From ancient Japanese traditions to today’s modern versions, haiku has come a long way. While the form has evolved over centuries, 2026 is officially the year of the haiku app! These tools make it easy to write on the go or jump into a collaborative renga with friends anywhere in the world. I’m so excited to share a wonderful, newly released renga app with you all!
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You might know haiku as that classic Japanese form with the 5/7/5 syllable structure. And while that’s a fantastic starting point, there’s a whole lot more to haiku than just counting!
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Hello and Happy New Year! I’m so glad you’re here to kick off a fresh chapter of writing poetry with me. To celebrate the season, I’ve been looking into my collection of photo prompts on Poetry Pop and found two beautiful, wintry scenes that really spoke to me. I ended up turning them into a couple Haiga (haiku + art) to share with you today!
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My husband recently retired so we decided to take off for a month and be beach bums on the northern California coast. Rather than keep a written journal to document my trips, I like to poetically record what I see in my travels, much like Japanese poet Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) did while he traveled.
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I usually write “happy” poetry, but sometimes my moods and thoughts turn toward the sadder times of my life, reflecting on the complexities of human emotions and the experiences that shape me. This is one of those times.
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Spider lilies, with their spidery petals and bright colors, bring beauty to late summer and autumn. While many flowers fade, these mighty blooms appear, making them the perfect subject for poetry about resilience, change, and the cycle of life. However, as you examine them, other, unique themes may come to mind. Join me in this Poetry Pop Challenge where we write two very different haiku inspired by the same image.
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Pick a number between one and nine, then slide the cover to reveal the visual prompt you can use to write a poem this week. The numbers are in random order in the lower right-hand corner of each photo. If the image loads with the slider open, quickly close it —no peeking! 🙂 Have fun!
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Announcing the arrival of my poetry book, Born of Orange Blossoms! This vibrant collection celebrates the beauty of nature’s cycles, with poems that capture the essence of each season. I’m so excited for you to experience it!
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In celebration of National Haiku Poetry Day on April 17th, I’m excited to share my “How to Haiku” handbook for ages 8 and up. This book teaches simple ways to write haiku while encouraging creativity and worth in one’s poetry. It offers a mix of techniques, motivation, and playful templates for haiku crafting, and I hope it will be shared with children, teachers, librarians, and parents on National Haiku Day and beyond.
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