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