Poetry Pea - haiku and other English Language Japanese short forms

Poetry Pea
Poetry Pea
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Poetry Pea is a poetry podcast from www.poetrypea.com. It features haiku and senryu and other Japanese short form poetry. There are lots of free writing resources, workshops from experts, readings of original poetry, haiku and senryu, as well as prompts and writing exercises. You can submit your haiku or senryu to Patricia and be featured on the podcast and in the Poetry Pea Journal. Let’s write together.

  1. 5d ago

    S9E41 Haiku Writing Challenges - The Little Marvels We Nearly Miss

    In S9E41 of the Poetry Pea Podcast, Patricia explores the art of finding extraordinary moments in ordinary life, with haiku and senryū inspired by yellow grass, sparrows, a tiny snail, a piece of the Berlin Wall and a blackbird hunting for a worm. Along the way, Patricia examines the craft behind the poems, including the importance of kigo (seasonal reference) in haiku, concrete imagery, observation and the power of a surprising final line. She also shares her own works in progress, discussing what works, what doesn't and why sometimes a poem needs another look. Then it's your turn! Try three writing challenges: The Small Things That Save the Day — find the little moments that brighten your life.The Ordinary Made Extraordinary — look closely at an everyday object until you see it differently.The Marvels We Nearly Miss — discover the small wonders hiding in the corner of your vision.Whether you're an experienced haiku poet or just beginning to explore this wonderful short form, join Patricia for poetry, practical inspiration and an invitation to look at the world a little more closely. Remember your kigo when writing haiku, trust your concrete images, and don't feel you have to explain everything. Sometimes the smallest details have the most to say. Enjoying the Poetry Pea Podcast? Support our independent poetry community through membership or a one-off contribution on Buy Me a Coffee, or help by sharing the podcast with a poetry-loving friend. Keep your eyes open, notice the small stuff, and keep writing! Ciao! Episode notes Poets featured today: Bisshie Bill Fay, Jann Wright, Curt Pawlisch Issa trs Lanoue[i] CX Turner Barry Levine, Eric Sundquist, Ravi Kiran. Claire Ninham, Marian Olson, Samo Kreutz

    S9E41 Haiku Writing Challenges - The Little Marvels We Nearly Miss

  2. Oct 19

    S9E40 Melissa Dennison Reads Caravan: A Trail of Haiku

    Join host Patricia on the Poetry Pea Podcast for a Poetry Pea Salon with award-winning haiku poet Melissa Dennison, reading from her book Caravan: A Trail of Haiku. Discover the surprising poetic possibilities of snails, from silvery trails in the frost to the frustrations of a gardener. Melissa reads her haiku and discusses the inspiration behind her work, exploring seasonal references (kigo), juxtaposition, word associations and the art of finding poetry in the smallest details. Patricia and Melissa take a closer look at individual poems, discussing how contrasting seasons can deepen a haiku, how a single word can open up unexpected associations, and how poets can guide readers towards new ways of seeing the world. Melissa Dennison is a member of the Haiku Foundation’s Re:Virals team and was named among Europe’s top 100 haiku poets in 2025 and 2026. Whether you write haiku, enjoy reading Japanese short-form poetry, or are simply curious about how everyday observations become memorable poems, this episode offers inspiration and insight into the craft of haiku. In this episode: Melissa Dennison reads from Caravan: A Trail of HaikuWriting haiku inspired by snails and the natural worldKigo, seasonal contrast and juxtapositionWord associations and the layers of meaning in short poetryExploring the poet’s intentions and the reader’s interpretationFind Caravan: A Trail of Haiku via the link in the show notes. Listen, enjoy, and perhaps look twice at the next snail trail you see. The Poetry Pea Podcast celebrates haiku, senryū, tanka, haibun and other forms of short poetry, bringing poets and readers together to explore the craft and joy of writing. Keep writing. Ciao!

    S9E40 Melissa Dennison Reads Caravan: A Trail of Haiku

  3. Oct 12

    S9E39 Tanka & Kyōka Japanese Short Form Poetry

    Looking for tanka and kyōka inspiration? In this episode of Poetry Peacast, Patricia shares a selection of English-language tanka and kyōka to inspire your own Japanese short-form poetry writing. We explore how tanka can capture memory, childhood, grief, renewal, humour and everyday life – and how kyōka can use wit, satire and the conventions of traditional Japanese poetry in unexpected ways. Among the poems we hear are Yomono Akara’s satirical kyōka set in Yoshiwara, along with tanka by Reid Hepworth, Marion Clarke, Vandana Parashar, Colette Kern, Jenny Shepherd, Tim Cremin, Eve Castle, Ann Curran, Agus Maulana Sunjaya, Mona Bedi, Neena Singh, Joshua St Claire and Sara Winteridge. Patricia looks at what makes these poems work, including concrete imagery, the movement between external observation and emotional response, juxtaposition, sensory detail and the all-important turn in a tanka. If you’re writing tanka, kyōka, haiku or other Japanese short-form poetry, there are plenty of ideas here to get you reaching for your pen. The Poetry Pea tanka and kyōka submission deadline is 15 October, but if you’ve missed this call-out, don’t worry – there will be more opportunities to submit your work to Poetry Pea. The episode also points listeners towards other journals accepting English-language tanka and kyōka, check out the show notes . Listen, read, write – and keep writing. #tanka #kyoka #haiku #JapanesePoetry #shortformpoetry #poetrywriting #PoetryPea

