A
Tree
A
Haiku Nature
Game
Karina
Klesko (mom)
and Samantha Klesko (daughter), age 4
Louisiana, USA
When we read
the words, "a tree," it can force us to think about a tree we have
seen before -- or one which we can see in a picture -- or a tree which is right
in front of us.
But as we
observe nature carefully, we will become aware of things that we would miss,
otherwise.
Let's
try a fun exercise that will help us to look closely at nature. Here
is a game that Samantha Klesko and her mother, Karina, like to play to notice
the world around them, and to respond with their feelings and thoughts. Parents
and their children, and teachers with their students may enjoy making their own
versions of the nature game below, to heighten awareness before writing poetry
and stories. You may wish to include the five senses -- sight, smell, hearing,
taste, touch, or concentrate on one or two of the senses.
The Nature
Game:
Mom: What do you see ?
Samantha: A tree.
Mom: What else do you see?
Samantha: A bird just flew on the top.
Mom: What color is it?
Samantha: Red.
Mom: What is the bird doing?
Samantha: Singing.
Mom: What else do you see?
Samantha: There are no leaves.
Mom: Anything else?
Samantha: A branch is broken.
Mom: Is that all you see?
Samantha: Well, the spider lives there, that made the web before.
Mom: What happened to the spider web?
Samantha: It rained and washed it all off.
Mom: Anything else about the tree?
Samantha: Remember? We picked figs and the mosquitoes bit my leg.
Mom: Do you think the tree is like a friend?
Samantha: Yes.
* * *
What did Samantha notice?
Samantha's poems from the observations:
a red
bird
on a broken tree branch
singing
mom
and I
picked figs last summer
a red bird in the same tree
no
leaves on the tree
the branches all mixed up
waiting for spring
The
following haiku came about from the warm feeling of sharing friendship between
Samantha and her mother, and by discovering friendship or a connection to the
tree in their exercise:
old
friends
a bird, a spider
a tree and me
Samantha's
mother likes to write her own haiku, too. Here is one written from their
exercise:
a
friend and I
stand in the rain together
waiting for spring
Karina
Klesko
Sometimes
Samantha and her mother write a haiku together from what they both have
observed. This kind of writing is called "collaboration." Here is a
haiku written by both Samantha and her mother from the "tree"
exercise:
that spider's web
washed out by the rain
still remembered
Karina
and Samantha Klesko
Samantha
is 4 years old. Her mother encourages her to compose haiku from these kinds of
games. Karina writes Samantha's observations and answers in a notebook. Then she
guides her in writing haiku.
Samantha
tells her mother how she wants the sentences and words to be arranged, and what
kind of punctuation to use. Her mother enters the finished poems and thoughts
into Samantha's "Daily Journal".
*Note:
Haiku are normally "concrete" instead of "abstract" or
"conceptual". Concrete means that the words are written on subjects as
they are perceived with the 5 physical senses. They "show" the scene
through the presence vivid images, sounds, smells, textures and tastes. They may
employ color, size, degree of light, distance, time, temperature, and many other
elements perceived by the senses.
Haiku
usually do not "tell about" the scene or say what the author thought
about the subject(s), which may be "abstract" or
"conceptual" thinking. But the haiku can cause feelings of emotion and
inspire many thoughts within the reader, even though words directly expressing
emotion are not used.
Haiku
generally don't employ direct "simile", which is comparing two
different things with the words, "like" or "as" -- although
some can surely be found. Instead, when two things are compared in a haiku, the
reader is invited to recognize for himself the connections or comparisons
between images -- unspoken and indirectly.
