Pond, a collection of 5-7-5 haiku is dedicated to educate and
entertain middle readers. Pond introduces the life cycle of an aging ecosystem and how it supports a cast of characters through the seasons.
Pond, the story will help raise the awareness of children in many ways. The glossary of terms becomes the readers friend as nature unfolds. The poetry has a lyrical quality that makes it fun to listen to. My thoughts are that teachers and parents might read the collection through it's entirety and then review each haiku one-by-one as its own story. My hope is that children will be able to visualize processes such as metamorphosis and photosynthesis and inspire them, especially those deep in their i-phone/pads, to venture outside and seek-out nature.
Pond takes place in Upstate New York, U.S.A. Due to geographic climate variations, some facts may differ.
Note: Please feel free to download and distribute Pond, "a not for sale" body of work written to help children widen their vocabulary, write concisely and understand some of the wonders of nature.
Pond- Introduction
aged ecosystem
nourishing life, enduring
indefinitely
shallow stony shore
two-hundred paces around
a nine year old's gait
cold underground springs
yucky-mucky mud bottom
center, four feet deep
autumn brown cattails
algae and tall grassy reeds
plant-life flourishes
great granddaddy's dock
a rickety-hickory dock
leaning, planks missing
Pond- Meet the Cast
bullfrog (cold-blooded amphibian)
green, bug-eyed leaper
lives wary, aquatic lifestyle
voracious eater
crayfish (cold-blooded crustacean)
lobster look-alike
scoots backward fanning its tail
sharp pincers tear food
snake (cold-blooded reptile)
a loner since birth
long, sleek, stealthy predator
silent in motion
turtle (cold-blooded reptile)
hard shell hideaway
plods, swims, lays eggs underground
WARNING! DO NOT ROLL
bird (warm-blooded vertebrate)
works daily routine,
whistles merry melodies
nester, egg layer
lunker bass (cold-blooded vertebrate)
Scales, fins, gills, tail, swims
fish feeding on smaller fish
feed ol' lunker bass
dragonfly (cold-blooded insect)
Stained glass bi-plane wings
zippy insect predator
carries mate aboard
big old tree (woody plant)
four arm spans around
large root veins branch underground
stretching out skyward
water lily (plant)
clustered in patches
round green waxy leaves rest blooms
flowering cup-like
ACT I Spring's Up
nature awakens
daylight lingers, landscape thaws
as new life emerges
spring showers
rippling rain drops dance
runoff layers pond's bottom
worms wiggle about
big old tree
root veins release sap
lifeblood flows to new green buds
spring relieves winter
water lily
morning blooms unfold
pretty petals white and gold
closing up at dusk
lunker bass
stones nudged into place
outline female spawning beds
males fertilize roe
nesting side-by-side
fanning fish tails aerate eggs
males fend egg poachers
bird
migrating northbound
winter's respite is over
a sure sign of spring
trills a welcome tune
mates, eats worms, builds nest, lays eggs
raises chirping chicks
turtle nest
buried turtle eggs
incubating underground
hatch baby turtles
clawing up topside
turtlettes breathe in fresh air
now time for a swim
dragon fly (three stage metamorphosis)
eggs laid in water
hatch newborn larvae, called nymphs
looking spider-like
larvae nymphs eat worms,
fish eggs, frog eggs and tadpoles
some live years submerged
nymphs grow by molting
sloughing off their old, small shell
growing one larger
bullfrog (three stage metamorphosis)
eggs by the thousands
float in a clear gooey gel
each with one dark speck
baby pollywogs,
or tadpoles, morph into frogs
breathing above ground
tadpoles aren't cuddly
though fun to watch, all schooled-up
hiding under rocks
snake
some snakes pop from eggs
others wiggle from their mom
skilled hunters at birth
snakes grow by molting
slithering out of old skin
a new skin has formed
crayfish
tiny crayfish hatch
clutched in place on mom's tummy
they wait their first molt
babies molt often
their new shells are spongy soft
though harden quickly
discarded old shells
appear to be live crayfish
but they are empty
ACT II Suddenly Summer
nature develops
hot muggy weather
lightning strike, thunder burst storms!
the growing season
big old tree (photosynthesis)
trees and plants inhale
harmful carbon dioxide
nature's air filter
sun-baked new green leaves
exhale oxygen we need
fresh clean air to breathe
lily pads (leaves)
floating table plates
flying insects land on leaves
food for frogs and snakes
lunker bass
spawning season ends
minnows school-up near shorelines
safety in numbers
big ol' lunker bass
gulps insects from the surface
a tasty fish dish
dredging with its nose
bass overturn shoreline stones
hunting for crayfish
bird (initial flight)
eggs -- hatchlings -- fledglings
skydiving, dropping like rocks
plop - plop - plop, they float!