    S9E39 Tanka & Kyōka Japanese Short Form Poetry

  4. Oct 5

    S9E38 Paragliding Haiku Poetry Inspired by the Swiss Alps

    Join Patricia on the Poetry Peacast for S9E38, featuring haiku and senryu inspired by paragliding in Interlaken, Switzerland, with David Cox as editor of the August Video Prompt. Discover the poems selected by David Cox, as Patricia explores the beauty of the Swiss Alps, the history of Interlaken, the spectacular Jungfrau region, and even a few James Bond connections. From silent paragliders floating between church steeples to fleeting shadows on mountain trails, these haiku capture the many ways poets interpret a single moment. This episode also features bonus haiku and senryu about flying, wind, kites, sky and the natural world, including work by Swiss poets Gregor Graf, Valeria Barouch and Gerard Krebs. Whether you write haiku, senryu or simply love short-form poetry, join us for a celebration of poetic observation, imagination and the inspiration we find in the world around us. In this episode: August 2026 Video Prompt, curated by David CoxSelected haiku and senryu inspired by paraglidingInterlaken, the Jungfrau and the Swiss AlpsBonus poems about wind, sky, kites and natureHaiku by Swiss poets, including Gerard KrebsPoetry, travel, and the art of noticingEnjoying the Poetry Peacast? You can support Poetry Pea by becoming a member, purchasing the Poetry Pea Journal, making a donation, leaving a review, or sharing the podcast with your poetry-loving friends. Poets featured today: Gregor GrafValeria BarouchGerard KrebsRyan CohenAlicia SamsonAnna YinTracy DavidsonShilan AmirNorbert KovacsPaul CallusRohan BuettelJacek MargolakJoanna AshwellKim KlughTom BierovicMelissa DennisonDenisa HansutovaFederico C PeraltaTony WilliamsBrent PartridgeDebbie StrangeIssaTaigiKim RussellEavonka EttingerDiana SalusiaEmil KarlaBaisali Chatterjee Dutt  Thank you for listening, and as always, keep writing! Visit Poetry Pea for more haiku, senryu, poetry prompts, journals and community features.

    S9E38 Paragliding Haiku Poetry Inspired by the Swiss Alps

  5. Sep 28

    S9E37 Haibun and tips for writing them from Tendrils volume 3

    Welcome back to the Poetry Peacast! After a rather unfortunate disappearing act by my voice, I’m back behind the microphone with a special episode celebrating haibun from Tendrils, Volume 3, the Poetry Pea journal of haibun. In this episode, I read the Editor’s Choice and Honourable Mentions from the journal, outstanding haibun by Cathryn Daley, Mark Forrester and Sara Winteridge. I explore what makes a successful haibun, particularly the relationship between prose and haiku. I look at how the haiku can bring its own distinct “utterance” to a piece, add emotional resonance and create a dialogue with the prose rather than simply illustrating it. I also share some thoughts on stand-alone haiku, drawing on Sean O’Connor’s discussion of contemporary haibun and his definition of haibun as a prosimetrum: a combination of prose and poetry. Featured works include On Repeat, Largesse and Sara Winteridge’s haunting The Order of Things, which explores grief, dementia, memory and the natural world. If you’re interested in writing haibun, haiku or short-form poetry, there’s plenty here to think about – and hopefully plenty to inspire your own writing. You’ll find links in the show notes to Tendrils, Volume 3, Sean O’Connor’s article on contemporary haibun, and Vandana Parashar’s We, the People. Thanks for listening, and as always, keep writing!

