I hope we all have moments when the natural world takes our breath away! From a cloud that you feel amazed by to an inchworm climbing onto a picnic table, you can find a sense of surprise, delight, awe if you pay attention to the world around you. The goal of this project is to share and spread the joy we feel when we open ourselves to our natural world.
For this project, I am inviting poets from anywhere to find a partner to work with. Maybe a kid and an adult work together? Or, it’s fine to work alone.
Once a month (or maybe once a season?), go outside with your partner (or alone). Find one natural thing that grabs your breath or makes you wonder. Something that is enough to bring you joy, something that is enough to make you feel moved to wonder or awe. Write a short poem (could be a haiku) to capture your subject. A poem that you can say in one breath comfortably would work well.
Post it here in the comments. Label with the poets’ first names and last initials. Please also tell where your poem is about, for example, “a farm in Maine” or “northern New Mexico, near mountains.”
Start anytime in 2026! Thank you.
Humble Beginnings
I recently taught my 7 year old nephew how to write his very first poem. Haiku is always a great place to start.
We talked about traditional haiku, how they tend to focus on nature, and he started coming up with ideas right away. We brainstormed about tigers, and then (one of my favorite topics to write about) clouds. I encouraged him to think of a feeling a cloud may have given him–silly or serious! In the end, he came up with this sweet poem:
Teaching children about poetry is one of my favorite things to do. Now that Luke knows how to write a haiku, I can only hope he’ll want to share more of his lovely ideas. That’s what inspires me.
I would love to hear what has been inspiring you lately. Please share below!
Mariana Dominé
The Potato-Banana Tree
A Cardinal Royal Mountain Ash
is good enough for me
(even though I kinda wish
it was a Potato-Banana Tree).
At least when I climb its berried branches
in the snowy, crackling winter,
it’s guaranteed I will NOT get
a potato-banana splinter.
by Léna R. and Jay B.
Dominion Arboretum
Ottawa, Ontario
Coast of Maine, January
All day silence drifted
White tufts blanketing earth
Quiet as our breathing
by Mary Jo and Steve M.
Encouragement for Poets 
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