Poetry Pea - haiku and other English Language Japanese short forms

This week on the Poetry Pea Podcast there’s a slight change of plan.

Part three of the one-line haiku series isn’t quite ready yet. After posing several questions at the end of part two, I realised I needed a little more time to sit with them. My head is currently full of ideas, possibilities and half-formed thoughts, and rather than rush things, I want to give those questions the attention they deserve.

So, while I continue wrestling with the mysteries of the one-line haiku, I thought I’d share something special with you.

In this episode you’ll hear part one of a conversation with renowned haiku poet Kala Ramesh, originally recorded for our sister podcast, Poetry Pea Readings. Kala’s insights into haiku, creativity and poetic practice are always inspiring, and it felt like the perfect conversation to revisit while we pause the one-line haiku series for a week.

If you enjoy this discussion, you’ll find the link to part two in the show notes.

Next week I’ll be back with part three of the one-line haiku extravaganza — and while I may not have answered every question swirling around in my head, I promise I’ll have given it a very good try.

Check out the show notes for more detail...

In this episode of the Poetry Pea Podcast, we continue our deep dive into the art of the one line haiku and explore five powerful techniques for writing compelling haiku and senryū in English.

If you’ve been experimenting with one line poems and wondering how they work — or whether they work at all — this episode is for you.

We explore five essential techniques for writing strong one line haiku:

• Speed – creating breathless momentum

• Circular structure – poems that can be read in multiple directions

• Truncated form – leaving deliberate space for the reader’s imagination

• Shape and horizontal movement – how visual and directional flow affect meaning

• Multiple cuts – discovering layered readings within a single line

Have we answered our won questions?

• Have we appropriated the Japanese short form?
• Do one line haiku conform to traditional three line expectations?
• Is a poem a one line haiku simply because the poet says it is?
• Why did the one line become so popular — and why have they endured?

Whether you are new to writing haiku or already publishing in journals, this episode offers accessible, practical techniques you can try immediately in your own notebook.

If you enjoy learning about haiku craft, senryū techniques, poetry prompts, and contemporary short form poetry, make sure to follow the podcast and check the show notes for cited poems and further reading.

And don’t forget:

Submit your poems via the YouTube video comments for the Monthly Prompt or try the 3-Word Challenge in our Shorts.

In this episode of The Poetry Pea Podcast, we begin an in-depth exploration of one line haiku and senryū in English. What makes a one line haiku work? Is it simply a haiku written without line breaks, or is there something more subtle happening with rhythm, pause and flow?

Through close readings of poems by Michael Segers, John Wills, Alvin Cruz, Elizabeth Searle Lamb, Kala Ramesh, Tess Sherman, Scott Wiggerman, martin gottlieb cohen and even Allen Ginsberg, we examine how the single line changes pacing, meaning and impact.

We also begin asking some bigger questions about English-language haiku:

• Have Western poets reshaped the short form into something unrecognisable in Japan?
• Are English one line haiku a natural evolution — or a reinvention?
• Is a one line poem a haiku simply because the poet says it is?

This is Part 1 of a short series. Next week we’ll turn to techniques for writing one line haiku, looking at structure, rhythm and craft.

If you’re interested in:

• one line haiku
• senryū
• English-language haiku technique
• haiku form and structure
• poetry craft discussions
• modern haiku debate

then this episode is for you.

Show notes and links are here.

If you’d like to read along, a slideshow version is available on YouTube.

Keep writing.

Monster trucks meet haiku.

In this adrenaline-charged episode of Poetry Pea,I share original haiku and senryu inspired by a thrilling monster truck video, captured by Renee Schaffer and curated by Allyson Whipple. Huge thanks to both for fuelling this creative ride.

Expect short-form poetry that explores power, spectacle, humour and the poetry of roaring engines and flying mud — all in just three lines.

Every poem featured will appear in the first Poetry Pea Journal of the year, celebrating contemporary haiku and senryu from our international poetry community.

Love modern haiku? Enjoy writing prompts and award-winning poems? Don’t miss the Golden Pea Award Winners Podcast and the accompanying anthology.

Subscribe, follow, and sign up to the newsletter so you don’t miss the next Poetry Pea release.

Check out the show notes.

Small poems. Full throttle.

Poets Featured today

Bisshie

Alicia Samson

Angiola Inglese

Christopher Seep

David Cox

Hifsa Ashraf

Jonathan Blakeslee

Joshua Gage

Lakshman Bulusu

Melissa Dennison

Mims Sully

Neena Singh

Mona Bedi

Ralph Matthews

Richard Bailly

Richard Tice

Rob McKinnon

Rohan Buettel

Tracy Davidson

Rupa Anand

Sheikha A.

Kimberly Kuchar 

A podcast about haiku and short poetry from around the world, particularly early Spanish haikuesque poetry of José Juan Tablada, but I'll also explore Japanese haiku, early Western haiku, translation, poetic form, and contemporary practice.

This episode offers close readings, literary context, and thoughts, uncovering forgotten poems, global influences, and the ways haiku has travelled across languages and cultures. Topics include imagist poetry, one-line poems, haiku history, and writing practice.