wings thrashing, splashing,
paddling back ashore, flapping,
wings drying… flying!
turtle
swimming, sunbathing
taking lazy turtle naps
yet always alert
toothless jagged jaws
feast on bugs, slugs and earthworms
a yummy diet!
courtship mating tricks
males win favor with antics
showing off for girls
dragonfly (larvae/nymph morphs)
full grown larvae nymph
crawls ashore and molts once more
ta-da, dragonfly!
flying acrobat
dragonfly zooms quickly by
searching for a mate
adulthood is brief
time enough to lay their eggs
dying soon after
bullfrog larvae (tadpole/pollywog morphs)
tadpoles breathe through gills
drawing in pond's oxygen
similar to fish
tadpoles eat algae
green pond scum that grows on rocks
slippery slimy goo
with large broad heads
and short tail fins for swimming
they don't look like frogs
as tadpoles mature
eyes, mouth and legs start to form
looking froggie-like
the moment arrives
tadpole gills morph into lungs
young frog leaps ashore
snake
poised in the shallows
hidden by tall grassy reeds
snake hunts for minnows
snakes also eat eggs
bird eggs, frog eggs and fish eggs
no scrambled eggs though
crayfish
scavengers by night
crayfish eat eggs, dead fish, nymphs
whatever they find
crayfish hide by day
concealed under brush and rocks
so not to be lunch
ACT III Autumn Arrives
autumn winks
air chills, daylight wanes
the growing season ripens
harvest time again
big old tree
sap withdraws to roots
leaves, brilliant with color
swirl aground dying
annual dead leaves
decay at the water's edge
making fertile soil
water lily
lilies germinate
nut-like bulbs take root in the
mucky-mud bottom
lunker bass
winter approaches
food becomes scarce, no insects
worms stay underground
bird
migrates flying south
warm blooded mammals need warmth
we'll see you next spring
turtle
Pond, the story will help raise the awareness of children in many ways. The glossary of terms becomes the readers friend as nature unfolds. The poetry has a lyrical quality that makes it fun to listen to. My thoughts are that teachers and parents might read the collection through it's entirety and then review each haiku one-by-one as its own story. My hope is that children will be able to visualize processes such as metamorphosis and photosynthesis and inspire them, especially those deep in their i-phone/pads, to venture outside and seek-out nature.
Pond takes place in Upstate New York, U.S.A. Due to geographic climate variations, some facts may differ.
Note: Please feel free to download and distribute Pond, "a not for sale" body of work written to help children widen their vocabulary, write concisely and understand some of the wonders of nature.
Pond- Introduction
aged ecosystem
nourishing life, enduring
indefinitely
shallow stony shore
two-hundred paces around
a nine year old's gait
cold underground springs
yucky-mucky mud bottom
center, four feet deep
autumn brown cattails
algae and tall grassy reeds
plant-life flourishes
great granddaddy's dock
a rickety-hickory dock
leaning, planks missing
Pond- Meet the Cast
bullfrog (cold-blooded amphibian)
green, bug-eyed leaper
lives wary, aquatic lifestyle
voracious eater
crayfish (cold-blooded crustacean)
lobster look-alike
scoots backward fanning its tail
sharp pincers tear food
snake (cold-blooded reptile)
a loner since birth
long, sleek, stealthy predator
silent in motion
turtle (cold-blooded reptile)
hard shell hideaway
plods, swims, lays eggs underground
WARNING! DO NOT ROLL
bird (warm-blooded vertebrate)
works daily routine,
whistles merry melodies
nester, egg layer
lunker bass (cold-blooded vertebrate)
Scales, fins, gills, tail, swims
fish feeding on smaller fish
feed ol' lunker bass
dragonfly (cold-blooded insect)
Stained glass bi-plane wings
zippy insect predator
carries mate aboard
big old tree (woody plant)
four arm spans around
large root veins branch underground
stretching out skyward
water lily (plant)
clustered in patches
round green waxy leaves rest blooms
flowering cup-like
ACT I Spring's Up
nature awakens
daylight lingers, landscape thaws
as new life emerges
spring showers
rippling rain drops dance
runoff layers pond's bottom
worms wiggle about
big old tree
root veins release sap
lifeblood flows to new green buds
spring relieves winter
water lily
morning blooms unfold
pretty petals white and gold
closing up at dusk
lunker bass
stones nudged into place
outline female spawning beds
males fertilize roe
nesting side-by-side
fanning fish tails aerate eggs
males fend egg poachers
bird
migrating northbound
winter's respite is over
a sure sign of spring
trills a welcome tune
mates, eats worms, builds nest, lays eggs
raises chirping chicks
turtle nest
buried turtle eggs
incubating underground
hatch baby turtles
clawing up topside
turtlettes breathe in fresh air
now time for a swim
dragon fly (three stage metamorphosis)
eggs laid in water
hatch newborn larvae, called nymphs
looking spider-like
larvae nymphs eat worms,
fish eggs, frog eggs and tadpoles
some live years submerged
