You can write “senryu,” a poem that is humorous in three lines. Some people pronounce it “sen-roo,” while others pronounce it “sen-ree-yoo.” It is actually a haiku that tells us a lot about human nature or human weaknesses.
It is enjoyable to read and write, and often allows us to laugh at ourselves.
It has the same form as haiku. You can read my other blogs about haiku.
The poems below have been published by talented, awarding-winning members of the Haiku Society of America. These poems illustrate that good observation is what writing senryu is all about.
family picnic
the new wife’s rump
bigger than mine
–Roberta Beary,
(The Unworn Necklace, 2007, 2011)
car wash tunnel . . .
making resolutions
for the new year
–Charlotte Digregorio, Asahi Haikuist Network, Jan. 15, 2005
grocery shopping–
pushing my cart faster
through feminine protection
–Michael Dylan Welch
First published in Fig Newtons: Senryu to Go (Foster City, California: Press Here, 1993).
Also published in the third edition of Cor van den Heuvel’s The Haiku Anthology (New York: Norton, 1999).
soggy cereal –
I mull over
the mail-in offer
–Sari Grandstaff, Spring/Summer 2006, Frogpond
straining to see
the title of his book—
Practical Ophthalmology
–Joe Kirschner, Frogpond, xxii:2, 1999
smitten—
my swing partner’s
ponytail
— Christopher Patchel,
bottle rockets #18, 2/2008
passing the cream puffs
the guest of honor full
of herself
–Francine Banwarth,
HPNC Senryu Contest 2007, 2nd place
The Red Moon Anthology, 2008
If you want to read skillful senryu, become a member of the Haiku Society of America. You will receive “Frogpond” three times a year. It is a book-length journal of haiku/senryu and essays. Other good haiku/senryu journals are “Modern Haiku” and “bottle rockets.”
Online, you can log onto “Blogging Along Tobacco Road.” It features interviews with haiku/senryu poets and samples of their work.
About Charlotte Digregorio
I publish books. I have marketed and/or published 55 titles. These books are sold in 46 countries to bookstores, libraries, universities, professional organizations, government agencies, and book clubs. In 2018, I was honored by the Governor of Illinois for my thirty-eight years of accomplishments in the literary arts, and my work to promote and advance the field by educating adults and students alike. I am the author of seven books including: Haiku and Senryu: A Simple Guide for All; Everything You Need to Know About Nursing Homes; You Can Be A Columnist; Beginners' Guide to Writing & Selling Quality Features; Your Original Personal Ad; and my latest, Ripples of Air: Poems of Healing.
The first four books have been adopted as supplemental texts at universities throughout the U.S., Canada, India, Pakistan, and Catalonia. They are sold in 43 countries, and are displayed in major metropolitan cultural centers. These books have been reviewed, recommended, and praised by hundreds of critics, librarians, and professors worldwide.
I am also the author of a poetry collection: "Shadows of Seasons: Selected Haiku and Senryu by Charlotte Digregorio." Two of my books have been Featured Selections of Writer's Digest Book Club. I am regularly interviewed by major print, radio, and television organizations throughout the U.S. I regularly sign books at libraries, chain bookstores, and university bookstores, and do poetry readings at art centers, cafes, tea houses, and galleries.
I was recently nominated for two Pushcart Prizes in poetry. I have won fifty-nine poetry awards, writing fourteen poetic forms. My poetry has been translated into eight languages. I do illustrated solo poetry exhibits 365 days a year in libraries, galleries, corporate buildings, hospitals, convention centers, and other venues. My individual poems have been displayed at supermarkets, apparel and wine shops, banks, botanic gardens, restaurants, and on public transit.
I have been nominated and listed in "The International Authors and Writers Who's Who" in Cambridge, England and in the "Who's Who In Writers, Editors & Poets U.S./Canada." I hosted my own radio program, "Poetry Beat," on public broadcasting. My poetry has been featured on several library web sites including those of Shreve Memorial Library in Louisiana and Cornell University's Mann Library.
My background includes positions as a feature editor and columnist at daily newspapers and as a magazine editor. I have been a public relations director for a non-profit organization. I am self-employed as a public relations/marketing consultant, having served a total of 118 clients in 23 states for the past several decades .
In other professional areas, I have been on university faculties, teaching French, Italian, and Writing.
I regularly give lectures and workshops on publishing, journalism, publicity, poetry, and creativity to business and professional groups, and at writer's conferences, universities, literary festivals, non-profit organizations, and libraries. I have been a writer-in-residence at universities.
There have been about 400 articles written about me in the media. I have served on the Boards of writers and publishers organizations. My positions have included Board Secretary of the Northwest Association of Book Publishers. I served for five years as Midwest Regional Coordinator of The Haiku Society of America, and for two years as its Second Vice President.
You can write “senryu,” a poem that is humorous in three lines. Some people pronounce it “sen-roo,” while others pronounce it “sen-ree-yoo.” It is actually a haiku that tells us a lot about human nature or human weaknesses.
Charlotte Digregorio's Writer's Blog 
Thank you for posting this. I enjoyed reading it very much. Checking up on peoples poetry and writing is something I do often. I try to keep up with today’s trends so I’m more active in the writing community. Thanks again for sharing this.
I very much appreciate your site, too. It’s a valuable resource. I feel poets need more exposure, and they’re finally getting it.
Writing a poem in July’s merciless sun.
It’s so too hot. Drip, drip.
No more heat. This poem is done.
Okay, but try senryu!