i've had a hard time composing a poem when my cousin asked me to...

A good poet is someone who doesn't toot their own horn and can open their eyes to see what someone's else's poetry is wrote about. I read all kinds of poetry, write my own poetry, and think of ideas all the time. It's not about writing on demand or remembering every poem you've ever written or read.

I think a lot of what makes a poet is emotional rather than just writing technique. A lot of the great poets I've studied have been somewhat emotionally withdrawn or erratic actually. I haven't studied too many poets who succeeded well in being normal members of society. I'm no exception to that rule I guess. I came to poetry as a very small child, as a way of expressing things that I couldn't express in any other way. It's still my outlet, after all these years. Over the years I've had a few things published, but honestly I write more for myself than anyone else. Perhaps the problem with your current situation is that you are trying to write for someone else. I can write poems about or even for other people, but only if I have something I need to express to that person. If you think of it as writing for yourself instead of for your cousin, perhaps you would find it easier to do.