nymphs grow by molting
sloughing off their old, small shell
growing one larger
bullfrog (three stage metamorphosis)
eggs by the thousands
float in a clear gooey gel
each with one dark speck
baby pollywogs,
or tadpoles, morph into frogs
breathing above ground
tadpoles aren't cuddly
though fun to watch, all schooled-up
hiding under rocks
snake
some snakes pop from eggs
others wiggle from their mom
skilled hunters at birth
snakes grow by molting
slithering out of old skin
a new skin has formed
crayfish
tiny crayfish hatch
clutched in place on mom's tummy
they wait their first molt
babies molt often
their new shells are spongy soft
though harden quickly
discarded old shells
appear to be live crayfish
but they are empty
ACT II Suddenly Summer
nature develops
hot muggy weather
lightning strike, thunder burst storms!
the growing season
big old tree (photosynthesis)
trees and plants inhale
harmful carbon dioxide
nature's air filter
sun-baked new green leaves
exhale oxygen we need
fresh clean air to breathe
lily pads (leaves)
floating table plates
flying insects land on leaves
food for frogs and snakes
lunker bass
spawning season ends
minnows school-up near shorelines
safety in numbers
big ol' lunker bass
gulps insects from the surface
a tasty fish dish
dredging with its nose
bass overturn shoreline stones
hunting for crayfish
bird (initial flight)
eggs -- hatchlings -- fledglings
skydiving, dropping like rocks
plop - plop - plop, they float!
wings thrashing, splashing,
paddling back ashore, flapping,
wings drying… flying!
turtle
swimming, sunbathing
taking lazy turtle naps
yet always alert
toothless jagged jaws
feast on bugs, slugs and earthworms
a yummy diet!
courtship mating tricks
males win favor with antics
showing off for girls
dragonfly (larvae/nymph morphs)
full grown larvae nymph
crawls ashore and molts once more
ta-da, dragonfly!
flying acrobat
dragonfly zooms quickly by
searching for a mate
adulthood is brief
time enough to lay their eggs
dying soon after
bullfrog larvae (tadpole/pollywog morphs)
tadpoles breathe through gills
drawing in pond's oxygen
similar to fish
tadpoles eat algae
green pond scum that grows on rocks
slippery slimy goo
with large broad heads
and short tail fins for swimming
they don't look like frogs
as tadpoles mature
eyes, mouth and legs start to form
looking froggie-like
the moment arrives
tadpole gills morph into lungs
young frog leaps ashore
snake
poised in the shallows
hidden by tall grassy reeds
snake hunts for minnows
snakes also eat eggs
bird eggs, frog eggs and fish eggs
no scrambled eggs though
crayfish
scavengers by night
crayfish eat eggs, dead fish, nymphs
whatever they find
crayfish hide by day
concealed under brush and rocks
so not to be lunch
ACT III Autumn Arrives
autumn winks
air chills, daylight wanes
the growing season ripens
harvest time again
big old tree
sap withdraws to roots
leaves, brilliant with color
swirl aground dying
annual dead leaves
decay at the water's edge
making fertile soil
water lily
lilies germinate
nut-like bulbs take root in the
mucky-mud bottom
lunker bass
winter approaches
food becomes scarce, no insects
worms stay underground
bird
migrates flying south
warm blooded mammals need warmth
we'll see you next spring
turtle
no more sunbathing
turtles burrow for shelter
turtles burrow for shelter
frost is on its way
dragonfly
dragonflies have died
young nymphs snuggle under rocks
molting season ends
frog
froggie fattens up
less leaping, more sleeping now
nestled underground
snake
slithers for its den
no more hunting til' springtime
winter's freeze is near
crayfish
fall mating season
males deposit small sperm sacks
on females bellies
females produce eggs
eggs pass down through the sperm sacks
fertilized for spring
ACT IV Welcoming Winter
daylight hastens night
freezing winds sculpt snowy drifts
ice thick as a brick
big old tree
stands tall bearing all
dormant throughout the winter
appearing lifeless
water lily
lily pads vanish
rich mucky-mud safeguards bulbs
through freezing winter
lunker bass and crayfish
still life beneath ice
basic primal survival
winter's fitness test
fish don’t feel the cold
slowing their metabolism
until almost dead
bird
no more melodies
winds blow nests from naked trees
gone for the winter
bull frog, turtle, snake (hibernators)
low metabolism
s l o w b l o o d f l o w, h e a r t r a t e, b r e a t h i n g
no food until spring
dragonfly nymph
adolescent nymph
slows down its metabolism
waiting adulthood
Eutrophication
ages of aging
seasons recycling anew
pond slowly grows old
runoff fills in pond
nutrient rich mucky-mud
enhances plant growth
plant-life takes over
draining the pond's oxygen
fish-life suffocates
runoff, lily pads,
cattails, algae and tall reeds
change pond to a swamp
Coda
dear young friends, pond ends
inspired by Mother Nature
go outside, find her
she is you, you she
beautiful, wondrous, awesome
egg- birth- grow- blossom…
The End
S.A. Peck
Words written in bold print are found in the glossary below.
