If you want to get started as a poet then I suggest reading a lot of poetry and also reading a little bit about writing poetry. Luckily Amazon.com has quite a few books on the subject of writing poems that you can order online now.
This is a great book for getting started in the world of writing poetry. It has very good reader reviews on Amazon.
The Practice of Poetry by Robin Behn
Most people learn most quickly through practice. This book includes 90 effective poetry writing exercises which can help you to expand your ability as a poet.
The Poetry Home Repair Manual by Ted Kooser
As of this writing this book (aimed at beginners) has a perfect five star rating on Amazon (with 36 customer reviews!)
Poemcrazy: Freeing Your Life with Words by Susan Woolridge
This one also has a perfect five star rating (with 49 customer reviews.)
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Writing Poetry
In general I don’t find these “complete idiot” books to be as good as other instructional books, but I haven’t read this particular book and it does have pretty positive reviews so it may be what you’re looking for.