April 28 - National Poetry Reading Day

Whan that aprill with his shoures soote

The droghte of march hath perced to the roote,

And bathed every veyne in swich licour

Of which vertu engendred is the flour;

Whan zephirus eek with his sweete breeth

Inspired hath in every holt and heeth

Tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne

Hath in the ram his halve cours yronne,

That is all I remember by memory without prompting of the prologue to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, although if someone prompts the first two words of whatever line I forget, I can totally do it.   Thank you, senior English teacher.  I can admit to looking up the spelling, though.  And since it happens to be an April 'holiday,' I went there first.  "Whan that aprill..."

Thank heavens for theatre so I could feed this brain that memorizes so well.  Although ... it IS kind of a curse that I remember whole plays years after I've done them.  That and I can still quote the entire Robin Hood movie, Disney version ... at least every part that was on the LP.  But I digress.

However, to celebrate National Poetry Day I am going to recite Roald Dahl's version of Cinderella from Revolting Rhymes, which I bought in Vienna years ago and just found in the garage this morning while looking for something else.  They are insanely easy and I used them when I dressed as either Lady Boo, Lady Christmas, or Lady Marmalade (don't go there lol) and told stories in elementary school classes.  I'm not going to recite it RIGHT HERE because those are insanely long.  I am either going to make my 4th grader listen to me or just do it on the front porch and draw attention to myself.