Haiku and Senryu

Haiku (俳句) is a brief genre of poetry that typically presents a moment of perception, often with a seasonal reference (kigo, or season word: 季語) and a two-part juxtapositional structure (equivalent to using a kireji, or cutting word: 切れ字) that conveys or implies an emotion through primarily objective sensory imagery. Haiku’s kissing cousin is senryu (川柳), more accurately presented in English as senryū, with a macron—although I agree with Makoto Ueda in Light Verse from the Floating World who omits the macron because he expects the word to be “completely anglicized in the near future.” Senryu is similar to haiku except that it tends to be more satirical or ironic in tone, and does not need to include a season word or two-part structure (although some senryu may still include these elements yet still be considered as senryu). Some people think of haiku as focusing on nature, with senryu focusing on people, but this is misleading. The fact is that many haiku by the Japanese masters also focus on people, so having human content is not a distinguishing factor. Furthermore, haiku is actually a seasonal poem, not strictly a nature poem (many of the kigo that haiku aim at are in fact not nature-related), although nature often comes along for the ride. Instead, it is usually tone that differentiates haiku and senryu. Haiku tend to celebrate their subjects (even if dark), whereas senryu tend to have a “victim,” and may or may not be humourous. Haiku typically treat their subjects reverently, whereas senryu do so irreverently. Where haiku might be said to inflate their subjects, senryu tend to deflate them. Stephen Addiss has said that senryu is an equalizer, while haiku is a harmonizer. Indeed, haiku try to make a feeling, and senryu try to make a point. In other words, if haiku is in your heart, senryu is sometimes in your face. And if haiku is a finger pointing to the moon, senryu is often a finger poking you in the ribs. In a nutshell, I take haiku seriously, and senryu lightly.

More than 4,500 of my haiku and senryu have appeared in hundreds of journals and anthologies, and have been translated into at least twenty-two languages (most recently Turkish, Swahili, and Punjabi). This page presents selections of these poems. For additional poems, click the links on the Books and Trifolds pages, and see also Sequences and Collaborations. See also “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Haiku and Senryu But Were Too Busy Writing to Ask” and “Notes on Japanese Forms.” Enjoy!

If you have any comments or questions, please contact Michael Dylan Welch.

★ = most recommended (start with these selections)

Recent Additions (with dates added)

- Paperclip Poems (5 June 2025)
- Seasonal Haiku (5 June 2025)
- Haiku from Index Cards (17–31 May 2025)
  - See the complete list of many dozens of recently added sequences and short essays in the “Haiku from Index Cards” section below or by selecting the preceding link
- From Erotic Haiku (20 May 2025)
- Haiku of the Day (14 May 2025)
- Cabinet of Curiosities (22 April 2025)
- Miniature Poems (22 February 2025)
- My Poems in Brussels Sprout (14 February 2025)
- My Poems in Haikuniverse (2 February 2025)
- From Glimmering Hour (1 February 2025)
- From No Longer Strangers (1 February 2025)
- My Poems in Solitary Plover (13 January 2025)
- From The Jade Pond (7 January 2025)
- From The San Francisco Haiku Anthology, Volume Two
  (12 November 2024)
- My Poems in Tsuri-dōrō (3 September 2024)
- Five Food Haiku (3 September 2024)
- Cascadia Haiku (5 May 2024)

Poems in Anthologies

From Carpe Diem (Ottawa: Les Éditions David / Nepean, Ontario: Borealis Press, 2008) (four poems)

From Countless Leaves (Edmonton, Alberta: Inkling Press, 2001) (three tanka)

From Erotic Haiku (IBC Publishing, 2004; Stone Bridge Press, 2005) (two poems)

From Faces and Places (Burbank, California: The Little Buddha Press, 2019) (ten poems)

★ From Fig Newtons: Senryu to Go (Foster City, California: Press Here, 1993) (31 poems)

From The Gifts of Bashō (Gifu, Japan: Haiku Pacific Rim, 2004) (three poems)

From The Gulf Within (San Francisco: Two Autumns Press, 1991) (four war poems)

From Glimmering Hour (Bellevue, Washington: Haiku Northwest Press) (three poems)

From Global Haiku (Oakville, Ontario: Mosaic Press, 2000) (ten poems)

★ From The Haiku Anthology (New York: Norton, 1999) (20 poems)

From The Haiku Anthology, in Russian (New York: Norton, 1999) (three poems, with Russian translations)

From Haiku Friends, Volume 2 (Osaka, Japan: Umeda Printing Factory, 2007) (11 poems)

From Haiku Friends, Volume 3 (Osaka, Japan: Umeda Print 819, 2007) (11 poems)

