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Welcome! This blog serves as a vessel to share my passion for poetry. If you are an adult looking to read, learn, create, or share poetry, you’ve come to the right place. Poetry Pop is meant for everyone to enjoy, whether you’re a beginner, a seasoned poet, or somewhere in between. Now, let’s play with words!  —Danna Smith, author & poet

from my blog

  • The F Word (Forgiveness)
    Today I am sharing a poem from my novel in verse, The Complete Book of Aspen. The F Word is written in the triversen, (also known as “verset”) poetry form— a six-stanza poem in which each stanza is composed of one single sentence, broken into […]
  • Visual Prompt: Jelly Dancer
    We’ve all been there, pen in hand, waiting for a poem to arrive. Poetry prompts are a great way to get the juices flowing on those inevitable days when a poem doesn’t show up. In the visual prompt below, the tentacles reminded me of a […]
  • Poetry Pop Shop: Writing Down the Bones Deck
    On Poetry Pop, you will periodically get posts titled, Poetry Pop Shop, where I introduce some fun writerly or readerly items I think you might enjoy. The book, Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg has been relished by writers in their practice for over […]
  • Travel Haiku: Cambria California
    Haiku is about “seeing”—about paying attention to a moment in nature and capturing that moment, like a snapshot, on paper with words (before it disappears).  My husband and I recently took a drive to Cambria on the northern California coast to celebrate my birthday. Rather […]
  • Found Poem: DNA Mission Statement
    Found poetry is the literary version of a collage. The poems are made up of words taken from a printed document like a newspaper article, a speech, or in this case, the core values statement from the popular DNA testing service, 23andMe. The poet selects […]
  • Happy Holidays From My Home (Poem) to Yours
    In September 2020, during the pandemic, I started this blog. I wasn’t sure if anyone would read it, but I knew I needed to share my words and was hoping others would share their poems with me. Before the blog, my poems were tucked away […]
  • This and That Poem (Winter)
    One fall day I went walking with a friend on a nearby trail. We were talking about the beauty of nature in autumn, pointing out this and that as we went along. The thought of a poem in the form of “This and That” played […]
  • Guest Pop: Linda Joy Singleton
    Periodically here on Poetry Pop, we enjoy a Guest Pop where a guest poet pops in for a visit. Today, Author Linda Joy Singleton shares her poem. Linda doesn’t consider herself a poet, but she definitely has a way with words, which goes to show […]
  • Zen Pop: A Love Note to My Body
    Periodically on Poetry Pop, you will see a Zen Pop blog post. These posts are my way of sharing on a personal level and giving you a bit of poetic encouragement while traversing this beautiful (and often challenging) thing we call life.
  • How To Write a Fibonacci Poem (with template)
    The Fibonacci sequence is a mathematical pattern that occurs naturally in nature. Flower petals, rows of sunflower seeds, and pinecone nubs are just a few of nature’s creations that follow the pattern of each row equaling the sum of the two rows before.
  • Mask Poem Riddle
    A Mask Poem is when you write from an object’s point of view (or a person other than yourself). Today I’m sharing a mask poem with a twist as the object plays a guessing game with the reader. Can you guess from whose point of […]
  • When it Falls
    Happy Fall! Today is the first day of fall and as leaves and temperatures drop, it’s time for us to get out our sweaters, eat pumpkin pie, and write fall poetry! Today I’m sharing the poem I wrote using the fall season as a verb. […]
  • Paint Chip Haiku
    The other day I met with writer friends on Zoom to catch up and talk books. After chatting, we took ten minutes to write a paint chip poem from the colors and prompts below. I ended up with a haiku (without a prompt) and a […]
  • How Do You Haiku? #7 Best Books on Haiku
    Welcome to the seventh and final post in our How Do You Haiku?© series! Last post we created a haiga (haiku with illustration)! Today, I’m sharing some of my favorite books on haiku for readers of every age!
  • How Do You Haiku? #6 Haiga
    And here we are, nearing the end of our How Do You Haiku?© series with the sixth of seven ways to write and share Haiku! Last week we created a Saijiki (season word dictionary)! Today, we’ll have fun with Haiga.
  • How Do You Haiku? #5 Saijiki (Season Word Dictionary)
    Welcome to the fifth installment of our seven-post series on Haiku! Last week we created kuhi (poem stones)! Today, we’ll make a season word dictionary from the easy form I’ve created.
  • We Interrupt The Regularly Scheduled Haiku Series Of Posts For This Exciting Announcement!