Ideal for poets, writers, readers, and anyone interested in haiku, poetry podcasts, short poems, and creative writing.

New episodes released regularly.

Keep writing.

For today's show notes, click here

In this special episode of the Poetry Pea Podcast, host Patricia announces the winners of the Golden Pea Awards 2025, celebrating the very best haiku, senryū, tanka and haibun published by Poetry Pea this year.

Recorded from her studio in Switzerland, Patricia shares a carefully curated selection of award-winning poems, chosen for their craft, originality and emotional impact. These standout pieces appear in The Golden Pea Anthology, the first collection to bring Poetry Pea’s finest poems together.

Featuring luminous haiku, sharp-eyed senryū, resonant tanka and ambitious haibun, this episode is both a celebration of outstanding poets and a masterclass for lovers of short-form poetry.

If you enjoy contemporary poetry podcasts and award-winning short poems, this episode is not to be missed.

Want to see who the talented poets are... go to the episode.

Urban Haiku Podcast | More City Life in Short Poetry

Step into the streets, gyms, roads, and temples of contemporary poetry with this episode of the Poetry Pea Podcast, dedicated to urban haiku and senryū. In this instalment of the Urban Haiku series, we continue to explore how modern city life finds expression through short-form poetry—capturing fleeting moments, human interactions, and everyday urban scenes in just a few carefully chosen words.

Featuring unpublished and published urban haiku and senryū submitted by members of the Poetry Pea community, this episode offers listeners the chance to hear fresh work while also engaging with questions of form, and categorisation. What makes a poem haiku rather than senryū? How does urban experience shape contemporary haiku writing? And how do poets adapt traditional forms to modern settings?

Perfect for haiku poets, short-form poetry lovers, and writers interested in contemporary haiku, this episode aims to inspire you to try writing urban poetry yourself—especially if you’re considering submitting to a current or future Poetry Pea haiku call-out.

You’ll also hear updates on Poetry Pea opportunities, including YouTube writing prompts, three-word challenges, and upcoming features such as the Golden Pea Awards.

🎧 Listen, reflect, and be inspired to write your own urban haiku.

📺 Don’t forget to explore the Poetry Pea YouTube channel and membership options for more ways to write, submit, and publish short poetry.

Show notes

Welcome to The Poetry Peacast, where small poems loom large and every word earns its keep.

In this episode, you’ll hear poetry from the long list of Poetry Pea’s brand-new awards — the Golden Pea Awards. These are poems that came tantalisingly close to the top: work that impressed, delighted, and lingered, but ultimately didn’t quite make it into the final, glittering handful of Golden Peas. 

Expect exceptional haiku, senryū, tanka and haibun from across the Poetry Pea community, read with care and accompanied by an appreciation of effort, craft, and understatement. This is a celebration of poems that were almost 24-carat gold — and in many cases, arguably are.

Thoughtful, witty, and refreshingly free of fuss, The Poetry Peacast honours the breadth and brilliance of contemporary short poetry and their brilliant writing community — and reminds us that sometimes, nearly is still rather magnificent.

Want to see a list of te poets on the loong list, head over to the episode webpage.

Urban haiku and senryū inspired by modern city life, with poems, and submission calls.

Show notes

poets featured today:

m shane pruett, Haiku Pea Podcast, S3E22

Eric W Amann[i] William J Higgenson with Penny Harter,”The Haiku Handbook.” Kodansha International, 1985, p87

Barbara Tate, THF City Sidewalk, taste

Michael Dylan Welch, from Graceguts

Mizuho, Urban Ginko V – Nakazaki-cho, Osaka July 10th 2023

Akihiko, Urban Ginko V – Nakazaki-cho, Osaka July 10th 2023

Richard Wright, Haiku: This Other World, Arcade Publishing, New York, NY, 1998

Lakshmi Iyer, Poetry Pea Journal, 3.22

Bob Whitmire, THF City Sidewalk, hearing

Tracy Davidson, Poetry Pea Journal 2.23

Wendy Cobourne, Prune Juice, issue 46

Arvinder Kaur, Poetry Pea Journal, Summer 2021

Rupa Anand, failed haiku issue111

The Poetry Pea Podcast is a contemporary poetry podcast featuring original poetry, poetry prompts, video poetry prompts, and poetry readings from poets around the world.

In this episode of the Poetry Pea Podcast, we open Season Nine with original contemporary poetry written in response to our final video poetry prompt of 2025, curated by poet Kathleen Tice. This poetry podcast showcases a wide range of poetic voices and styles, demonstrating how a single poetry prompt can inspire many different poems.

You’ll also hear updates about the Poetry Pea community, the latest poetry prompt on YouTube, and how poets can submit poetry correctly by leaving poems in the YouTube comments. Submitting poetry through the YouTube comments is the only way to take part in the Poetry Pea video poetry prompt.

The Poetry Pea Podcast is ideal for poets, writers, poetry readers, and anyone looking for writing prompts, poetry inspiration, or contemporary poetry podcasts. Each episode features poetry readings, poetry prompts, and creative encouragement for poets at all stages.

Check out the poets featured today on the Episode webpage