    S9E37 Haibun and tips for writing them from Tendrils volume 3

  6. Sep 14

    S9E36 Poetry Pea Video Prompt A Reading of Haiku, Senryu, and short poems

    Welcome to the Poetry Pea July Video Prompt, featuring a wonderful collection of haiku, senryū and short poetry selected and curated by guest editor Matt Snyder. Thank you Matt. This month’s episode comes to you from the beautiful Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland — Tolkien’s Rivendell — where the July Video Prompt was filmed. Patricia begins with a bonus poem of her own before sharing the poems chosen by Matt for this episode and the forthcoming Poetry Pea Journal 3:26. There's a little mention of Patricia’s insistence that a kigo, or seasonal word, is essential when writing haiku. You may disagree — and that’s perfectly fine. Poetry needs a little healthy disagreement now and then! If you enjoy the episode, please subscribe, leave a review wherever you listen, or head over to YouTube and leave a comment. And if you’d like to support Poetry Pea, you can find membership and donation links in the show notes. Thank you for listening, and most importantly, keep writing. Poets featured: Sandip Chauhan Alicia Samson Soumya Mukherjee Joanna Ashwell Lakshmi Iyer Tracy Davidson Rohan Buettel Valerie Green David Cox Kim Klugh Vikram Kolmannskog Editor’s Choice Neena Singh Yvonne Hardenbrook, Haiku in English the first hundred years, Kacian, Rowland and Burns Jennifer Sutherland, Chrysanthemum, Issue 27 from April 2020 Dina E Cox, Full of Moonlight, Haiku Society of America 2016 Member’s Anthology. Linda L Ludwig, Little Marvels, 2024 Sōseki trs Ueda[i] Fred Schofield, Blithe Spirit, Vol. 9 No.2 June 1999 Bona M Santos, PPJ Autumn 2020 Ben Oliver, an Honourable mention from journal 3:24 Daniela Misso, from episode 22 of the fourth series. Roberta Beach Jacobson, PPJ Autumn 2020 Bisshie [i] Modern Japanese Haiku Makoto Ueda, University of Toronto Press, 1976

    S9E36 Poetry Pea Video Prompt A Reading of Haiku, Senryu, and short poems

  7. Sep 7

    S9E35 Renku Reading from the Poetry Pea community A Poetry Pea summer Classic

    This week on Poetry Pea Summer Classics, we're revisiting one of the most joyful forms of Japanese linked verse: renku. Sit back and enjoy readings of three collaborative renku created by members of the Poetry Pea community: Drinking Moonrise, Wing to Wing, and Spring Table. These beautifully crafted linked poems demonstrate how individual voices can come together to create something richer than the sum of their parts. If today's episode inspires you, you'll find these renku, along with many more haiku, senryu, tanka and haibun, in the Poetry Pea Journal back catalogue. Links are in the show notes. Get involved with the Poetry Pea Video PromptHave you written your poem yet? Every month there’s a brand-new Poetry Pea Video Prompt to spark your creativity. To submit your poem, simply leave it in the comments beneath the YouTube Video Prompt. If your poem isn't in the comments, it hasn't been entered for consideration. If our guest editor selects your poem/s they’ll be published in a future Poetry Pea Journal and featured in a podcast episode. Support Poetry PeaIf you enjoy the Poetry Pea Podcast and would like to help keep independent poetry and podcasts thriving, please consider becoming a member, making a small donation, buying us a coffee, volunteering your time, or simply recommending the podcast to a friend. Sharing episodes on social media and leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts also helps more people discover the Poetry Pea community. Thank you for listening and for being part of Poetry Pea. Keep writing!

  8. Aug 31

    S9E34 Vandana Parashar reads from Alone, I Am Not A Poetry Pea Summer Classic

    Take a journey into the beautifully observed world of poet Vandana Parashar in this Poetry Pea Summer Classic. Originally recorded as part of our popular reading series, Vandana reads from her acclaimed collection Alone, I Am Not, sharing poems rich in humanity, quiet insight and the extraordinary moments hidden within everyday life. We also celebrate the publication of her more recent collection, We, the People, a book that continues her thoughtful exploration of the lives we share. Check out the link in the show notes. Whether you're discovering Vandana's work for the first time or returning to enjoy it again, this episode is a reminder of why her poetry resonates with readers around the world. In this episode: • Vandana Parashar reads from Alone, I Am Not 🎥 Join this month's Poetry Pea Video Prompt on YouTube. Watch our guest editor's short film, write a haiku, senryū or tanka inspired by it, and post your poem in the comments. Selected poems may be featured in a future Poetry Pea Journal and read on the podcast. ☕ Enjoying the podcast? Please consider supporting Poetry Pea by becoming a member, buying me a virtual coffee, or making a small PayPal donation. Your support helps keep the podcast, journals and our thriving poetry community growing. Subscribe for weekly conversations, readings and discussions celebrating haiku, senryū, tanka and Japanese short-form poetry from poets around the world.

    S9E34 Vandana Parashar reads from Alone, I Am Not A Poetry Pea Summer Classic
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Poetry Pea is a poetry podcast from www.poetrypea.com. It features haiku and senryu and other Japanese short form poetry. There are lots of free writing resources, workshops from experts, readings of original poetry, haiku and senryu, as well as prompts and writing exercises. You can submit your haiku or senryu to Patricia and be featured on the podcast and in the Poetry Pea Journal. Let’s write together.

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