Friday, March 27, 2009

An Ode from My Childhood

In the shower last night, I found myself waltzing lyrical, reciting a poem I read ages ago in the pages of a nondescript English language comprehension textbook at primary school.

Who has seen the wind?
neither I nor you:
but when the leaves hang trembling
the wind is passing thro'

Who has seen the wind?
neither you nor I:
but when the trees bow down their heads
the wind is passing by

---Christina Rossetti
Whatever precipitated that cognitive itch I don’t really know.
But that got me thinking.
What self-respecting man recites a poem learnt at primary school in the shower, a poem probably now reserved for the exclusive use of children with special needs at a grade F crèche?
Why is my brain taking me back to primary school anyway?
Maybe I have not really learnt anything worth my brain’s while since my primary school days. Perhaps my pitiful cognitive play list is made up of that solo number and my brain is trying hard to preempt from carrying on like that.
Be it as it may, thanks to months of exposure to
NY’s cookery of poetic classics, I am beginning to discover the enchanting, beautiful and colorful landscape of poetry. Now I see poetry all around me. And who knows?

Perhaps, reciting that poem under the shower was the awakening of a unfulfilled need within myself or the beginning of a literary adventure of a lifetime.
Whatever it is, I can’t wait any longer!

PS: Check my second blog
here

10 comments:

The Author said...

Cooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool! I like!

posekyere said...

Thanks NY!
You are overly generous.

novisi said...

wow, and you really do remember all that primary school stuff!

i guess the only one i remember is:

i see the moon
and the moon sees me
God bless the moon
and God bless me!
......

hehehehehehehe! i never knew what peotry really was till after secondary school when i got the inspiration! and now i can't let go!

enjoy your poetic moments and sometimes sure just taking a cue or two from the kid days surely humbles the heart! must make you stronger!

and yes! Nana is one prolific one! omg! loads! beautiful!

cheers!

c

posekyere said...

Pretty Coll Nov,
You guys discovered the beautiful world of adventure in your formative years. At secondary I was mainly into the sciences. Had no clue about poetry really and I think it is sad that I never had any serious pointers to literature in general.Really what was my English teacher thinking, not igniting any curiosity whatsoever in our young minds?

Here, There, Elsewhere... and more said...

Great post - so important to keep the child in us alive..:)

posekyere said...

Thanks Here, There, ...
You are so right.
The day the child in us ceases to be, we also cease to live meaningful and fulfilling lives.

Denise said...

Hi Posekyre - I learnt the same poem all the way on the other side of the Atlantic in primary school in Jamaica - the consistency of British Education? Hmm.
Good luck with your poetic adventures - I along with others will eagerly await to read.

posekyere said...

Thanks for your words of encouragement, Denise.
I will certainly try my best.

Adaeze said...

like with you, Nana has made me see poetry everywhere as well. Funny, everyone seems to be having childhood memories these days!

posekyere said...

Yeah, Adaeze.
Pretty interesting how there appears to be a wave of awareness of similar issues for many people at the same time.
Synchronicity of perception? Perhaps. It reminds me of a post I did on compiling the buzz words for every month of the year.