International Poetry Attempt

I love seeing so many tributes to National Poetry Month floating about. In the spirit, I'm going to launch my own International Attempt to Remember Poetry Memorized Long Ago.

This is partly inspired by Emily at Evening All Afternoon and her tribute to Shel Silverstein, which brought to mind several old poetry fragments, two of which I think I owe to my grandmother.

They're 'vintage' --

By the shores of Gitchie Gumee
By the Shining Big Sea Water
Stood the wigwam of Nokomish
Daughter of the Moon, Nokomish

And --

In Xanadu did Kublai Khan
A stately pleasure dome decree

I do remember my mother reading me poems from a big red book that I just loved! They had a very 1930s feel to them; let's see if I can remember any...

The gingham dog and the calico cat
Side by side on the table sat.

I fondly remember one about a potato and a leaf (?) dancing in a cellar. Oh--yes!

Down cellar said the cricket
Down cellar said the cricket
Down cellar said the cricket
I saw a ball last night.

We entertained a drift of leaves
We entertained... etc.
And then of snow and ice.

Another from my elementary school years (who chose THAT one to recite at the poetry festival? It was way over my head) --

Something there is that does not love a wall,
That sends the frozen ground-swells under it
Something something hmmm hmmm
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.

This one was a long-time favorite and reveals what kind of little kid I was:

How happy is the little Stone
That rambles in the Road alone
And doesn't care about Careers
And Exigencies never fears

I was an unrepentant show-off and memorized this in its entirety at age 12:

Hamelin town's in Brunswick
By famous Hanover city.
The River Weser, deep and wide,
Washes its wall on the southern side
A pleasanter spot you never spied.

But when begins my ditty
Almost five hundred years ago,
To see the townsfolk suffer so,
From vermin, was a pity.

RATS! They fought the dogs and killed the cats...
(And it goes on for about 15 pages, not that I can remember it all...)

Whew!

I'm not including songs I memorized, for obvious reasons (The Complete Simon & Garfunkel Collection, anyone?); though I do think those 1960s rock ballads are some of the most powerful poetry I know. I spent high school curled up next to the record player with Peter Paul & Mary, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Donovan, Cat Stevens, ABBA and Leonard Cohen feeding my anachronistic tendencies. (This was the mid-90s, you guys.)

Do you have fragments of poetry floating around in your head too? If you can complete, correct, name or attribute any of these poem fragments, be my guest!