    My debut YA novel-in-verse, The Complete Book of Aspen, has received an amazing five-star review! The book is written in narrative verse but is also chock-full of poetic forms like shaped poems, haiku, senryu, skinny poems, list poems, found poetry, where I’m from poems, and […]
  • How Do You Haiku? #4 Kuhi (Poem stone)
    This is the fourth installment of our seven-post series on Haiku! Last week we wrote Haibun where we combined a story with haiku! Today, the way to help us find inspiration really rocks!
  • How Do You Haiku? #3 haibun (story with haiku)
    This is the third installment of our seven-post series on Haiku! Last week we wrote Picture Haiku where a picture of poppies by a mailbox provided colorful inspiration for my haiku. Today, we’re looking at another way to help us find inspiration — Haibun!
  • How Do You Haiku? #2 Picture Haiku
    Welcome to the second post of our seven-post series on Haiku! Last week we took a Ginko Walk in nature to help us find “haiku moments.” My Ginko Walk provided inspiration to write haiku about squirrels playing hopscotch and fish making touchdowns! Today, we’re looking […]
  • How Do You Haiku? #1 Take a Ginko Walk
    Haiku is the most popular form of poetry today, but did you know there are different ways to write and present haiku? Today, I’m starting a seven-post series I’m calling, How Do You Haiku?©. Each time I will introduce a fun way to create and […]
  • Cover reveal: YA Novel-In-Verse
    When Aspen’s best friend gives her a DNA test kit, a half teaspoon of spit is all it takes to discover her entire life has been a lie. I am proud to share the cover of my debut young adult novel-in-verse, releasing May 30, 2022! […]
  • Welcoming spring with a poem & new book!
    In the United States, spring began March 21st but depending on where you live, the bulbs may still be sleeping beneath the ground. For me, spring begins the moment I see my neighbor’s apricot tree blooming white popcorn blossoms.
  • Happy World Poetry Day!
    Many of us read, write, and teach poetry every day, but did you know there is an official day to celebrate and support poets and poetry? As an initiative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO), world poetry day is held every […]
  • Prefix Poem (DIS: Dandelion wishes)
    When I first read Idra Novey’s prefix poem, Trans, in her poetry book, The Next Country, I was immediately enamored. Not only with her writing but by the form itself. Today I’m sharing my take on a prefix poem and the simple rules so you […]
  • Happy Birthday Acrostic
    Today is my Birthday. I’m at that point where I’m far from young, but I’m not quite old (unless you ask my children). And although I curse the wrinkles and reading glasses, I embrace aging as I know it’s a privilege denied to many. So […]
  • Poem Parade
    Remember the “old days” when you wanted to enjoy poetry? You’d find it in a book. These days, we often turn to the screen for our pop of poetry. This got me thinking that poetry in modern times is like a parade. Poems of every […]
  • This and That (FALL)
    The other day, I went walking with a friend on a nearby trail, the colorful leaves crunching beneath our sneakers. We were talking about the beauty of fall, pointing out this and that as we went along. The thought of a poem in the form […]
  • When it Falls
    Ah, autumn! As leaves and temperatures fall, it’s time for us to get out our sweaters, rake the leaves, and write fall poetry! I wrote this poem this morning (using the fall season as a verb) while the orange leaves of my Japanese maple waved […]
  • Featured Poem on YourDailyPoem.com
    Hi there my wonderful readers! Today my concrete children’s poem is featured on yourdailypoem.com! My “fractured nursery rhyme” poem, Hey Diddle Diddle is kicking off a week of poetry posts on the blog where poems are formated in the shape of the subject. Come on […]
  • The Color of Lies
    Have you ever told a white lie to spare someone hurt feelings? Or maybe the truth isn’t as exciting as the little white lie you’ve replaced it with? I recently read an online article at learning-mind.com by Valerie Soleil about how white lies do more […]
  • Visual Prompt: refuge in the library
    We’ve all been there, pen in hand, waiting for a poem to arrive. Poetry prompts are a great way to get the juices flowing on those inevitable days when a poem doesn’t show up. The visual prompt below reminded me that we have many friends […]
  • The F Word: How to Write a Transversen Poem
    If you haven’t heard of the Triversen poetic form (aka Verset), you are in for a triple treat! Verset means “in one breath” and Triversen means “three.” This triple verse sentence structure is a poetic form developed by William Carlos Williams (1883-1963) that allows a poet to […]
  • Writer’s Block: Falling into Free Verse
    A free verse poem about writer’s block. Put a pop of poetry in your day.
