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Let’s play.

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You don’t have to, but you should.

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Aside from every phone number of every place I have ever lived?

This:

Abou Ben Adhem

BY LEIGH HUNT

Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)

Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,

And saw, within the moonlight in his room, 

Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom, 

An angel writing in a book of gold:— 

Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold, 

And to the presence in the room he said, 

“What writest thou?”—The vision raised its head, 

And with a look made of all sweet accord, 

Answered, “The names of those who love the Lord.” 

“And is mine one?” said Abou. “Nay, not so,” 

Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low, 

But cheerly still; and said, “I pray thee, then, 

Write me as one that loves his fellow men.” 

The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night 

It came again with a great wakening light, 

And showed the names whom love of God had blest, 

And lo! Ben Adhem’s name led all the rest.

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If you know me, you know I’m one of the least religious people you’re ever apt to meet, but my late mother was forced to memorize that poem as a child and recited it ad nauseam during my formative years. Why it has remained firmly implanted in my brain I have no idea… but there it is. Uselessly taking up space.

So how about you? What useless thing are you storing in your grey matter…

25 thoughts on “Let’s play.”

  1. I love that poem!! My mother used to recite it to me!

    I don’t consider my recitation to be useless, but I’m the only one. Everyone else can’t stand it. The poem? Jabberwocky. I may have spelled that wrong, but I know every word!

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  3. Ugh…..the Catholic prayers we were forced to memorize while I was going to catechism. I still know most of them even though I’m no longer a Catholic. To me their useless and provide nothing except having them memorized. Oh and my parents very first phone number…..ah and the incantation from the series “ISIS.”

    I know you remember the Shazam/ISIS hour on television. When she’d take out her amulet to recite the incitation to be able to fly….

    “Zypher winds which blow on high, life me now so I can fly”……and off she went. Why I still remember that I don’t know?

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  4. I was not made to memorize this, and I only saw it once. It was a framed quote on a beautiful picture of a rainbow-coloured balloon, placed prominently in the bedroom of a girl I once knew.
    VIRGINITY IS LIKE A BALLOON. ONE PRICK AND ITS GONE!

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  9. Shakespeare’s 18th Sonnet. Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and temperate. Etc., etc. I always figured it would impress the ladies.

    What do you know? It does. So maybe not totally useless, though nowadays, Tara is impressed if I just empty the dishwasher.

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  10. I can’t believe you have that memorized!

    I can remember most of the songs from Sesame Street and Barney. HA. And some stupid girl scout camp songs from when I was a leader. Will they come in handy one day? Probably not, but they still reside in my brain.

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  11. . I have never eaten one…. but here we go.
    Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun.

    What a waste of brain space. I can’t remember much of my childhood so why do i remember that tv ad crap instead? Cruel.

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