★ From Haiku in English (New York: Norton, 2013) (six poems)

From Haiku Meridians (Ploieşti, Români: Editura Premier, 2010) (five poems, with Romanian translations)

From Haiku Moment (Rutland, Vermont: Tuttle, 1993) (six poems, with Russian translations)

From Haïku Sans Frontières (Orléans, Ontario: Les Éditions David, 1998) (ten poems, with French translations)

From Haiku World (Tokyo: Kodansha International, 1996) (three poems)

From HNA Conference Anthologies (1991–2019) (15 poems)

From How to Haiku / Writing Haiku (North Clarendon, Vermont: Tuttle, 2002, 2022) (three poems)

From The Jade Pond (Vancouver, British Columbia: Vancouver Haiku Group, 2017) (four poems)

★ Jacar Press Anthology of Best Living English-Language Haiku Writers (Durham, North Carolina: Jacar Press, 2013) (15 poems)

From Jumble Box (Sammamish, Washington: Press Here, 2017) (14 poems)

From Last Train Home (Vancouver, British Columbia: Pondhawk Press, 2021) (seven individual poems and one rengay)

From Midwest Haiku Anthology (Decatur, Illinois: High/Coo Press, 1992) (four poems and a prose statement)

From Montage (Winchester, Virginia: The Haiku Foundation, 2010) (seven poems)

★ My Poems in Haiku Society of America Anthologies (30 poems, ongoing)

From Naad Anunaad (India: Vishwakarma Publications, 2016) (five poems)

From The New Haiku (Liverpool, U.K.: Snapshot Press, 2002) (six poems)

From No Longer Strangers (Bellevue, Washington: Haiku Northwest / Vandina Press) (three poems)

★ From Off the Beaten Track: A Year in Haiku (London, U.K.: Boatwhistle Books) (30 poems, with commentary)

From Playing a Lullaby: Drevniok Award Winners (Ottawa, Ontario: Editions de petits nuages, 2012) (seven poems)

From Raku Teapot Haiku (Alton Bay, New Hampshire: Raku Teapot Press, 2003) (six poems)

From The Road: World Haiku (Sofia, Bulgaria: Bulgarian Haiku Club, 2004) (five poems, with Bulgarian translations)

From The San Francisco Haiku Anthology (Windsor, California: Smythe-Waithe Press, 1992) (seven poems)

★ From The San Francisco Haiku Anthology, Volume Two (Walnut Creek, California: Spare Poems Press, 2024) (12 poems)

From Senryu Therapy (Bucureşti, Români: Editura Societăţii Scriitorilor Români, 2012) (ten poems, with Romanian translations)

From Shamrock Haiku Journal 2012–2018 (Dublin, Ireland: Shamrock Haiku Journal, 2018) (seven poems)

From Shiki Haikusphere (Matsuyama, Japan: Prinart / Okada Printing Co., 2007) (ten poems, with Japanese translations)

From The Sleepless Planet / 眠れない星 (Tokyo: Shichigatsu-do, 2018) (five poems, with Japanese translations)

Poems in Journals (mostly ongoing)

★ My Poems in Brussels Sprout (38 poems)

My Poems in Haikuniverse (five poems, ongoing)

★ My Poems in The Heron’s Nest (50+ poems, ongoing)

★ My Poems in Tinywords (31 poems, ongoing)

My Poems in Tsuri-dōrō (16 poems, ongoing)

My Poems in Wales Haiku Journal (15 poems, ongoing)

★ My Poems in Woodnotes (53 poems)

Other Featured Haiku and Senryu

The 4th Basho-an International English Haiku Competition (two haiku)

12 neon buddhas (12 neon buddha poems)

3Lights feature (28 neon buddha poems)

An Alphabet of Haiku (56 poems)

ant ant ant ant ant (four poems)

August Postcard Poetry Fest (30 haiku, tanka, and other poems)

★ Atlantic Monthly Senryu Contest (19 of my poems, plus commentary on the winning poems I judged)

Avonlea (17 poems)

Bird Haiku (40 poems)

Blips (19 short poems)

Butterfly Dream Featured Poet (four poems, with Chinese translations)

★ Cabinet of Curiosities (20 poems, on weathergrams)

Carpe Diem Haiku Kai (five poems)

★ Cascadia Haiku (20 poems)

Christmasku (ten poems)

Daily Haiku featured poet (seven neon buddha poems)

Daily Haiku (click through seven poems, starting with this first one)

Dense Fog (one poem, with a photographic interpretation)

Featured Poet (a short autobiographical sketch and six poems)

