Thank you for popping in! Some of you may know me as children’s book author, Danna (banana) Smith, but I also write poetry for adults and young adults. With this blog, I aim to carve out a place for you to read, learn, create, and share our mutual passion for poetry. Poetry Pop is meant for everyone to enjoy, whether you’re a beginner, a seasoned poet, or somewhere in between. Let’s play with words! —Danna Smith
from my blog
- How to Write Gunsaku: Happy SpringHave you ever written a collection of individual haiku on the same subject? If so, you have written an ancient Japanese poetry form called gunsaku (goon-sah-koo).
- Guest Pop: Thomas McRaePeriodically on Poetry Pop, we enjoy a Guest Pop where a guest poet pops in for a visit. I’d like to welcome, Thomas McRae to the blog today. I had the pleasure of interviewing Thomas and am excited to share some of his free verse… Read more: Guest Pop: Thomas McRae
- Official Poetry Pop Journals Now Available!I am pleased to announce that we now have an official Poetry Pop Journal! Available in paperback and hardcover and two colors and finishes, it’s the perfect way to add a pop of poetry to your day! Record notes from the blog and keep your… Read more: Official Poetry Pop Journals Now Available!
- Writing Down the Bones Deck #51 (Plus Death Poems)The book Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg has been relished by writers in their practice for over 30 years. The author also created a deck of 60 cards, each with new topics on one side and a short lesson on the reverse.
- Picture Haiku: ChrysalisSpring weather comes early here in Northern California so it’s a great time to venture out to my garden and prepare it for planting. While cleaning up last week, I found a curled leaf on my patio and snapped this picture:
- Zen Pop: Mindful Moments in NaturePeriodically 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 Pantoum Poem (with template)Once an oral form of poetry, the pantoum is a poem form from 15th century Malaysia and is popular among French poets. The twenty-line rhyming poem works best when written on an emotional topic like memories, history, family issues, or grief.
- Birthday Acrostic PoemToday is my birthday, and on this day it’s a tradition here on Poetry Pop to share my birthday acrostic poem to celebrate all birthdays in the coming year.
- Poetry in EducationYou might remember the poem, Nine Parts of Speech, from your childhood. Written in a catchy rhythm, we learn the parts of speech which we use when writing or speaking English every day. The poem was written by student, Green Baker of Freedman’s School in… Read more: Poetry in Education
- Haiku on the Dark SideMostly, I read and write uplifting or humorous haiku. But haiku isn’talways frog ponds and cherry blossoms. There are sad, dark, and macabrehaiku that are less frequently shared.
- Burial Day: A Free Verse PoemMy sisters and I buried our mother on January 6th, two years ago. So, she’s been on my mind more than usual. Today, I want to share the poem I wrote in her memory. May she continue to rest in peace. <3
- Fun with Magnetic Haiku: RaindropsDo you know how when you go holiday shopping and see something you have to buy for yourself? Yep, me too. :) I treated myself to this little Haiku Magnetic Poetry Kit and have had so much fun sorting through the words to create unique haiku.
- Merry Christmas From Poetry Pop!I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued participation on poetrypop.com, whether you read, wrote, or shared poetry throughout the year. I am grateful for you and this creative space where we can celebrate our collective passion for poetry and words. I’ll… Read more: Merry Christmas From Poetry Pop!
- Photo Prompt: SquirrelWe’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.
- How To Write A Concrete Poem In a concrete poem (aka Shape poem), the words are written in the shape of the poem’s subject. How the poem looks on the page adds to its meaning and impact on the reader. A poet may also use different fonts, symbols, colors, and… Read more: How To Write A Concrete Poem
- Best Holiday Gifts for Poets: Poetry Pop ShopThere are just 35 days until Christmas but you still plenty of time to shop online for the poet, reader, and writer in your life. I’ve gathered a handful of my favorite gift ideas that are sure to bring joy to the creative soul at… Read more: Best Holiday Gifts for Poets: Poetry Pop Shop
- Visual Prompt: Nature is My ChurchWe’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.
- Tattoo TankaI was in the mood to write tanka today and I thought it’d switch things up by writing one inspired by one of my daughter’s tattoos. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen this done before, I’m calling it Tattoo Tanka.