Pond- Glossary of
Terms
Adolescent: ad-o-les-cent - One that is not yet
mature; a growing stage before adulthood.
Aerate: aer-ate - To add or supply with oxygen.
Algae: al-gae – Also known as seaweed and pond
scum are plant-like organisms that absorb nitrogen and phosphorous from
nutrient rich runoff. Algae also contain chlorophyll for making oxygen. Algae
can grow on rocks near the surface, or in blooms that float on top of the
surface. Some algae grow on land. When algae blooms die they absorb oxygen from
the water creating dead zones in ponds and lakes. There are many different
types of algae in various colors.
Amphibian: am-phib-i-an - Air breathing,
cold-blooded vertebrates such as frogs, toads and salamanders, whose larvae hatch
and live underwater before reaching adulthood.
Antics: an-tics - Silly or playful acts to draw
attention.
Aquatic: aquat-ic - Living in, or frequenting
water like frogs, fish, turtles and crayfish.
Bi-plane: A
plane with two sets of wings, one wing on top of the other on either side.
Carbon dioxide:
car-bon di-ox-ide - A colorless gas absorbed
from the air by plants and trees. It is exhaled by humans and animals. It is
also given off by dead vegetation and dead animals.
Coda: co-da – A concluding statement to
summarize, or round out, and usually has its own interest.
Cold-blooded or Ectothermic: cold- blood-ed / ec-to-therm-ic
- Body temperatures of animals such as fish, turtles, frogs and snakes that are
regulated by the air or water temperature where they live. Cold blooded animals
don’t need a coat to keep warm or short sleeves to stay cool. Their body
temperature is determined by the weather.
Courtship: court-ship - Being with the one you
like. Dating
Crustacean: crus-ta-cean - Mostly aquatic animals
with an outer shell, ribbed tail fins and two antennae, like crayfish, crabs
and lobsters that grow through a molting process.
Dredge: To
dig up.
Ecosystem: eco-sys-tem - An environment of
organisms, plants and animals, functioning as a unit in a particular space in
nature. In this case, Pond is a particular environment where plants and animals
depend on it to reproduce, feed and multiply. An ecosystem creates a cycle of
life. The earth and its atmosphere is an ecosystem for everything that lives.
Enduring: en-dur-ing - To undergo a period of time
without giving in or stopping. Long lasting
Eutrophication:
eu-tro-phi-ca-tion - A process by
which a body of water is enriched with nutrient rich soil that stimulates plant
life, resulting in the depletion of oxygen.
Fend: To
defend or ward off invaders.
Fertilize: fer-til-ize - To make grow. Sperm
fertilizes eggs so they hatch. Bees fertilize plants as they collect nectar.
People fertilize grass so it grows better.
Fledgling: fledg-ling - A young bird that has grown
feathers for its first flight.
Gait: A
manner of moving on foot, walking, trotting, or running. An adult has a longer
gait than a child.
Germinate: germ-in-ate - To cause to sprout or
develop. Flowers germinate seeds that fall to the ground and sprout into more
flowers. The lily germinates a nut-like berry that sinks in the mucky-mud to
make more lily clusters.
Gills: Body
organs near the mouth of fish and crayfish that enable them to breathe in oxygen
from water.
Hatchling: hatch-ling - A new born animal hatched
from an egg. Bird hatchlings don’t have feathers yet.
Hibernate: hi-ber-nate – To become inactive. Living
through the winter in a torpid or resting state
Hickory: hick-o-ry
- A nut bearing tree used to make planks for docks, tool handles and furniture.
