When I was young (not meaning to say I am old now!!), I loved to memorize poems and songs but because I was out of tune, I’d stick with the poems. There was an area in my school called the “little forest” with around 120 trees in it lined in tens. In the trees planted first in each row, is a line from the poem “Tree” by Joyce Kilmer and I memorize it by heart.

Out of the blue last night I remembered it and recited to Pristine complete with the hand gestures I used to do when I was in grade school. I know I looked funny but she loved it! Now, we are memorizing it line by line and when she wants to advance to the next line almost immediately to see the ending, much like what happened to Humpty Dumpty - she didn’t see that coming!

It’s a good poem and I think it’s easily understood by children, even pre-schoolers. Here it is:

Trees by Joyce Kilmer

I THINK that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest,
Against the sweet earth’s flowing breast.

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray.

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain,
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me
But only God can make a tree.