What Do We Plant?

Part of today's homeschool lesson included reading the poem What Do We Plant? by Henry Abbey. I was distracted while reading this to August and Martha because their eyes were searching up, out the window and deep in thought. I could picture the picture of each tree and object they imagined in their heads...as the ship and house and flag staff were constructed.

Poetry and the arts and all forms of creative expression have always been a big focus in my family...my children were all rhyming as soon as they could talk. They write song lyrics, poems and stories on a daily basis...and I LOVE that! I believe it provides them with an outlet to deal with feelings and thoughts...and I hope it makes them more sensitive to others.

Here's the poem in it's entirety if you'd like to read it to your children:

What Do We Plant?

What do we plant when we plant the tree?
We plant the ship which will cross the sea.
We plant the mast to carry the sails;
We plant the planks to withstand the gales -
The keel, the keelson, the beam, the knee;
We plant the ship when we plant the tree.

What do we plant when we plant the tree?
We plant the houses for you and me.
We plant the rafters, the shingles, the floors,
We plant the studding, the lath, the doors,
The beams and siding, all parts that be;
We plant the house when we plant the tree.

What do we plant when we plant the tree?
A thousand things that we daily see;
We plant the spire that out-towers the crag,
We plant the staff for our country's flag.
We plant the shade, from the hot sun free;
We plant all these when we plant the tree.

- Henry Abbey