Incubate: in-cu-bate - To maintain conditions
favorable for eggs to hatch. Birds sit on their eggs to keep them warm. Turtles
bury their eggs in the ground.
Indefinitely:
in-def-i-nite-ly - An undetermined length of time. You never know exactly how long
it will last. A person’s life is indefinite. The life of a pond is indefinite.
Larvae: lar-vae - The immature form of an insect
or animal that is hatched from an egg, and grows through metamorphosis before
looking like an adult.
Lunker: lun-ker - Large of its kind. A lunker
bass is a BIG one!
Metabolism: me-tab-o-lism - The total of all things happening inside a living body and how
they affect each other. For example: If you breathe fast, your heat beats
faster, which makes your blood flow faster. If you breathe slowly, your heart
rate decreases and blood flows through your body slower. Pond also has a
metabolism. If too much plant-life grows, fish and crayfish won’t have enough
oxygen to breathe. These are just a few examples to help you understand
metabolism. There is so much more to learn.
Metamorphosis:
meta-mor-pho-sis – A step-by-step
change of form through the growing cycles of some animals and insects. There
are two types of metamorphosis. There is a three-stage process called
incomplete metamorphosis consisting of an egg- larvae
and adult, as with the frog
and dragonfly. The four stage process or complete metamorphosis consists of an egg - larvae (caterpillar) - pupa
(cocoon/chrysalis) and adult,
as with the moth and butterfly.
Migrate: mi-grate – Birds, insects and land
animals that move long distances depending on season and climate.
Molt/Shed/Slough: Growing from an old, smaller shell or skin into a new and lager one.
The snake sheds its skin and the crayfish sloughs its shell, as does the
dragonfly nymph.
Morph: A
distinct change in form. The nymph morphs into a dragonfly, and the pollywog to
a frog.
Nymph: The
aquatic larvae of insects, like the dragonfly.
Photosynthesis:
pho-to-syn-the-sis - A series of
chemical reactions between sunlight and green plants that convert (change) harmful
carbon dioxide into oxygen and other life sustaining compounds. Plants, such as
the big old tree, take in carbon dioxide through their stems, bark and roots
and release oxygen back into the atmosphere through their green leaves.
Carbon dioxide is converted
into oxygen when sunlight and chlorophyll (the substance that makes leaves
green) heat up water and carbon dioxide stored in leaves, changing them into oxygen.
Plants inhale carbon
dioxide and exhale oxygen. Animals and humans do the exact opposite; they
inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Photosynthesis is nature’s way of
filtering and recycling the air in our atmosphere.
Pincers: pin-cer – A claw-like hand to hold and
tear food. Also used for protection.
Plod: To walk
along slowly.
Poacher: poach-er – One that trespasses and
steals.
Poised:
Positioned/ Balanced
Pollywog/Tadpole:
pol-ly-wog / tad-pole – The larval
form of a young frog or toad. The second stage of a frog’s metamorphosis
Pond scum:
Various forms of algae found in ponds and lakes.
Predator: pred-a-tor – One that preys, or hunts
for food.
Respite: re-spite – A temporary period of rest.
Rickety: rick-ety – Unstable physical condition.
Great Granddaddy’s dock is old, and not in good shape.
Roe: fish
eggs or crayfish egg
Runoff: run-off – Sediment, such as dirt, carried
by rain water that settles at the bottom of ponds, lakes, rivers and streams.
Sap: The
lifeblood of plants that flows through their veins.
Scavenger: scav-en-ger – One that hunts for, and
eats, whatever it finds, dead or alive.
Self-revelation:
self- rev-e-la-tion – Understanding
one’s own thoughts and feelings; knowing who you are.
Slough: sounds like sluff – To cast off skin or
a shell. To molt, or shed
Spawn: To
produce or deposit eggs.
Sperm: Fluid
from males that covers (fertilizes) eggs so they will hatch.
Stealthy: stealth-y – Secret/ Sneaky quiet/
Undetected. The snake is sneaky quiet.
Submerged: sub-merged - Underwater
Trill: A
musical sound; sing, warble. The bird sings springtime greetings.
Turtlette: tur-tl-ette – Little Turtle- This is not
a recognized word. I made it up.
Wane: To
dwindle, or slowly go away.
Warm-blooded:
warm- blood-ed – Having a constant
body heat not determined by the weather. Warm blooded animals cannot
automatically raise or lower their body heat.
Vertebrate: ver-te-brate – Having a backbone/ spinal
column.
Voracious: vo-ra-cious – Having a huge appetite.
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