Renga Road Trip

Overview

Renga Roadtrip is a three-part summer series that invites participants to explore Cincinnati through the lens of haiku. Inspired by the Japanese tradition of finding poetry in everyday moments, participants will venture into the community, engage with the natural and built environment, and create original haiku inspired by their experiences.

Each excursion combines walking, observation, discussion, and writing. Participants will learn the fundamentals of haiku, develop a deeper sense of place, and connect with fellow writers and readers through shared experiences.

The series culminates with a visit to the Haiku Trail in Hueston Woods, Ohio, where participants will encounter poetry embedded in the landscape and contribute their own observations through writing.

Trip One: River Walk
Date: June 12 | Rain Date: June 26
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Participants will meet Kara and Shannon at The Mercantile Library. Shannon will introduce the basics of haiku and help participants set intentions for the day.
The group will then walk together through downtown Cincinnati, making their way to The Banks and across the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge. Along the route, participants will be encouraged to observe the sights, sounds, textures, and rhythms of the city.
After returning to the Library, the group will write and share haiku inspired by the morning's journey and enjoy lunch together.
Themes: River, city life, movement, architecture, connection

Trip Two: Butterflies & Foliage
Date: July 10 | Rain Date: July 24
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Participants will meet Kara and Shannon at Krohn Conservatory for the annual Butterfly Show. The group will explore the exhibit while practicing observation techniques that support haiku writing.
Following the visit, participants will gather in Eden Park for a writing session and picnic-style lunch, capturing impressions from the butterflies, flowers, colors, and natural surroundings.
Themes: Transformation, beauty, seasons, nature, stillness

Trip Three: Haiku Trail
Date: September 3 | Rain Date: September 4
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Participants will meet at The Mercantile Library and travel by bus to the Haiku Trail in Hueston Woods, Ohio, in partnership with the Peregrine Haiku Society.
The group will walk the trail, encountering haiku integrated into the landscape while discussing the relationship between poetry and place. Participants will then compose their own haiku over lunch before returning to Cincinnati.
As the culminating experience of the series, the Haiku Trail offers participants an opportunity to see how poetry can transform a walk into an act of discovery.
Themes: Reflection, landscape, literary community, place-based writing