  • Letters to Mother Goose Series: Mother Goose’s reply (final poem).
    I hope you’ve been enjoying my Letters to Mother Goose poetry series! Thirteen of Mother Goose’s characters have written a poem to Mother Goose in answer to her wish upon a star. This week, Mother Goose replies to all her characters in one final poem […]
  • Letters to Mother Goose Series: a Ship a-sailing
    You know Mother Goose writes in rhyme, but do you know her characters are poets too? Welcome to week thirteen (just one week left) of my Letters to Mother Goose poetry series! This week the poem is penned by the captain and crew of the […]
  • Letters to Mother Goose Series: Miss Muffet
    You know Mother Goose writes in rhyme, but do you know her characters are poets too? Welcome to week twelve of my Letters to Mother Goose poetry series! Join me today and all summer long as I share my series of poems (just two more […]
  • Letters to Mother Goose Series: Moon
    You know Mother Goose writes in rhyme, but do you know her characters are poets too? Welcome to week eleven of my Letters to Mother Goose poetry series! Join me today and all summer long as I share my series of poems (just three more […]
  • Letters to Mother Goose Series: Nimble Jack
    You know Mother Goose writes in rhyme, but do you know her characters are poets too? Welcome to week ten of my Letters to Mother Goose poetry series! Join me today and all summer long as I share my series of poems (one each week) […]
  • Letters to Mother Goose Series: Wee Willie Winkie
    You know Mother Goose writes in rhyme, but did you know her characters are poets too? Welcome to week nine of my Letters to Mother Goose poetry series! Join me today and all summer long as I share my series of poems (one each week) […]
  • Letters to Mother Goose Series: Dish and Spoon
    You know Mother Goose writes in rhyme, but did you know her characters are poets too? Welcome to week eight of my Letters to Mother Goose poetry series! Join me today and all summer long as I share my series of poems (one each week) […]
  • Letters to Mother Goose Series: The Cow that Jumped over the Moon
    You know Mother Goose writes in rhyme, but did you know her characters are poets too? Welcome to week seven of my Letters to Mother Goose poetry series! Join me today and all summer long as I share my series of poems (one each week) […]
  • Letters to Mother Goose Series: Betty Blue
    Welcome to week six of my Letters to Mother Goose poetry series! You know Mother Goose writes in rhyme, but did you know her characters are poets too? Join me today and all summer long as I share my series of poems (one each week) […]
  • Letters to Mother Goose Series: Little Bo Peep
    Welcome back to week five of my Letters to Mother Goose poetry series! You know Mother Goose writes in rhyme, but did you know her characters are poets too? Join me today and all summer long as I share my series of poems (one each […]
  • Letters to Mother Goose Series: The Crooked Man
    Welcome to week four of my Letters to Mother Goose poetry series! You know Mother Goose writes in rhyme, but did you know her characters are poets too? Join me today and all summer long as I share my series of poems (one each week) […]
  • Letters to Mother Goose Series: Georgie Porgie
    Welcome back to week three of my Letters to Mother Goose poetry series! You know Mother Goose writes in rhyme, but did you know her characters are poets too? Join me today and all summer long as I share my series of poems (one each […]
  • Letters to Mother Goose Series: Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary
    Welcome to week two of my Letters to Mother Goose poetry series! You know Mother Goose writes in rhyme, but did you know her characters are poets too? Join me today and all summer long as I share my series of poems (one each week) […]
  • Letters to Mother Goose Series: Jack-a-Dandy
    You know Mother Goose writes in rhyme, but did you know her characters are poets too? Join me today and all summer long as I share my Letter to Mother Goose series of poems (one each week) written to Mother Goose by the characters she […]
  • Poetry Pop Quiz: Test your Poetry IQ
    What type of poet are you? Put on your thinking cap and take this fun interactive quiz to find out!
