As a child I learned a lot by rote, mostly poems, but they have all vanished with the years. Now I have trouble remembering the list of what I need to do today …
BY ROTE
does it matter that I don’t hold
the words of Cicero 
Shakespeare or Shelley in my head?
that I’ve forgotten every poem
I’ve ever learned?
that I can’t remember a joke
or can’t tell it
so that the punch line punches?
is it a problem that I can’t recite
my own poems or hold a tune
in my head or my mouth for longer
than it takes to breathe a sigh?
does anything learned by rote
whether grocery lists or old hymns
dissipate into the vast
knowledge of the universe?
Frame and The McGuire – ‘… a gentle yet striking novel about the way our perception influences our judgement of others.’ Amy Mathers. For ages 8-13 … published by Tradewind Books available on Amazon or your local bookstore.
1960willowtree 