I love children's poetry. I found an old book of poems published in like 1950, and Penny and I have been reading it before bed twice a day now for several weeks. I've almost got all the poems memorized.
There's one about roses and mud. One captures perfectly Penny trying to play with Meimei. And of course, there are several of Robert Lewis Stevenson's verses.
I love the rhythms. I love the vignettes they portray. I love slowing down and noticing the beautiful things in a child's life-- noticed by other people who took the time to look. Poems like these help me appreciate the small moments.
In school, I only ever had to memorize 2 poems. In high school, we had to memorize one of Shakespeare's sonnets, and our test was to write it from memory. Only once did I have to memorize a poem and recite it to the class. It was in 8th grade, and we memorized "Invictus." At the time, I don't think I understood the whole message of the poem, but I appreciated the dark imagery and then the final two lines.
I love that I had to memorize it, though, because now it's on file in my brain whenever I need it. Sometimes it comes to mind at the oddest times, like while singing a Primary song about spring. You can sing the original words about happiness or springtime... or switch them out for the words of "Invictus."
And because I know you didn't click on the link and because it really is THAT hilarious, the original song is really perky and goes,
"Why is the sky so blue and clear?
Why is the robin's song so dear?
Why is the sun so warm and bright,
Filling the earth with glorious light?"
Penny's poetry books
Grandma's poem
Daddy's singing
* Little
I am the sister of him
And he is my brother.
He is too little for us
To talk to each other.
Every day I show him my doll and my book,
But every day he still is too little to look.
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