  • Tanka : Haiku’s Big Cousin
    The word tanka means “short song” and is one of the oldest Japanese forms of poetry originating in the seventeenth century. The tanka is related to it’s shorter cousin, haiku, but isn’t as popular with American poets. Traditional Japanese tanka poems are made up of 31 […]
  • Travel Haiku: Taking Haiku on the Road
    Early this month, we talked about how to start a Haiku Journal. As mentioned, famous Japanese poet, Matsuo Basho, recorded his travels by way of haiku in his diary. I recently took a drive to the northern California coast for some R & R and […]
  • Visual Prompt: Pick a Number Between 1 and 9
    Let play a poetry game! Pick a number between one and nine then slide the cover to reveal the visual prompt that you can use to write a poem this week. The numbers are in random order in the lower right hand corner of each […]
  • Starting a Haiku Journal
    Haiku is about “seeing”—about paying attention to a moment in nature and capturing that moment, like a snapshot, on paper with words (before it disappears). Famous Japanese poet, Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), said that to write haiku you need to have the eyes and heart of […]
  • Momeries: A Mother’s Day Poem
    Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there and to grandmothers, aunts, sisters, and friends who are helping to raise a child. Being a mom is the greatest joy in my life. My kids are adults and living their own lives now, but sometimes […]
  • Book Spine Poetry: Novels
    Last week we wrote book spine poems using children’s books so this week, as promised, we are moving to the novel section of my bookshelf.
  • Book Spine Poetry: Earth Day
    You can find poems anywhere! Even in a stack of books! Creating a spine poem is much like writing found poetry but instead of using the text from a page of a book or article, you use the titles printed on the spines of books. […]
  • Found Poem: Where the Wild Things Are
    Found poetry is the literary version of a collage. The poems are made up of words taken from a printed document like a newspaper article, a speech, or in this case, a book, Where the Wild Things Are. The poet selects words from the document […]
  • Clipped Verse: Children’s Poetry for a Windy Day
    I first learned of clipped verse (sometimes called fragmented rhyme) back in 2007 when I was introduced to children’s author Verla Kay’s powerful historical non-fiction children’s book, Rough, Tough Charley. The book is about Charley Parkhurst, one of the most respected stagecoach drivers in the […]
  • Paint Chip Poetry: 9-11
    A few weeks back, I posted a Paint Chip Poetry exercise. It was so much fun, I thought I’d give it another try this week. The rules for Paint Chip Poetry are simple: Choose a random selection of color swatches from your local hardware store […]
  • #pandemicpoetry: Haiku the Happy Stuff
    The pandemic has brought with it much hardship and loss. So today, I want us to try to look past the darkness and write about something, anything, positive or hopeful that has come out of this trying year. Did you reconnect with nature? Did you […]
  • How to write a “Where I’m from” Poem (with template)
    The poem, Where I’m From by George Ella Lyons is powerful! It is a literary snapshot of the poet’s most memorable images of her childhood. Through her text, she takes the reader on a journey to show them who she was as a child and […]
  • Celebrate World Poetry Day on March 21st
    Many of us read, write, and teach poetry every day but did you know there is an official day to celebrate and support poets and poetry? As an initiative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO), world poetry day is held every […]
  • How to Write a Found Poem: Thrift Shop Flowers
    Found poetry is the literary version of a collage. The poems are made up of words taken from a printed document such as a newspaper article, a speech, a menu, junk mail, or even another poem (or in this case, a book on flowers from […]
  • Paint Chip Poetry: Colorful Wordplay
    For the last decade I’ve attended an annual writer’s retreat by the ocean in Northern California where I gather with friends for inspiration, laughs, and writing. Each year, a friend, author, and artist I admire hosts a Paint Chip Poetry session. We dig into a […]
  • Zen Pop: Poetic Encouragement (Just Be)
    Life is hard. Today, if all you do is be, then that’s okay. Periodically on Poetry Pop, you will see a Zen Pop blog post. These posts are my way of sharing on a personal level and giving you a bit of poetic encouragement while […]
  • Free Verse: The Birth of a Poem
    There seems to be an influx of newborn babies right now, at least in my little corner of the world. I’ve enjoyed seeing the sweet little bundles of joy and their happy parents and grandparents on social media. So, I had the idea to write […]
  • Poetry Pop Shop: The Crafty Poet
    On Poetry Pop, you will periodically get posts titled, Poetry Pop Shop, where I introduce some fun writerly or readerly gadgets I think you might enjoy. Today, I want to share one of my favorite books on the craft with you. The Crafty Poet: A Portable […]
  • A Birthday Acrostic Poem
    I had a birthday this week. I’m at that point where I’m far from young, but I’m not quite old (unless you ask my kids 🙂 ) And although I curse the wrinkles, aches, and pains, I am trying to embrace aging as I know […]
  • Visual Poetry Prompt: Naked (a winter poem)
    When I saw this picture, it reminded me of growing up in Utah. Watching the Wasatch mountains turn a brilliant shade of autumn, leaving naked trees to be blanketed by snow. We always had the most beautiful snowstorms! I now live in Northern California’s wine […]
  • Writing a List Poem: A List with a Twist
    A list poem is just that, a list of items, ideas, or people. The list is usually placed in the middle of the poem, and most end with a surprise, ” a list with a twist”.  But can a list be poetic? Of course!
