A picture paints a thousand words – or maybe you could write some.

Have you ever thought about writing a poem? So many of us jot down our thoughts, frustrations and joys but sadly most are never shared. I only have to speak to many of my horse breeding friends to hear potential poetry tumbling from enthusiastic mouths nearly every time we chat. The toss of a defiant stallions head, a new foal being gently licked by it dam, a nicker of welcome as you enter the stables or your favourite horse leaving it’s buddies to come and greet you at the fence. When you think about it poems are planted to sprout from every aspect of our lives.

Everyone and anyone can write a poem, there doesn’t seem to be a right way or wrong way, just your way. So why not find your way, collect a pad and pen, some spare time (I know we’re all time poor but try and find time, it’ll be worth it) and have a go.  Let me know how you go.

Maybe Honor Moore’s 12 suggestions from www.oprah.com might help. As Honor Moore says, no human experience is unique, but each of us has a way of putting language together that is ours alone.

Suggestions for writing a poem:

1. Make a list of five things you did today, in the order you did them.
2. Quickly write down three colours.
3. Write down a dream. If you can’t remember one, make it up.
4. Take 15 minutes to write an early childhood memory, using language a child would use.
5. Write a forbidden thought, to someone who would understand.

6. Write a forbidden thought, to someone who would not.

7. Make a list of five of your favourite “transitional objects.” Choose one and describe it in detail.
8. Write down three questions you’d ask as if they were the last questions you could ever ask.
9. Write down an aphorism (e.g. “A stitch in time saves nine”).
10. Write down three slant rhymes, pairs of words that share one or two consonants rather than vowels (moon/mine and long/thing are slant rhymes).
11. Write three things people have said to you in the past 48 hours. Quote them as closely as you can.
12. Write the last extreme pain you had, emotional or physical. If the pain were an animal, what animal would it be? Describe the animal.

Tips

Use one of the questions as the first line, each of the colours more than once, the slant rhymes, and the aphorism with a word or two changed.
Try using any part of, or all of, the material in any way you want—a line from your dream might work well on its own or your description of the animal might better describe your great uncle.
Let the poem be between 20 and 30 lines; let each line be 10 or more syllables long. Think of the poem as a dream or a psalm you are inventing, and don’t force it. Write in your own speech, allowing its music and sense to speak through you.