Monday, October 09, 2006

Countryside Musings...

It's fall over at One Deep Breath, and the theme for this week is Countryside. I've been reading "Last Child in the Woods," by Richard Louv, and growing fearful for the future of nature. (Although he also reports many encouraging steps to overcome what he's calling "nature-deficit disorder.") So today's prompt brings us this:

crisp leaves line the path

it's fall in the countryside

where are the children?

I'm still looking for a photo to match my memories of shuffling through the leaves, inhaling the sweet scents of fall in the woods. Hope to have one up soon.

For more on this inspiring book, please see: Why Kids Need Nature, a review for parents that discusses Louv's book and its key points. And head for the hills this fall, with your kids!

Check out other countryside experiences at our weekly haiku gathering.

11 comments:

Crafty Green Poet said...

Excellent post, children do indeed need nature and in the UK they are certainly often not getting out there often enough, because of parental fears of danger among other things. Children in continental Europe seem to get many more opportunities in that way. There's been some interesting work done on this in the UK recently.

Anonymous said...

love this!
my grandsons are outdoors, but play a four wheeler, don't like that much!

Larry Kollar said...

In the US, there are programs that get urban kids out into the country, which the kids generally love.

Sandy, the four-wheeler is better than sitting inside watching TV… they get the wind in their faces, at least!

Catherine said...

There is lots of green space in our city but still, many children don't get outside to play very much. I took up orienteering when my youngest was little which is not only a great family sport but got us all out into the country on a regular basis. They seem to love collecting stones, bones and pine cones at that age!
Excellent haiku.

Julie said...

This brought an immediate smile. I couldn't resist the urge to step off the walking path a few days ago and drag my feet through the carpet of leaves (even children enjoy straying from the path!)

Very nice indeed!

GreenishLady said...

Oh yes... the walk home from school involved dragging feet through a path of horse-chestnut leaves, trawling for conkers, turning leaves into "fish-bones" - total immersion in the riches dropped by those generous trees.
Sad to think so few children do these things now.

Tammy Brierly said...

My husband's daughter just sent pictures of his grandson in a pile of leaves :) Well done and thought provoking!

GreenishLady said...

You asked about Conkers. I said maybe it needs visuals. Well, then someone posted a link to a site about Conkers! Here it is:

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/conkers.html

Ian russell said...

pond dipping! that's what I loved as a kid. yes, it's never occured to me that it might be a deficit disorder but it makes sense. just on an educational level it's important. a profound, thoughtful haiku. excellent.

Annie Jeffries said...

Sad. What a poverty that so many children have lost the experience of countryside pleasures.

Andromeda Jazmon said...

I loved that book to and right away bought a copy for an old friend that needed to get inspired again. I like your poem too.