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

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 Prompt

Have 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 Pea

If 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!

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.

Join us for a special summer replay of the Poetry Pea Podcast featuring award-winning haiku poet David J Kelly reading from his acclaimed collection small hadron divider, a Touchstone Distinguished Books Honourable Mention.

In this thoughtful and engaging episode, David explores the fascinating meeting point of science and poetry. Inspired by the six flavours of quarks and the forces that bind the universe together, small hadron divider is a collection that reveals the extraordinary within the everyday. Hear David read from the book and talk about the ideas, craft and curiosity that shaped this remarkable work.

Whether you're discovering David's poetry for the first time or returning to a favourite episode, this replay offers an inspiring glimpse into contemporary English-language haiku at its finest.

While you're listening, why not visit the Poetry Pea YouTube channel and take part in this month's Video Prompt? Every month poets from around the world write haiku inspired by a short film. Simply leave your poem in the comments beneath the Video Prompt video. Selected poems may be featured in a future Poetry Pea Journal and on a forthcoming podcast.

If you enjoy what we do, please consider supporting Poetry Pea. Your membership or donation helps us continue producing free weekly podcasts, publishing the Poetry Pea Journal, hosting online readings and workshops, and celebrating the wonderful world of haiku. You can support us by becoming a member or by buying us a coffee. Every contribution, however small, helps keep Poetry Pea growing.

Thank you for listening, and happy writing!

In this special summer replay, Patricia McGuire welcomes acclaimed haiku poet Tyrone McDonald for a memorable Poetry Pea reading and conversation.

Tyrone's haiku explore family, identity, race, music, memory and the natural world with remarkable clarity and emotional depth. From the unforgettable morning fog / when my embryo... had gills to poems of jazz, gratitude, homecoming and history, his work demonstrates the power of the short poetic forms.

Along the way, we consider Ferris Gilli's thoughts on resonance in haiku and hear Etheridge Knight's famous observation that making jazz swing in seventeen syllables "ain't no square poet's job."

Whether you're discovering Tyrone McDonald for the first time or revisiting this Poetry Pea favourite, this episode offers a masterclass in contemporary English-language haiku and the quiet power of saying just enough.

In this episode:

• Tyrone McDonald reads a selection of his published haiku

If you enjoy the Poetry Pea Podcast, please consider supporting the show through membership, Buy Me a Coffee or PayPal. Your support helps keep these conversations, readings and poetry resources freely available to the haiku community worldwide.

This week on Poetry Pea, we're revisiting one of the highlights from our much-loved reading series.

Join acclaimed poet Lorraine Padden as she reads from her beautiful collection Upwelling, sharing poems rich in observation, memory and the quiet moments that so often inspire haiku and related forms.

Whether you're discovering Lorraine's work for the first time or returning to this favourite episode, it's the perfect opportunity to enjoy a thoughtful poetry reading and celebrate the craft of concise, image-rich writing.

As Poetry Pea takes a gentle summer stroll through the archives, we're delighted to bring this memorable reading back to you.

If you enjoy the podcast, please follow, leave a review, and share it with your poetry-loving friends. Your support helps Poetry Pea continue to champion haiku, senryū, tanka and haibun from poets around the world.

Join us for a special Poetry Pea Salon recording featuring Reid Hepworth reading from her award-winning collection, The Improbability of Sea Monkeys.

Reid's book has received an HSA Merit Book Award, recognised for its evocative haiku and haibun, its honest exploration of identity and memory, and its vivid portrayal of growing up in the 1960s and 70s.

In this Poetry Pea Salon event, Reid shares her poems and the stories behind them.

📖 About the collection:

The Improbability of Sea Monkeys is a deeply personal journey through childhood, history, identity and belonging, told through the precise and powerful lens of haiku and haibun.

For a link to Reid Hepworth's award-winning collection: see the show notes.

🌱 Support Poetry Pea:

If you enjoy these podcasts and would like to help keep Poetry Pea growing, you can support the podcast through membership, Buy Me a Coffee or a donation.

🎧 Subscribe for weekly poetry podcasts featuring haiku, senryu, tanka, haibun and conversations with poets from around the world.

In this episode of Poetry Pea, the leading English-language haiku podcast, Patricia asks can a single line hold an entire world?

In this special Poetry Pea podcast, we explore the art of the one-line haiku and senryū through a carefully curated selection of original poems chosen from our latest submission period.

Writing a successful one-line poem is far more challenging than it appears. In this episode you'll hear the poems selected for publication, discover why some stood out from hundreds of submissions, and listen to commentary exploring what makes an effective one-liner.

This episode also features:

• Judges' Choices nominations from Clive Grewcock, Lee Hudspeth, Johnny Moran and David Green
• Commentary from the Poetry Pea editorial team member and guest contributor Lev Hart
• Insights into the craft of contemporary haiku and senryū

Whether you're an experienced haiku poet or just beginning your journey, these original poems demonstrate the precision, surprise and resonance that make one-line haiku so compelling.

Poetry Pea is one of the world's leading podcasts dedicated to haiku, senryū and Japanese short-form poetry, featuring poetry readings, interviews, craft discussions and inspiration for writers at every stage.

