How to write a poem in 5 minutes

Along with about 100 other poets in the Northampton, Mass. region, and beyond … I am writing 30 poems in November to raise funds for the Centers for New Americans.

Today is Day 10. And my initial optimism at cranking out a poem-a-day is turning to weariness.

Scraping the bottom of the dry well of inspiration this morning at breakfast, I wondered: “Where is the next poem?” I scooped some yogurt into a bowl, grabbed a section of past editions of the Sunday New York Times that had piled up on the sideboard–and within moments I found my answer.

The next poem, it turns out, is everywhere!

While skimming the titles of the books listed in the Print Hardcover Bestseller List (Nonfiction) in the Book Review, I picked up a pen. Five minutes later, I had written a poem. And I hadn’t even finished my breakfast!

It’s not cheating: The Found Poem is a legitimate poetic form. It is a close cousin to the Erasure Poem, another form that reminds us that creative inspiration is hiding in plain sight–all around.

Here’s my 5-minute Found Poem:

Trade Fiction(s)

by Tzivia Gover

a found poem in 5 minutes

from the NYT Bestseller List, Oct. 31, 2021

It ends with us, the seven husbands

of Evelyn Hugo. Achilles, some things

I still can’t tell you. (People we met on vacation

where crawdads sing.) Hypothesis: Two sisters

detect verity. Silent, patient. Love,

the once and future gamble.

Your turn

To write a found poem, first select a text (a newspaper article, recipe, table of contents from a science textbook … the possibilities are limitless). Then, rearrange the lines, add line breaks, edit lightly, and voila! Poetry! Here are detailed instructions: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Found-Poem