Learned long ago

Yesterday's wind reminded me of this poem which I memorized when I was in elementary school:

Come Little Leaves

"Come, little leaves,"
Said the wind one day,
"Come over the meadows
With me, and play;
Put on your dresses
Of red and gold;
Summer is gone,
And the days grow cold."

Soon as the leaves
Heard the wind's loud call,
Down they came fluttering,
One and all;
Over the meadows
They danced and flew,
Singing the soft
Little songs they knew.

Dancing and flying
The little leaves went;
Winter had called them
And they were content-
Soon fast asleep
In their earthy beds,
The snow laid a soft mantle
Over their heads.

Written by the American poet George Cooper (1838–1927), "Come Little Leaves" was one of a standardized collection of poems printed in little pamphlets and distributed to school children each year to be memorized as part of the Pennsylvania curriculum requirement at the time. I've loved that poem since the year-- third grade? fourth?-- I made up a little song to sing and dance with it, over and over, in the process of memorization.

How useful for me to recall that learning happens most easily if I will involve rhythm, a tune, a lyric, a dance or stomp, whatever seems fun so my whole body gets involved. Learning as a full body experience.