TINYWORDS 26.1 came to a close with Joanne Morcom’s poem “last day at work”. We will take a pause now while we work on the next issue, 26.2, that will begin in late September.
TINYWORDS 26.2 will be open for submissions August 1-31, 2026. Please use our submissions page to send us your haiku and tiny poems.
In the meantime, we’ve chosen a new writing prompt to keep things lively while we’re away: A photo image of the Great Reno Balloon Race taken in September of 2015 by Ken Lund. Now in its 45th year, this balloon race has been happening in Reno, Nevada every September since 1982. Check out that sea horse. A little uplifting levity during these trying times.
We hope this image will inspire you to write a tiny poem or two. Please leave your best efforts in response to the photo prompt in the comment box below and the TINYWORDS editorial team will share the winner(s) that will kick off our next issue.
Again, we will be open for regular submissions August 1-31, and TINYWORDS 26.2 will start up in late September, 2026 (and until then, we will not be publishing daily poems.)
Thanks again for dropping by. We look forward to reading your work.
Peace and all the best,
The TINYWORDS team
singin’ in the rainforest rain check
Alan Summers
tour rep selfie
mirrored shades
heat seeking
boots
on the ground
a mother’s lullaby lifts
on a wing and a prayer our dreams
Physics and fire
Make magic of air; we float
Far above the earth
Wells Fargo…
what can still bring a song
to my heart
*
suddenly floating on air…
the force
is with us
in the sky and on the ground
everyone floating on
whimsical
balloon race
our laughter
untethered
the great balloon race
swimming in warm air currents
the sea horse
hot air balloons cross
over sagebrush plains
—covered wagons
thought bubbles
rise above the desert floor
roadrunner
•
more shots of mezcal—
we decide to float
to the moon
hot air balloons racing cloud shadows end of summer
Death Star
floating above the planet
with the other balloons
swimming somewhere
beyond the sea
a seahorse
balloon race winner a new song for my heart
rising above the ground
colored fountains
paint the clouds
whitherwind
the distant feel
of everyday
heat haze
chess board
to chess
pie
whither wind
the ache
of letting go
— Marietta McGregor
day tripper
all the lost souls
sure-footed
champagne or cava
the label not quite clear
basket to basket
Alan Summers
Macy’s Day Parade
between fedora hats
blue sky
day moon
the creak of wicker
over the pines
day moon
wicker creaking
over the pines
helium squeals
our fancies rise
in the lightness of being
distressing news
the sky filled
with brightly-colored balloons
free radicals
i take another sip
of the bubbly
swapping his starfighter
for something slower
a Sith Lord floats by
full of hot air
my brothers
modern-day Montgolfiers
Why is there air?
Breathe in red, out blue
The sky exhales in stars
traveling
where the wind blows
hot air balloons
is it possible
that there could ever be too
much color in our world
or
might I ask you now
if our eyes can ever feast
on too much color
cheese dreaming a seahorse over Reno
campaign season
the way
hot air rises
…..alternatively
seahorse over Reno cheese dreaming
balloon race
every heart on strings
of sky
as one
with the wind
hot air balloon
weightless . . .
and it’s not only
in my dreams
desert Earth
the race
is on
balloons rise
painting the sky
with joy
barnstorming—
a birdless carriage
clears the trees
building castles …
the smell of spring
in the air
helium balloon
getting higher
Darth’s voice
winter’s silence warmed by the heater building castles…
airborne parade..
all of us floating
on rainbows
*
burning sand…
we float on rainbows
to save our soles
*
other routes
they/them
on a bi-fold door
patchwork sky
connecting us to ourselves
and each other
morning commute
gadflies
in the still air