Tree Project with Fourth Graders

The Pantoum Presentation, starring trees, since this is a granted poetry writing project about trees, who we adore because of their persistent photosynthesizing and general stability except in high winds in bog areas or on top of clay when they blow down, exposing the dirty fingers of their flat root systems. A few too many adjectives back there but we must press on.

Here are my model pantoums:

Model One, Drafted 5/10/06 about 10 am

Pantoum for Acer macrophyllum (Big-leaf Maple)
Hey you up there, stop throwing smutz on my deck!
-Laura Gamache

Hey you, big leaf big tree in the back yard!
Yeah, you, standing there, I hear that rustling.
You're the one sending down that smutz.
The squirrels, robins, flickers -- they're not to blame.

Yeah, you, standing there, I hear that rustling.
In May, yellow flower chains splat the deck.
Squirrels, robins, flickers -- they're not to blame,
you send me something to sweep all year.

In May, yellow flower chains splat the deck,
samara helicopters dive bomb us in August.
You send me something to sweep all year.
In fall your leaves set like yellow suns.

Samara helicopters dive bomb us all August.
You're the one sending me that smutz.
In fall, your leaves set like yellow suns,
Hey, you, big leaf big tree in the back yard!

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