Poetry Pop Challenge

🥾Exploring Big Trees: Poetry from the Trail

| Danna Smith

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:

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Crafting Mask (Persona) Poems: A Step-by-Step Approach

| Danna Smith

Writing a mask poem (also called a persona poem) is like stepping into a literary disguise. Instead of expressing your own thoughts, you adopt the voice of someone or something else.

Have you ever considered what your coffee maker thinks of your morning routine, or how an ancient oak tree feels through the seasons? A mask poem allows you to explore and convey these unique perspectives.

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A Complete Guide to Writing Skinny Poems (with Template)

| Danna Smith

Ever felt like your poems are a little too wordy or “bulky”? If you haven’t tried writing a Skinny Poem yet, you are honestly missing out on some serious fun!

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Zen Pop: The Earth We Borrow— Reflecting on Grief and Birthdays This Spring

| Danna Smith

“We walk the earth for the time we’re given, then we return to it.”

I’ve been sitting with these words from the movie “The Way Home” for a few weeks now. As the frost finally thaws and the first green shoots start poking through the dirt, the timing feels intentional. This spring marks the birthdays of my mom and dads, and as I have for the past few years, I am struggling with these dates without them here to blow out the candles.

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Join the Fun on Poem in Your Pocket Day: April 29th! —Includes Downloadable Poems

| Danna Smith

Hey poetry poppers!

April is officially National Poetry Month, which means we’re all reading a little more, maybe scribbling in our journals a bit more often, and generally soaking up the literary vibes. But there is one specific day in April (the 29th this year) that I look forward to every single year because it’s just so fun!

I’m talking about Poem in Your Pocket Day!

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The Magic of the Perfect Pair: Why Rhyme Matters in Children’s Books

| Danna Smith

There is a specific kind of magic that happens when a child hears a perfectly executed rhyme. Their eyes light up, their feet start tapping, and they begin to anticipate the next word before you’ve even turned the page.

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Winter Poetry Prompts to Ignite Your Creativity

| Danna Smith

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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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Poetry Pop

| Danna Smith

I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, filled with laughter, love, and heartfelt moments. Let’s cherish the time spent with loved ones and carry those precious memories into the new year. I’ll see you in 2026 with more poetry to share and lots of poetry pop challenges that will inspire creativity and bring us all closer together!

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Poetry is a Verb: Let’s Move from Thinking to Doing

| Danna Smith

Hey there, fellow word-lovers! Let’s be honest: we’ve all been there. Staring at a blank page, waiting for that golden, perfect idea to float down from the heavens. We think of writing—especially poetry—as this quiet, intensely cerebral activity. We sit still, we think hard, and we wait for the muse to show up.

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