Children Are Amazing!

Yes, I home school. Yes, I believe in home schooling. Do I think it is the only way? No! This is why, we live in a world where diversity exists. Diversity in a forest is a protection against an entire forest being wiped out by a disease that only one type of tree is susceptible to. Diversity allows us to broaden and go deep. Why do we always want to be on the same page? Can you imagine a book of just one page, how boring.

Here is a great example of a public school system motivating their students to create poetry that makes you see. I have to share this, I have done so without permission. Let them yell! I do not care. This is one fantastic poem written by a twelve year old young man, Francis Nyssen. He is the son of dear friends of ours, Greg and Rachel Nyssen, living in Seattle, Washington. He wrote this poem for a writers program in his school. It is amazing. I see it, hear it, smell it, and feel it. Children are amazing.

This is what Rachel wrote on her blog:

"last night, we were at the seattle art museum for the book launch party of
-YOU WILL NOT COME BACK UNCHANGED-a book of poetry and prose from seattle area students K-12, thru the writers in the schools program. francis had one of his poems selected for this book, and he was to read it at the event. we were so proud i actually teared up when i first found out."
http://rachelnyssen.blogspot.com

Enjoy!


ODE TO BIRDS: (by francis nyssen)

Birds, birds
are the most
colorful animals
green
brown
yellow
red
blue
turquoise
purple
neon blue--
I could go on.
The king of nests
has a fancy for huge
very decorated nests.
It's turquoise
and neon blue. It
sends you in a trance.
A yellow canary goes
black against the sun
on a sunny
day.
A rattle of leaves and sounds tell
you
the toucan hops
from branch to
branch, chirping.
It's beak shining, making
us see a blur of color.
A crow searches
endlessly for its
old feathers
of white.
The mimicker of
sounds mimics
the sound of its falling
forest. The king
of voice shines
its colorful feathers.
Red, blue
yellow, green,
it has a stubby
beak. It makes
you see a sea of
colors. Making
you smell fruit.
Cloves send a scent to me
making me think of birds.
A fresh
drink of chai
reminds me of when
I'm sitting in
the bird dome at
the zoo.
At night I can imagine
a vulture looks despairingly
jealous of all the color.
Starlings are
considered
good luck when
they live in your house.
A bird's color is what
the vulture
wants so badly.
Cardinal's red
makes it
look like a
streaking flame
of light across
the sky,
making fire
burn in your
eyes.

by Francis Nyssen