Jennifer Gomoll Popolis - Three Questions

Jennifer Gomoll Popolis is a Chicago native currently living in Springfield, IL. When not writing haiku, she may be found freelance writing, cooking, gardening, volunteering, knitting, and spending time with her husband, John.

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1) Why do you write haiku?

I suspect I've been interested in haiku long before I knew about haiku—or should I say, before I knew haiku wasn't necessarily the 5-7-5 form taught in high school. Many of the poems I loved as a kid, an undergrad, and as a young adult tended toward brevity, clear images, and nature with a hint of human nature. When I cracked open my first Modern Haiku in 2005, I had an 'of course' moment. All the things I love get mixed into those tiny word pots--plants, animals, moons, stars, Zen, footprints, frying pans, pine needles—and come out saying something about the human condition. It's a challenge to come up with a good haiku—one that's both mundane and profound--and I enjoy that.

2) What other poetic forms do you enjoy?

I love a good haibun, though I have yet to write a decent one. Haiga is another world I'd like to explore. Although I've generally turned away from contemporary western poetry, I still have a soft spot for my old heroes: Anne Sexton, T.S. Eliot, Marianne Moore, Robert Frost . . . also just started reading Jane Hirshfield and she's knocking my socks off now.

3) Of the many wonderful haiku you’ve written, what do you consider to be your top three?

Thank you for considering the possibility that anything I have written can be considered 'wonderful.' Here are a few recent ones I enjoyed writing:




Sunday afternoon
end of a dog's leash
whipping through the grass

The Heron's Nest XII:4 (2010)




head shop
a row of buddhas
a row of bongs

Modern Haiku 41:3 (2010)





autumn rain
the bird bath full
and empty

Acorn #24 (2010)

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If you've been enjoying this weekly series and have not contributed, please consider sharing your response (whether it be for haiku or tanka) to the three little questions that Jennifer answered. You must be a published poet to participate.