When we were homeschooling (final part of our series to follow very soon) we did not have a long summer break as the state schools do. None of us felt any need! We enjoyed learning together so much that we didn't like to break our routine for too long at any time of the year. However, if the weather was very unusual - if it had snowed heavily, for example - or if, as it has been here the last few days - it was beautifully sunny, then we liked to suspend our usual studies temporarily, and take advantage of the environment outside as a source of impromptu "field work". We might go and explore it, or use it as a source of inspiration for a project that was a little outside of the planned curriculum. One of the activities we often enjoyed at such times as these, was poetry!
It's not too difficult to write a poem. Even wee children can write words that will make a poem, and when the cubs were small they loved being able to illustrate their poems, using what they could see outside the window as their inspiration. We often use to write haikus - a form of Japanese poetry that has three lines, the first and last being 5 syllables long and the middle line being 7. For example -
Seagull soaring high
Arrow wings that brush the sky
Glide, dart, plunge and fly
And here is another -
Soft leaves whisper heat
Green shadows breathe scent of lime
Slow still day of gold
We thought these up together this afternoon!
Why don't you have a try - we find it works best if you have images to work from - either real ones, or pictures, or perhaps something you have imagined, and then we scribble down words that seem to reflect those images. When we have enough words we start to assemble them into the poem. You don't need to make haikus rhyme - but you don't need to write a haiku at all! Anything that seems to represent what your ideas are is a poem - even if it is just a few words.
Happy writing!