  • The Shortest Poem in History
    When I came across Strickland Gillilan’s 1927 poem, “Lines on the Antiquity of Microbes,” I had a good laugh. Not only because it’s a concise, funny poem but because the long, complicated title is comically in contrast. Apparently, someone else thought the same thing (as […]
  • Why a Poem? The Power of Poetry
    Having written poetry all my life, I’ve often wondered why. Why did I pick up a pen and write that first poem when I was a child? Why did I continue to write (and read) poetry through adulthood? What makes poetry so special? We’ve all […]
  • Merry Christmas and a Happy New Poem
    As we near the end of the year 2020, I look back at the hardships and challenges the pandemic has brought with it, but there have been some good things too. I’m grateful my family and friends are well and that I’ve been able to […]
  • Triversen: Random Acts of Normalcy
    It has been a long nine months since my home state of California locked down due to the pandemic. The entire world is going through a lot right now, but I am amazed at the creativity and resilience of people who are trying to hold […]
  • Free Verse: You’re not the Boss of Me
    When you write traditional verse, you are bound by rules. Rhyme, meter, stanza, length of line, and more are set up for you depending on which poetry form you have chosen. With free verse, you get to be the boss. You get to decide where […]
  • Poetry Pop Shop: Holiday Gifts for the Poet in Your Life
    There are 24 days until Christmas, still plenty of time to shop online for the poet, reader, and writer in your life. I’ve gathered a handful of gift ideas that are sure to bring joy to the creative soul at Christmas time or any time. […]
  • Getting Silly: Nonsense Poems in a Serious World
    We are nearing the end of an incredibly trying year. A small dose of silly is just what the doctor ordered in times like these. So, I challenged myself to come up with a nonsense poem to make you (and your kids) smile. I was […]
  • Writing a Mask Poem
    A mask poem (also called a Persona) is written from the point of view of an object, an animal, or a person (other than yourself). Mask poems can be long or short, serious or humorous. There are no rules as far as meter or rhyme […]
  • Visual Prompt: A Reader’s Prayer
    We’ve all been there, pen in hand, waiting for a poem to arrive. Poetry prompts are a great way to get the juices flowing on those inevitable days when a poem doesn’t show up. The visual prompt below spoke to me. There is nothing more […]
  • What’s the Skinny? Writing Skinny Poems
    If you haven’t written a Skinny poem before, you are in for a real treat! This poetic form was created by Truth Thomas in the Tony Medina Poetry Workshop at Howard University in 2005.
  • Visual Poetry Prompt: A Big Fan
    We’ve all been there, sitting with pen in hand, waiting for a poem to arrive. Poetry prompts are a great way to get the juices flowing on those inevitable days when a poem doesn’t show up. When I looked at the picture below, the fan […]
  • Poetry Pop Shop: Haikcubes
    On Poetry Pop, you will periodically get posts titled, Poetry Pop Shop, where I introduce some fun writerly or readerly gadgets I think you might enjoy. In my last post, we had fun writing haikus so I thought it would be fitting to introduce you […]
  • Haiku: Capturing a Moment in Nature
    A haiku (hi-koo) is a short Japanese poem that focuses on one moment in nature. It’s a poem that’s written to be read in one breath. Sometimes Haiku is confused with the similar Senryu (we’ll take a look at the difference below).
  • How to Write a Digital Blackout Poem (with images)
    In blackout poetry, the poet blacks out or covers up unwanted words, leaving carefully chosen words to “pop” on the page. There are two ways to create blackout poetry. You can do it the old school way with a newspaper article and a marker which […]
  • Writing a Found Poem (no, it’s not cheating!)
    Found poetry is the literary version of a collage. The poems are made up of words taken from a printed document such as a newspaper article, a speech, a menu, junk mail, or even another poem. The poet selects words from the document and rearranges […]
  • How-To Poems: How to Be a Star
    In this poem form, the poet walks the reader through a process, teaching them how to do something new and entertaining them along the way. The How to Poem is known as a modern poetic form sometimes used in classrooms. However, William Carlos Williams’ (1883-1963) poem, Tract, in which […]
  • Debut Pop: Welcome to Poetry Pop!
    Thanks for popping in for Poetry Pop’s debut blog post! Some of you may know me as Children’s Book Author, Danna Smith, but writing poetry is where I got my start. I have loved words from the moment I met them. I visited them often […]