Social Haiku is a daily creative ritual. One metaphor arrives each morning. You have until midnight to respond with three lines. The whole thing takes about thirty seconds — and it might be the most thoughtful thirty seconds of your day.
The Daily Ritual
Receive today's metaphor
Every day at midnight a new metaphor appears — the same one for every player on the planet. It may arrive through weather, water, stone, light, silence, or some other ordinary mystery. Read it slowly. Sit with it for a moment before you write.
Write three lines
The input guides you line by line with live syllable counting: five syllables, then seven, then five again. You don't have to be strict about 5-7-5, but the structure is there to help. Each line unlocks once the previous one is complete.
Receive the Sensei’s gift
The Haiku Sensei reads your poem and offers one symbolic object in recognition of what it notices. A gift may honor an image, a turn, restraint, atmosphere, or the quiet balance of the whole poem.
Discover how others saw it
After you submit, the anonymous gallery opens. Three to five haikus from other players appear — all written from the same metaphor, all arriving somewhere completely different. This is the best part.
Come back tomorrow
One poem per day. You can't play twice on the same day. A streak counter tracks how many consecutive days you've shown up. There are no reminders unless you want them — the habit is its own reward.
A Few Tips
Read the metaphor aloud. The sound of words carries meaning your eyes might skip. Something will loosen.
Trust your first image. The thing that flashes into your mind when you read the prompt is usually the right starting point. Don't argue with it.
Stay concrete. A specific rusted gate beats an abstract feeling of loss. Name the thing. Let the feeling arrive on its own.
Look for the turn. The best haiku pivots between lines two and three — something shifts, reframes, or opens up. If your third line restates the first two, keep looking.
Don't explain. Cut the last line if it tells us what to feel. The image should do that work silently.
Every poem offers something. The Sensei looks for what is alive in the work, even while the practice is still finding its shape.
How the Sensei Chooses
It reads what is present
The Sensei attends to image, language, shape, silence, and the movement between lines.
It notices what lingers
A precise word, an unexpected turn, or a feeling left in the air may guide the offering.
It offers one of eight gifts
River Stone, Bamboo Leaf, Mother-of-Pearl, Polished Jade, Crane Feather, Moonstone, Pine Sprig, or—rarely—the Lotus.
The method remains its own
There is no visible formula to master. The gift is recognition, not a grade—and no two poems arrive by quite the same path.
The Sensei studies the craft. The experience remains poetic. Explore the meaning of each gift.
Common Questions
Do I have to use 5-7-5 syllables exactly?
No. The syllable counter is a guide, not a requirement. The Sensei notices whether a poem’s form feels deliberate; a purposeful departure can hold as much grace as strict 5-7-5.
What happens if I miss a day?
Your streak resets to zero. But your history, titles, and achievements stay. You can look at the archive and see what the metaphor was — you just can't submit retroactively. Come back tomorrow.
Can I see the metaphor without submitting?
Yes. Visit /play to see today's metaphor any time. You can take your time before you write. The submission window is open until midnight in your local time.
How does the gallery work?
After you submit, three to five haikus from other players are shown for variety. All submissions are anonymous. The point is to see how differently the same prompt can land in different minds.
What is a streak, exactly?
A streak is the number of consecutive days you've submitted a haiku. Missing a single day breaks the streak back to zero. Create a free account to have your streak tracked and to unlock titles as you go.
Do I need an account?
No. You can play without one. An account lets you track your streak, keep the Sensei’s gifts on your Poet’s Shelf, and save your haikus to My Haikus. It's free and takes about ten seconds.
Can I export my haikus?
Yes. Visit My Haikus to download your full collection as a chapbook PDF — a formatted, print-ready document with your poems, metaphors, and dates. You can also export any individual haiku as a square image, ready to share.
Your Collection
Your haikus accumulate. Every poem you write is saved to your personal archive on the My Haikus page — dated and ready to revisit.
Download a chapbook PDF. When you're ready, export your entire archive as a print-ready PDF — formatted like a real literary pamphlet, with each poem, its metaphor, and date.
Export individual poem cards. Any haiku can be saved as a 1080×1080 square image — designed to share on Instagram, Snapchat, or wherever you like.
Visit My Haikus to see your archive and export options.
Ready to write?
Today's metaphor is waiting.
Play today