★ First Snow / 初雪 (12 of my most widely published poems, with Japanese translations)

Five Food Haiku (five poems)

★ Five Seasons (20 poems)

f/k/a Blog (index to my haiku and senryu appearing on this blog as guest poet)

Food Haiku (24 poems)

forty neon buddhas (40 neon buddha poems) +

Haiku Bookmark (five poems)

Haiku Forum Haiku (10 poems, with Japanese translations)

Haiku Foundation “Troutswirl” Blog Featured Poem (one poem, with commentary)

★ A Haiku Handful (18 poems) +

Haiku in Chinese (ten poems)

Haiku in Punjabi (15 poems)

Haiku in Swahili (five poems)

Haiku Ireland Featured Guest Poet (20 poems) +

★ Haiku Journey Poems (12 poems)

Haiku News (five poems)

Haiku of the Day (ongoing, on the Haiku Foundation website)

Haiku on Buses 2007 (one haiku, on a bus placard)

Haiku on Buses 2014 (one haiku, on a bus placard)

★ Haiku Society of America Award Winners (nine poems)

★ Holiday Haiku (30 poems, with a video)

Kazooku (four previously undiscovered classics by the haiku masters)

★ Mann Library Daily Haiku (31 poems)

Matrix Haiku (13 poems)

Memorial Haiku (ongoing)

The Mended Shōji (26 poems, about Japan)

Miniature Poems (564 poems, in 2.5-point type)

Moonku (23 poems)

More Northwest Plants and Flowers (19 poems)

Morning Haiku (12 poems)

Music and Sound Haiku (92 poems)

My Neighbor (12 poems)

NaHaiWriMo 2011—Selected Poems (14 poems) [see also essay and interview]

NeverEnding Story (ongoing)

Northwest Plants and Flowers (23 poems)

★ Open Window (Decatur, Illinois: Brooks Books, 2000) (39 poems, with photographs)

★ Paperclip Poems (21 poems)

★ Parodies, Homages, Allusions (14 poems)

Poetry That Heals (eight poems, with commentary)

Pop Fly (12 baseball haiku)

pwoermds (19 poems)

Sammamish Haiku (20 poems)

Sand Hill Review (nine poems, plus two longer poems)

Scattered Petals (one video poem; turn on the sound by hovering over the top-left corner)

Seasonal Haiku (89 poems)

★ Seasoning (13 poems)

Selected One-Liners (30 poems)

★ Separation (17 poems)

A Sprig of Spring: Haiku and Tanka (39 haiku and 7 tanka)

Tarnished Silver (one poem, with a photographic interpretation)

Terebess Asia Online (101 poems)

Text-ku (13 poems)

Things with Wings (14 poems)

★ Thornewood Poems (Foster City, California: Press Here, 1994) (41 poems)

Three Haiku from Chrysanthemum (three poems, with German translation)

Toilet Brush Poems (nine poems, with Russian translations)

Traces of Snow (17 poems)

Tulip Festival (one haiku presented in dozens of haiga interpretations)

Tulip Festival Again (one haiku presented in dozens more haiga interpretations)

★ Twelve Weathergrams (12 haiku presented in weathergram haiga)

[untitled] (Zen meditation; one poem)

Upstate Dim Sum (guest poet; one poem here, more in print)

Urban Haiku (51 poems)

Washington Poetic Routes (five poems; click the red dot where Sammamish is on the map)

Wintering (seven poems)

Yuki Teikei Haiku Society (ten poems)

Haiku on Sticks (public installation) +

Godawful Early Haiku (46 poems)

Godawful Early Haiku, Part Deux (108 poems)

Action Figure Comics Haiku (22 poems)

Haiku from Index Cards

★ Haiku from Index Cards (introduction)

★ Paperclip Poems (needing two index cards clipped together))

A

★ A Miscellany (70 poems)

A Baked Potato (short essay with four poems)

Abandoned (four poems)

A Day without Rain (three poems)

After All These Years (three poems)

Afternoon (six poems)

Alone Again (three poems)

A Lull (four poems)

April (six poems)

At the End (three poems)

At the Whatever (eight poems)

★ Autumn (18 poems)

B

★ B Miscellany (24 poems)

Baby Asleep (short essay with one poem)

Before (eight poems)

Between (nine poems)

Billowing (three poems)

C

★ C Miscellany (36 poems)

Cabbage Butterflies (short essay with one poem)

California Drought (four poems)

Cherry Blossoms (five poems)

Chilling (six poems)

Christmastime (14 poems)

Country Road (three poems)

D

★ D Miscellany (39 poems)

