Haiku Mania

We are finishing up studying Japan in My Father's World Exploring Countries and Cultures. We've talked a little about the art of Haiku, a style of poetry that originated in Japan. In Haiku, there are three lines in the poem - the first line has 5 syllables, the second has 7, and the third has 5 again. I have always loved Haiku because it is so simple, but can be so beautiful.

However, the boys didn't exactly share my enthusiasm... that is, until I broke the ice and tried my hand at writing one:

Apples
Crunchy, sweet and red
Sweet juice leaks out at each bite
Delicious snack - yum!

Yes, I know, its nothing prize-winning, but it got the kids so excited that they started a torrent of writing! The best part is, I didn't even ASK them to! Once they saw how easy it really was, they grabbed paper and pencils and started scribbling away. I could see them mouthing words and counting on their fingers... and within 10 minutes, they each had one written.

Here are two from Ezra:

Mom
Mom is nice to us
She makes good food to feed us
I know she loves us

Homeschool
We have to do school
Sometimes it is a bit fun
I do not like Math!

And here are two of Isaac's:

Ada
Ada is black and white
She is so hyper, so fast
Then she falls asleep

Molly
Molly is so black
Black as a crow's wing at night
I love our black dog

Even Joel did one!

Math
My math is so fun
Because you do it with me
I like my math blocks

I love how quickly they caught on to the idea and gave it a go. Just another one of those moments when I sigh dreamily and say "This is why I love homeschooling!" :-D

(Oh, Isaac posted a few others on his blog, if you want to check them out)