- Found Poem: Look for Me Among the FlowersFound 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 introduction of the coffee table book Seeing Flowers by Robert Llewellyn and Teri… Read more: Found Poem: Look for Me Among the Flowers
- A Publication Celebration and InterviewI’m happy to have my newest book, “How Do You Haiku?” featured on Matt Esenwine’s blog this Poetry Friday! Head over to Radio, Rhythm, & Rhyme for my interview with Matt on the making of the book and to celebrate with us!
- Zen Pop: Hope MattersPeriodically 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.
- Author Interview: Haiku Makes Me HappyI am pleased to share my interview with Literary Titan about my new how-to haiku handbook and why I wrote it. Click the bolded title below for the scoop!
- How to Create Haiga (With Paint Blots)Often called Zen Art, Haiga (hi-gah) combines Haiku and drawings on the same page. The poetry and the images work together to strengthen one another. Japanese poets often created Haiga in ink with simple brush strokes. In my book, How Do You Haiku? A Step-by-Step… Read more: How to Create Haiga (With Paint Blots)
- Writing a Mask Poem: Who Am I?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). Can you guess the subject of the three mask poems below? Read the poems then click the right arrow for… Read more: Writing a Mask Poem: Who Am I?
- How Do You Haiku? A Step-By-Step Guide with Templates—Now Available!I am happy to welcome this “how to haiku” handbook into the world (for ages 8 & up)! I fell in love with words from the moment I met them and wrote my first poem when I was eight years old. This is the book… Read more: How Do You Haiku? A Step-By-Step Guide with Templates—Now Available!
- How-To Poems: How to Be Star JasmineHave you ever written a How-to Poem? In this poetry form, the poet walks the reader through a process, teaching them how to do something new and entertaining them along the way. You can guide your readers on how to find a husband, how to race… Read more: How-To Poems: How to Be Star Jasmine
- Picture Haiku: Tomato Leaf MassacreMy garden has been kindly offering all kinds of veggies, zucchini, peppers and yes, fat juicy tomatoes for months. But as we near the end of summer, the snails have been enjoying the fruits of my labor as well! So today, I’m sharing a picture… Read more: Picture Haiku: Tomato Leaf Massacre
- Guest Pop: Connie Goldsmith Writes Catku!Periodically on Poetry Pop, we enjoy a Guest Pop where a guest poet pops in for a visit. I’d like to welcome, Connie Goldsmith to the blog! Connie’s day job has her living the life of a middle grade and young adult nonfiction writer, but… Read more: Guest Pop: Connie Goldsmith Writes Catku!
- This and That (SUMMER)Well hello, summer! We’ve officially hit the summer season and that means it’s time for a This and That seasonal poem. It’s been fun to write about each season in this form. You can check out winter, spring, and fall‘s poems here.
- Travel Haiku: Lake Davis, CAHaiku is 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 the jeep up to Lake Davis near Portola, CA in northern California to celebrate our… Read more: Travel Haiku: Lake Davis, CA
- Found Poem: Tiny BuddaFound 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 book, Tiny Budda. The poet selects words from the document and rearranges them… Read more: Found Poem: Tiny Budda
- I Am Offering This Poem To You: A Golden Shovel Poem (with template)Golden Shovel poetry is a poetic form in which you borrow a line, or lines, from someone else’s poem, and use each of their words as the end words in your poem. Preferably, you write your poem in a way that feels like a continuation… Read more: I Am Offering This Poem To You: A Golden Shovel Poem (with template)
- This and That (Spring)One fall I went walking with a friend on a nearby trail, the colorful leaves crunching beneath our sneakers. We were talking about the russet beauty all around us, pointing out this and that as we went along. I thought a poem, in the form… Read more: This and That (Spring)
- Fun with Junk EMail: A List PoemMy computer recently crashed and when it was up and running again, I found all of my junk mail had bailed the confines of its folder and was hanging out in my actual inbox. I spent hours sifting through what was junk and what was… Read more: Fun with Junk EMail: A List Poem
- Blog Hop: Happy International Haiku Day!Occasionally here on Poetry Pop, you’ll see a Poetry Pop Blog Hop post. This is when we take a field trip and hop over to another blog to see what’s going on. Today we are hopping over to CELEBRATE PICURE BOOKS blog where we are… Read more: Blog Hop: Happy International Haiku Day!
