Peter Allerton, Writer.: How to write Poetry the quick and fun way: 'The Ten Minute Poetry Challenge'!

Writing Poetry the quick and fun way:

The Ten Minute Poetry Challenge!

I stumbled upon a poem called ‘Good Books’ by Edgar Guest while sitting in my dentist’s waiting room this morning and it made me realise something: I haven’t written - or even read - a single poem in ages!

So, while I was sitting there I decided to try a ‘Ten Minute Poetry Challenge’ (I’m sure I’m not the first person to have such an idea ;-).

It involves having 30 seconds to quickly think of a topic and decide on which type of poem you’re going to write, and then use the rest of the ten minutes to actually write the poem. Try to give yourself at least a full minute before the end to read through and check for any basic errors. Then think of a title and hey presto, your poem is born!

And remember, while you are writing poetry, you are a poet. Maybe not a professional one, but at that moment you’re a poet nonetheless!

Here is my effort from the waiting room earlier today, called ‘Remember Your Shadow’:

Shadows are scary when you don’t know

What they belong to or where they’ll go

They change shape throughout the day

They have no name but they never stray

Yet they disappear in the dark

And it’s difficult to see one from a shark

Shadows follow you around the park

But they never ever leave a mark

You’re never alone when you’re with your shadow

But people forget, or just don’t know

Sometimes they walk right over it

Even if they didn’t mean to do it

You can make your shadow climb the wall

Or use it to make your hands into a ball

Watch it grow across the hall

Rise up to the ceiling, then quickly fall

Shadows can change

You can watch them rearrange

They can warn you

They can cover you

They can shelter you

They can scare you

Some have two heads

They can even have three legs

Others look like giant birds

Or like buffalo travelling in herds

Well, my ten minutes have now passed

No more shadow poetry will I cast

After reading this, please remember your shadow

It’s the one thing that sticks with you, wherever you go...

If you think this one isn't so bad, there a couple of 'bonus poems' I spent more than ten minutes on in my 'Smell of Poo' Children's Story Book Collection, here:

'The Smell of Poo' poems: 'Your Poo & You' + 'Who Dunnit?'

Coming from Liverpool, I’ve always been aware of poetry and a ‘poetry scene'. I think it takes courage to recite your own work in public. Here’s what happened when writer Marcel Theroux – son of acclaimed travel author PaulTheroux and brother of brilliant TV journalist Louis Theroux – came to Liverpool to write and perform some poetry:

Marcel Theroux tries live Poetry in Liverpool

You can find out more about the thriving Liverpool poetry scene by clicking here:

Liverpool Poets

Here are some other links that might help inspire you:

"Top 100 famous and best poems of all time about life, love and friendship. Read the 100 most popular and greatest poems and limericks ever written in English poetry by famous poets all over the world"

All Poetry's Top 500 Poems List

The best poems of all time (in English)

Why not have a go at the ‘Ten Minute Poetry Challenge’ and share your work here? You can do it anywhere, whether in your break at work or school, while sitting on the sofa at home, or even when you stop along the way outside wherever you are, be it a park, cafe, waterfront, you name it..

Let your surroundings inspire you. You don’t even have to read it to anyone, just have fun with it, it’s a great creative outlet – though the trickiest thing can be rhyming, in which case you can cheat a little by visiting here: