Connecting to nature through poetry and prose
We have entered the mini Season of Awakening of Insects. This season is all about animals emerging from hibernation. As a way to honor this season, we will investigate the calls of the spring peeper and wood frog. We will also read some spring haiku by Issa, Buson, and Sookan.
It is the micro-season of “Plants Show Their First Buds''. This is the last micro-season of the mini season of Rain Water. To honor this season we are looking at maple syrup and reading "Evening in the Sugar Orchard" by Robert Frost.
We have entered the micro-season of “The Earth Becomes Damp''. This is the first micro-season of the mini season of Rain Water. To honor this season we investigate ice jams and read poems by Marks, Buson, Basho, and Issa.
We are at the end of the micro-season, “The Chicken Lays Her First Eggs”. Although, Chickens may not be laying very many eggs in New England right now, we do have traditions like Groundhog's Day and poetry by Hickler, Issa, and Kerouac to remind us that spring is coming.
We are at the end of the micro-season, “The Mountain Stream Freezes Over”. This micro-season is the second part of the mini season Major Cold. We celebrate this season with poetry and an investigation into the importance of the earth’s fresh water system.
We have entered the micro-season of “The Spring Water Holds Warmth”, which is the second part of the mini season of Minor Cold. When thinking about this season, I think about ice. Specifically, I think about the factors that contribute to its formation and the haiku written about it.
January is typically the coldest time of the year and today we look at the poetry of Helen Hunt Jackson, William Carlos Williams, Basho, Issa, and Shiki as they explore the impact of the winter winds.
We have entered the micro-season of “The Water Dropwort Flourishes”, which is part of the mini season of Minor Cold. The water dropwort, also known as Japanese parsley or Seri, is one of the key ingredients in seven-herb rice porridge that is eaten during the Festival of Seven Herbs.
We have entered the micro-season of “The Elk Sheds its Horns”. Elk actually have antlers, not horns. So we should be referring to this micro-season as "Elk Shed its Antlers". Our exploration into this season will look at the elk, the antlers, and a few haiku.
We have entered the micro season of “The Salmon Gather to Spawn”. This is the last season of the mini season Major Snow. This micro-season focuses on the anadromous behavior of salmon and the myth of Osuke, the king of salmon.
The mini season of Major Snow is marked by a drop in temperature and a noticeable decline in daylight. With this shift, frost is now a common occurrence. As a way to celebrate this season, we will look at how frost is made and then read some poetry by Issa, Buson, Toshimi, and Teasdale.
"The First Camellia Blossoms” is the first micro-season of mini season First Winter. The Camellia flower, also known as Tsubaki, has a unique connection to poetry and literature in both Japan and the United States.
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