- A Basket of Easter HaikuThe sun is shining here in northern California, just in time for the Easter Bunny to do her thing. Today in celebration of the holiday, I’ve filled a basket with a collection of Easter haiku. This type of haiku grouping has the official name of… Read more: A Basket of Easter Haiku
- Celebrate National Poetry Month with “H Is For Haiku” (with lesson plan)Today, I have the pleasure of introducing you to H is For Haiku, a beautiful book on Haiku written by the late Sydell Rosenberg (1929-1996) published by Penny Candy Books. Syd was a charter member of the Haiku Society of America in 1968. She wrote… Read more: Celebrate National Poetry Month with “H Is For Haiku” (with lesson plan)
- Memorial Haiku: Happy Birthday, DadToday would have been my dad’s 85th birthday. He was a lifelong falconer, so it seemed fitting that a hawk chose the day Dad passed away to circle the sky above me in grand, sweeping loops as it sang to the sky. It felt as… Read more: Memorial Haiku: Happy Birthday, Dad
- Two, Four, Six, Eight, Who Do We Appreciate? Cinquain!If you shy away from certain poetry forms because of the complicated rules, then the cinquain (Sin-Kane) might be the form for you!
- Happy World Poetry Day: Poem ParadeRemember 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… Read more: Happy World Poetry Day: Poem Parade
- 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… Read more: The F Word (Forgiveness)
- Visual Prompt: Jelly DancerWe’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… Read more: Visual Prompt: Jelly Dancer
- Poetry Pop Shop: Writing Down the Bones DeckOn 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… Read more: Poetry Pop Shop: Writing Down the Bones Deck
- Travel Haiku: Cambria CaliforniaHaiku 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… Read more: Travel Haiku: Cambria California
- Found Poem: DNA Mission StatementFound 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… Read more: Found Poem: DNA Mission Statement
- Happy Holidays From My Home (Poem) to YoursIn 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… Read more: Happy Holidays From My Home (Poem) to Yours
- 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… Read more: This and That Poem (Winter)
- Guest Pop: Linda Joy SingletonPeriodically 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… Read more: Guest Pop: Linda Joy Singleton
- Zen Pop: A Love Note to My BodyPeriodically 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 RiddleA 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… Read more: Mask Poem Riddle
- When it FallsHappy 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.… Read more: When it Falls
- Paint Chip HaikuThe 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… Read more: Paint Chip Haiku
- How Do You Haiku? #7 Best Books on HaikuUPDATE 8.19.23: DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND, THIS HOW DO YOU HAIKU BLOG SERIES IS NOW A BOOK! AVAILABLE SEPT 1, 2023. 🙂 Welcome to the seventh and final post in our How Do You Haiku?© series! Last post we created a haiga (haiku with illustration)!… Read more: How Do You Haiku? #7 Best Books on Haiku
- How Do You Haiku? #6 HaigaUPDATE 8.19.23: DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND, THIS HOW DO YOU HAIKU BLOG SERIES IS NOW A BOOK! AVAILABLE SEPT 1, 2023. 🙂 And here we are, nearing the end of our How Do You Haiku?© series with the sixth of seven ways to write and… Read more: How Do You Haiku? #6 Haiga
- How Do You Haiku? #5 Saijiki (Season Word Dictionary) With TemplateUPDATE 8.19.23: DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND, THIS HOW DO YOU HAIKU BLOG SERIES IS NOW A BOOK! AVAILABLE SEPT 1, 2023. 🙂 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… Read more: How Do You Haiku? #5 Saijiki (Season Word Dictionary) With Template
- 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… Read more: We Interrupt The Regularly Scheduled Haiku Series Of Posts For This Exciting Announcement!
- How Do You Haiku? #4 Kuhi (Poem stone)UPDATE 8.19.23: DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND, THIS HOW DO YOU HAIKU BLOG SERIES IS NOW A BOOK! AVAILABLE SEPT 1, 2023. 🙂 This is the fourth installment of our seven-post series on Haiku! Last week we wrote Haibun where we combined a story with haiku!… Read more: How Do You Haiku? #4 Kuhi (Poem stone)
- How Do You Haiku? #3 haibun (story with haiku)UPDATE 8.19.23: DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND, THIS HOW DO YOU HAIKU BLOG SERIES IS NOW A BOOK! AVAILABLE SEPT 1, 2023. 🙂 This is the third installment of our seven-post series on Haiku! Last week we wrote Picture Haiku where a picture of poppies by… Read more: How Do You Haiku? #3 haibun (story with haiku)
- How Do You Haiku? #2 Picture HaikuUPDATE 8.19.23: DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND, THIS HOW DO YOU HAIKU BLOG SERIES IS NOW A BOOK! AVAILABLE SEPT 1, 2023. 🙂 Welcome to the second post of our seven-post series on Haiku! Last week we took a Ginko Walk in nature to help us… Read more: How Do You Haiku? #2 Picture Haiku
- How Do You Haiku? #1 Take a Ginko WalkUPDATE 8.19.23: DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND, THIS HOW DO YOU HAIKU BLOG SERIES IS NOW A BOOK! AVAILABLE SEPT 1, 2023. 🙂 Haiku is the most popular form of poetry today, but did you know there are different ways to write and present haiku? Today,… Read more: How Do You Haiku? #1 Take a Ginko Walk
- Cover reveal: YA Novel-In-VerseWhen 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!… Read more: Cover reveal: YA Novel-In-Verse
- 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… Read more: Happy World Poetry Day!
- 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… Read more: Prefix Poem (DIS: Dandelion wishes)
- Happy Birthday AcrosticToday 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… Read more: Happy Birthday Acrostic
- Poem ParadeRemember 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… Read more: Poem Parade
- 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… Read more: This and That (FALL)
- When it FallsAh, 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… Read more: When it Falls
- Featured Poem on YourDailyPoem.comHi 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… Read more: Featured Poem on YourDailyPoem.com
- The Color of LiesHave 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… Read more: The Color of Lies
- Visual Prompt: refuge in the libraryWe’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… Read more: Visual Prompt: refuge in the library
- The F Word: How to Write a Transversen PoemIf 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… Read more: The F Word: How to Write a Transversen Poem
- Writer’s Block: Falling into Free VerseA 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… Read more: Letters to Mother Goose Series: Mother Goose’s reply (final poem).
- Letters to Mother Goose Series: a Ship a-sailingYou 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… Read more: Letters to Mother Goose Series: a Ship a-sailing
- Letters to Mother Goose Series: Miss MuffetYou 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… Read more: Letters to Mother Goose Series: Miss Muffet
- Letters to Mother Goose Series: MoonYou 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… Read more: Letters to Mother Goose Series: Moon
- Letters to Mother Goose Series: Nimble JackYou 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)… Read more: Letters to Mother Goose Series: Nimble Jack
- Letters to Mother Goose Series: Wee Willie WinkieYou 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)… Read more: Letters to Mother Goose Series: Wee Willie Winkie
- Letters to Mother Goose Series: Dish and SpoonYou 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)… Read more: Letters to Mother Goose Series: Dish and Spoon
- Letters to Mother Goose Series: The Cow that Jumped over the MoonYou 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)… Read more: Letters to Mother Goose Series: The Cow that Jumped over the Moon
- Letters to Mother Goose Series: Betty BlueWelcome 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)… Read more: Letters to Mother Goose Series: Betty Blue
- Letters to Mother Goose Series: Little Bo PeepWelcome 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… Read more: Letters to Mother Goose Series: Little Bo Peep
- Letters to Mother Goose Series: The Crooked ManWelcome 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)… Read more: Letters to Mother Goose Series: The Crooked Man
- Letters to Mother Goose Series: Georgie PorgieWelcome 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… Read more: Letters to Mother Goose Series: Georgie Porgie
- Letters to Mother Goose Series: Mary, Mary, Quite ContraryWelcome 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)… Read more: Letters to Mother Goose Series: Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary
- Letters to Mother Goose Series: Jack-a-DandyYou 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… Read more: Letters to Mother Goose Series: Jack-a-Dandy
- Poetry Pop Quiz: Test your Poetry IQWhat type of poet are you? Put on your thinking cap and take this fun interactive quiz to find out!
- Tanka : Haiku’s Big CousinThe 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… Read more: Tanka : Haiku’s Big Cousin
- Travel Haiku: Taking Haiku on the RoadEarly 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… Read more: Travel Haiku: Taking Haiku on the Road
- Visual Prompt: Pick a Number Between 1 and 9Let 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… Read more: Visual Prompt: Pick a Number Between 1 and 9
- Starting a Haiku JournalHaiku 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… Read more: Starting a Haiku Journal
- Momeries: A Mother’s Day PoemHappy 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… Read more: Momeries: A Mother’s Day Poem
- Book Spine Poetry: NovelsLast 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.
