“do i have to tell the story of a thousand rainy days since we first met?”

[larryhammer]

So Eaglet, who has generally been uninterested in poetry, is thanks to their English language arts teacher now All In for haiku. They are, like many rule-insistent children, very into the syllable count, but is interestingly flexible about topics. Kigo/season words is, unsurprising at this level, not involved.

They are so into it, that collaborative writing haiku, line by line, has become a favored pre-bedtime game. I’ve been jotting down our best results:

(topic: sleep)
comfortable bed
sleeping in the night sky
stars all close their eyes

(topic: wind)
branches are shaking
leaves are swiftly falling down
where ants pick them up

(topic: rain)
so soft and quiet
gentle drizzle coats the car
splashing through puddles

---L.

Subject quote from Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, The Police.

Comments

[rebeccmeister]

I love haiku. Those are great - especially the wind one, but that's probably because I have a certain fondness for ants that pick up leaves. :^)

[larryhammer]

That was Eaglet's line! We have a colony of red harvester ants under our front yard, with the usual moving entrances, and occasional trails gathering hither and yon across the way.

[rebeccmeister]

Oh yay! Harvester ants are fun, as long as you don't bother them too much. Like tiny bulldogs. I had to wonder if you actually had leafcutters. I feel like we talked about that previously but I can't remember the outcome of the conversation anymore (thanks, brain!).

[larryhammer]

We have occasionally seen a trail of cut leaves tacking like sails.

[oracne]

Those are great!

[cmcmck]

Always such fun and also damn good poetic discipline.

[larryhammer]

Yup!

[larryhammer]

Even the parts I know are Eaglet's are.

[thistleingrey]

Haiku in English seems to be just enough discipline without becoming overwhelming. Reason made one randomly at aftercare and then was very pleased with herself--it's set in A:tLA. (I don't have permission to share.)

[sartorias]

What fun--and full of lovely images!

[larryhammer]

Hee. And yeah, about just enough discipline.

[larryhammer]

>g

[adore]

These are lovely and calming, just as one would imagine pre-bedtime haiku to be. ♡

[larryhammer]

That would be one reason we have heartily embraced them. :)

[asakiyume]

I love the stars closing their eyes; that's very sweet.

[larryhammer]

:g: