Ways to generate a poem

Try these five ways to unlock your poetic notions.

l.   Make a list of five experiences.
2.  Write three names for colors that have a rhythm (magenta, aubergine, tangerine)
3.  Add three scents and three sounds.
4.  Write three questions you'd ask if they were the last questions you could ever ask.
5.  Write an extreme sensation you've felt.  If an animal, which one would it be. Describe it.

Once you've responded to the above, you'll have lots of material.  Use one of the questions as the first line, each of the senses more than once.  Use other parts in any way that works.  Your description of the animal might describe a friend.

Try for a poem with 20 lines. Let each line be ten or more syllables long.  Think of the poem as a dream  and don't force it. Let the music and senses speak through you.

Transport bits of your life into a poem.