Poem help

Maybe don't use 'skid marks' because it has an alternate definition in the urban dictionary for not what you want to be saying but it's your choice. Moving on, however, did you know the person? How long does the poem have to be?

The thing is, poetry is an extremely personal art form and however you have been affected by the death of this person is very personal.

Definitely don't use the phrase, 'skid marks.' As PyroDino77 said, it does have unwanted connotations.

Ask yourself who this person was to you. If you were close to them, allow yourself to feel the loss; that often can create some very raw and real poetry. Write when you're feeling things at high intensity if you can (this can actually feel cathartic as well as be helpful for your poem). If you weren't too close to them, ask people about their favourite memories of this person. Incorporate the imagery that they mention and scatter it throughout your poem in a meaningful way. Remember that poetry doesn't have to rhyme. It doesn't necessarily have to conform to tradition. It's all up to you.

It all depends, really. I would recommend looking at other works of poetry for inspiration if you're feeling a bit stuck. One that comes to mind for me is Raymond Antrobus' poem 'The Perseverance', however this is a sestina which would probably require more time to write as it's a fixed verse poem. The content of the poem is still very good though and could be inspirational.

But yeah, it all completely depends on what you would like to do: whether it be a fixed verse poem or a free verse. And it depends on how well you knew the person.

My condolences. I hope you and everyone who knew this person is doing okay.