

Her stupidity is something
She has always been able
To count on to surprise her.
It happens more than one might think.

She left the bar with a man
An aquantaince
She knew she should not
But did it anyway

She went to the house
Of an old boyfriend
She said no with her voice
But not with her person

~*~*~

Every time I see you I get a rush.
With each little touch, I fly.
I think you live to drive me insane.

I try to think of anything else,
Of anyone else, with out much sucess.
But when I run into you
I am thrown by surprise

That smile of yours
It takes me to heaven and back

Your eyes begin to dance and sparkle
I want to dive into those pools of blue

~*~*~

I opened this lovely orante box
I found masses of treasures untold.
No gold nor rubies nor anything tangible.
Just love and kisses so sweet.

You tell me your stories about yesterday.
These tales I can never repeat.
Spoken In a langugage that is all your own
But somehow I understand.

The littlest things in life brings light
To eyes that are a stormy sky
You giggle and laugh to have found such delight
Oh to live with a child's mind!

What do you dream when finally at night
Your eyelashes brush against your cheeks?
Do you go on adventures of the craziest sorts
Or do you have tea with the queen?

You light up my life, my little sweet pea
In ways that you will never know.
When I am long gone, will you go through old photos
And remember this lady with love?

~*~*~

The last one is okay...but for the most part, they're crap.

All crap.

I'm having the worst part writing for line poems and NOT rhyming them. I feel like I'm having to comprimise my poetry just so it doesn't rhyme. If we were able to just write a poem, about whatever, I'd turn in my billiards poem. I don't think I've posted it on here yet. It's a bit racy and bit untrue. But it's great. Let me trim it and perfect it. You'll see it soon enough.