If you're looking to create a poem about life's simple pains or pleasures, plant yourself in your favorite easy chair and look around your living room. You can write about the way the sun shines through a window, illuminates a corner of the room or the way the dust dances in its light. If outside, you could sit next to your garden or a favorite tree and write about the comings and goings of the birds and bugs. You could study the distant landscape, letting the sunset or a patch of clouds inspire you. Alternately, you might write about an indoor or outdoor chore, such as washing dishes, sweeping, pulling weeds or raking leaves.
Sit with a pad of paper and a cup of coffee and let your mind wander to those sitting nearby. Not only can you make use of nearby conversations as poetic inspiration, but you can take your cue from the body language of a couple engaged in a discussion or the harried mother flitting between her coffee and her restless child in his stroller. Notice the varieties of speeds and rhythms with which people arrive and leave -- some making a beeline for the coffee counter and craning to see the menu board, others wandering leisurely to the counter and acting unsure of their choice.
Travel to a landmark to take note about the structure and its surroundings. Or, visit the birthplace of one of your favorite poets or writers. There might be a landmark or popular location in or near your hometown that could inspire your poetic creations. Consider attending a seasonal celebration in your area, such as the Fourth of July fireworks or a Thanksgiving Day parade, and use the sights and sounds of the event to inspire your next work of art.
Classical paintings and sculptures, as well as modern and pop art, have inspired poetry. Visit an art gallery or museum and wander through the exhibits until you find a piece that causes you to pause for a closer look. View this artwork from different angles and make note of imagery that it evokes. Alternately, consider creating a poem in response to as broad a subject as an entire theme or section in a museum or as specific a subject as the expression on the face of a painted or sculpted figure.