Jumble Box: Haiku and Senryu from National Haiku Writing Month

NATIONAL HAIKU WRITING MONTH, also known as NaHaiWriMo, celebrates the world’s shortest poetry. When? Every February, the year’s shortest month. This book’s 324 haiku and senryu represent 100 participating poets from around the world, selected by NaHaiWriMo founder Michael Dylan Welch. Ron C. Moss contributes haiga artwork for 28 featured poems. Open the jumble box!

“NaHaiWriMo gets me writing every day.” —Johnny Baranski, Vancouver, Washington

“NaHaiWriMo is an endless inspiration!!” —Kashinath Karmakar, Durgapur, India

“Thanks, NaHaiWriMo, for being my psychotherapist for February.” —Michael Nickels-Wisdom, Spring Grove, Illinois

“NaHaiWriMo offers a sense of community and belonging and sharing—it is just wonderful!” —Daphne Purpus, Vashon, Washington

“I did it—one haiku a day throughout February! And now I’m not sure if I can stop.” —Tore Sverredal, Göteborg, Sweden

Visit NaHaiWriMo at www.nahaiwrimo.com, or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NaHaiWriMo/.

MICHAEL DYLAN WELCH is a poet, editor, and publisher. In 2010 he founded National Haiku Writing Month (www.nahaiwrimo.com), which is celebrated every February-the year's shortest month for the world's shortest poetry. In 1991 he cofounded Haiku North America, in 1996 he cofounded the American Haiku Archives, and in 2000 he founded the Tanka Society of America, serving as its president for five years. In 2008 he cofounded the Seabeck Haiku Getaway, which he continues to direct. He has also served for many years as vice president of the Haiku Society of America. His poems have won first place in numerous contests (including the Henderson, Brady, Tokutomi, and Drevniok contests), and have appeared in hundreds of journals and anthologies in more than twenty languages-including a tanka translation on the back of 150,000,000 U.S. postage stamps in 2012. He has also published numerous books of haiku and related poetry, the latest being Seven Suns, Seven Moons, a collaboration with Tanya McDonald (NeoPoiesis Press, 2016). His website, which features his essays, reviews, and poems, is www.graceguts.com.

RON C. MOSS lives in Tasmania and has been writing haiku and related genres since 1999. He has published more than a thousand haiku worldwide and his haiku appear in many anthologies. His first book, The Bone Carver, won the Snapshot Press Book Award, the Haiku Foundation's Touchstone Award, an honourable mention in the Haiku Society of America's Kanterman Book Awards. Ron is also a visual artist and award-winning photographer, often combining his poetry and art. His latest collection, Bushfire Moon, contains haiku and prose written about his experiences as a Tasmanian volunteer firefighter. Ron is available for commissioned art and design work. His website is www.ronmoss.com.