Poet's featured today:

John S Green

Clive Grewcock

Sheikha A

Susan Andrews

Cynthia Anderson

Emil Karla 

Peter Jastermsky

Adele Gallogly 

Steve Bahr

Gavin Austin

Deborah A Bennett

Rowan Beckett Minor

Jill Muhrer

Michael Muller

Stephanie Zepherelli

Lee Hudspeth

Jacek Margolak

Neena Singh

CX Turner

Jamie Wimberley

Sara Winteridge

Robert Witmer

Anna Yin

Nitu Yumnam

Pegah Rahmati Nezhad

Deborah Karl-Brandt

Lori Kiefer

Martina Matijević

Rob McKinnon

Lorraine Haig

Tony Williams

Rupa Anand

Kimberly Kuchar

Mary Oishi

Rebecca Upjohn

Katie Montagna 

Maria Cristina Pulvirenti

Jenny Shepherd

Norman Silver

Lisa Billa

Jennifer L Blanck

Marc Brimble

Mariangela Canzi 

Erin Castaldi

Tim Cremin

Christopher Seep

Laurinda Lind

Johnny Moran

petro ck

Tracy Davidson

Melissa Dennison

Joan C. Fingon

Mark Forrester

Denisa Hanšutová

Jon Hare

Maeve O'Sullivan

Florence Heyhoe

Louise Hopewell

Lakshmi Iyer

Celia Jenkins

Deborah Karl-Brandt

Mark Gilbert

Arvinder Kaur

Rohan Buettel

Richard Tice

Biswajit Mishra

David Green

In this episode, In this episode of Poetry Pea, the leading English-language haiku podcast, Patricia McGuire shares the haiku and senryū selected from the June 2026 Poetry Pea Video Prompt, beautifully curated by Lakshmi Iyer.

Expect poems filled with birdsong, summer heat, nesting season, squirrels, sparrows, warblers and the small moments that make haiku so memorable. Alongside the selected poems, Patricia also reads a collection of bonus sparrow haiku by contemporary poets and classics from Bashō and Buson.

If today's episode inspires you, why not join the next Poetry Pea Video Prompt? New prompts appear on the Poetry Pea YouTube channel almost every month, and your haiku could be featured on a future Poetry Pea Podcast and published in the Poetry Pea Journal.

Whether you're an experienced haiku poet or just discovering the genre, this episode is a joyful celebration of observation, nature and the Poetry Pea community.

Poets featured:

Neena Singh

Ralph Mathews

Alicia Samson

Rupa Anand

Rupa Anand

Reid Hepworth

Vaishnavi Ramaswamy

Susanne Urowitz

Seamus O' Connor

Mona Bedi

Melissa Dennison

Joanna Ashwell

Mary Oishi

Joshua St. Claire

Jo Balistreri

Buson, Trs Michael Haldane

Keith Evetts

Bruce H Feingold

Bill Fay

Craig Kittner

Isabel Caves

Kristen Lindquist

David Oates, PPJ

Sankara Jayanth

Basho, Trs David Landis Barnhill

In this episode of Poetry Pea, the leading English-language haiku podcast, Patricia asks what makes a haiku a haiku? Is there really a difference between traditional and contemporary haiku, or have we complicated something that was once quite simple?

In this episode of the Poetry Peacast, Patricia explores the essential elements of the Japanese haiku tradition, discussing the must haves of haiku.

Drawing on the work of Haruo Shirane, William J. Higginson, Michael Dylan Welch and Robert D. Wilson, she examines why seasonality matters, how the cut creates resonance, and why these techniques continue to give haiku their unique emotional power.

Along the way, Patricia analyses poems by Buson, Bashō, Den Sutejo, Katayama Yumiko, Don Baird, Neena Singh, Meera Rehm, Bruce H. Feingold and Bisshie, sharing practical insights that will help you read and write stronger haiku.

Whether you're new to haiku or a long-time practitioner, this thoughtful discussion invites you to reconsider what truly defines the genre.

In this episode:

• What kigo really contributes to a haiku
• The purpose of the kireji, or cut
• Why sensory imagery matters
• Close readings of classic and modern haiku
• Practical inspiration for your own writing

Subscribe to the Poetry Peacast for weekly episodes exploring haiku, senryū, tanka, haibun and the craft of Japanese short-form poetry.

Support the podcast

show notes

In this episode of the Poetry Pea Podcast, Patricia McGuire introduces the remarkable poetry of Anne McKay, an award-winning Canadian poet whose lyrical haiku and haiku-inspired poetry deserve to be much better known.

She explores a selection of Anne McKay's haiku, looking at her evocative imagery, her musical use of language, her distinctive use of white space, and the subtle techniques that make her poems linger long after they've been read. Along the way, Patricia reflects on reading haiku aloud, the role of punctuation in contemporary haiku, and white space.

Whether you're new to Anne McKay's work or already a fan, this episode offers a thoughtful exploration of a poet whose quiet observations should inspire readers around the world.

Don't forget to visit the Poetry Pea YouTube channel and take part in this month's video prompt. Guest editor Matt Snyder is looking forward to reading your haiku, senryū and haibun, and your poem could be selected for publication in the next Poetry Pea Journal and featured on a future Poetry Pea Podcast.

If you enjoy the podcast, please follow, rate and leave a review. It helps other poetry lovers discover the show.

In this episode:

• Anne McKay's haiku and poetic style

• Reading haiku aloud

• White space, sound and punctuation in haiku

• Haiku technique and close reading

• This month's Poetry Pea video prompt

Keep writing.