My husband and I recently hiked around Arnold, CA, and Big Trees State Park. Instead of keeping a standard journal, I like to document my travels through poetry—much like the Japanese poet Matsuo Basho (1644–1694) did on his own journeys.

In his book, Narrow Road to the Interior, Basho combined travel notes, sketches, and poems. On one stop, a fellow poet gifted him straw sandals with iris-blue straps. Rather than writing a plain note about it (my friend gave me a pair of sandals), Basho captured the moment with this verse:

to have blue irises

blooming on one’s feet—

walking-sandal straps

I’m excited to share a few of my own travel haiku and senryu with you today. I hope these quick poetic “snapshots” help you picture the scenic trails, mountain air, and fun moments we experienced along the way!

internet spotty
downloading...
real life

the stream babbles
a language
foreign to no one

travel journal
written in ink
felt in the breeze

5 mile hike
the scenic route
both steal my breath

early fall curtain call
a troupe of trees
green's last act

©Danna Smith at poetrypop.com. All rights reserve

Poetry Pop Challenge

Try creating a “Travel Journal” section in your own notebook to capture observations from your next trip! Feel free to add quick sketches or tap in a few photos alongside your poems.

If you’d like a dedicated place for these prompts, you can grab an official Poetry Pop notebook (available in paperback or hardcover) to keep all your poetry in one spot.

Thanks for Popping In!

I hope this inspires you to take a haiku journal along on your next getaway! If you enjoyed this post, please share it with friends and family. Your support means the world, and thank you as always for stopping by following the blog!