Dad in Hospice (short essay with one poem)

Distance (13 poems)

E

★ E Miscellany (11 poems)

Early Frost (short essay with two poems)

Early Morning Walk (short essay with one poem)

Election (four poems)

Empty (13 poems)

F

★ F Miscellany (42 poems)

Faded Hopscotch Chalk (short essay with one poem)

Fading Sunset (six poems)

Faint (three poems)

Falling (four poems)

First Day (four poems)

Funeral’s End (three poems)

G

★ G Miscellany (18 poems)

Gabriola Grass (short essay with one poem)

H

★ H Miscellany (30 poems)

Haiku Poet’s New Car (short essay with one poem)

Harvest Moon (four poems)

Heading Home (three poems)

Here and There (three poems)

Hospice (five poems)

Hospital Waiting Room (three poems)

I

★ I Miscellany (21 poems)

Ice Cream (short essay and one poem)

Indian Summer (four poems)

J

★ J Miscellany (12 poems)

January 2nd (short essay and one poem)

K

★ K Miscellany (eight poems)

Kachina Dolls (short essay and one poem)

L

★ L Miscellany (19 poems)

★ Lakeshore Bonfire (short essay and one poem)

Lasting (18 poems)

Leaves (nine poems)

Lingering (five poems)

M

★ M Miscellany (40 poems)

Magnolia Dreams (short essay and one poem)

Melting (five poems)

★ Meteor Shower (short essay, timeline, and one poem)

Midday Heat (five poems)

Midsummer (seven poems)

Misty (seven poems)

Morning (nine poems)

Mother (four poems)

Moving Day (six poems)

My Oh My (ten poems)

N

★ N Miscellany (22 poems)

★ Nagasaki Blossoms (short essay and two poems)

Neap Tide (three poems)

News (four poems)

New Year’s Day (eight poems)

Night (11 poems)

Noon Sun (four poems)

November (four poems)

O

★ O Miscellany (27 poems)

Oak Shadows (short essay and one poem)

October (three poems)

Opening (three poems)

Our Rhythmic Breathing (three poems)

Out (seven poems)

P

★ P Miscellany (25 poems)

Pages of a Letter (short essay and one poem)

Poetic (three poems)

Popping (three poems)

Power Failure (three poems)

Prairie (five poems)

Q

★ Q Miscellany (nine poems)

Quarantine (short essay and one poem)

R

★ R Miscellany (31 poems)

★ Race Day (short essay and one poem)

Rain (12 poems)

Rainy (four poems)

Reds (eight poems)

Remaining Snow (three poems)

Remembrance Day (three poems)

Reunion (three poems)

Rumours (four poems)

S

★ S Miscellany (63 poems)

Safeway Entrance (short essay and one poem)

Scent (four poems)

School (six poems)

Shooting Star (three poems)

Sidewalk Sale (three poems)

Silent (five poems)

Slant (three poems)

Small Town (four poems)

Snow (22 poems)

Snow Day (three poems)

Snowy (four poems)

★ Spring (22 poems)

Spring Breeze (five poems)

Spring Cleaning (five poems)

Spring Thaw (five poems)

Steady (three poems)

Still (nine poems)

Sudden (nine poems)

Sultry (three poems)

★ Summer (24 poems)

Summer Rain (four poems)

Summer’s End (five poems)

Summer Solstice (four poems)

Summer Stars (three poems)

Summer Stillness (three poems)

Summer Sun (three poems)

Sun (seven poems)

Sunbreak (five poems)

T

★ T Miscellany (95 poems)

Tailgate Party (short essay and one poem)

Taking (three poems)

Thanksgiving (three poems)

The Ferry (three poems)

The Moon (three poems)

The Scent (four poems)

Through (five poems)

Thunder (six poems)

Tourists (three poems)

Trees (three poems)

Turning (six poems)

U

★ U Miscellany (seven poems)

Ultrasound Picture (short essay and one poem)

Un (eight poems)

Under (ten poems)

Used (three poems)

V

★ V Miscellany (eight poems)

Vacant Lot (short essay and one poem)

Valentine’s Day (six poems)

W

★ W Miscellany (35 poems)

Wafted by the Breeze (short essay and one poem)

Warm (six poems)

Wet (six poems)

★ Winter (21 poems)

X

★ X Miscellany (one poems)

X-ray of the Dog’s Hip (short essay with one poem)

Y

★ Y Miscellany (nine poems)

Yard Sale (short essay and two poems)

Yours (eight poems)

Z

★ Z Miscellany (three poems)

Zane Grey (short essay and one poem)

Zoom Reunion (short essay and one poem)

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