I remember there was a time when I can memorize just about anything. Some of you, like my mother would say, yeah, that’s call when you’re a child.

But that’s not true. I am struggling with memorization now because a few years back, my doctors prescribed me with a experimental dosage of thyroid medication. I was blasted with the side effects (weight-gain, fever, etc) from the medication, along with it, short-term memory lost.

Even though I am no longer on that medication but the harm’s already done. Even now, I’m having trouble remember everyday mundane things like did I close the garage door? Did I turn off the stove? What do I have to do today?

Thankfully, my childhood memories remained intact and untouched and I often find myself reminiscing back to the middle school days. Those were the times when I was the happiest because that was before I found out I began taking medication.

Anyway, back when I was in 6th grade, I was enrolled in a class where we did nothing except memorize poems. I was very good at that, best in the class I remember. What I liked about memorizing poetry is that I didn’t have decipher the meaning. I just need to memorize the words. The down side to this is when you’re just memorizing the words, you can forget the poem just as easily.

I can’t remember a single poem I’ve memorized in that class now. The only poem that is stuck in my mind now is the poem I learned when I just barely learning to speak. I only know the Chinese version of this poem but I researched it online and it turned out, wikipedia had the English version of the poem. It’s a bit weird though.

It’s called, A Quiet Night Thought or 靜夜思:

静夜思   A Quiet Night Thought

床前明月光   In front of my bed, there is bright moonlight.

疑是地上霜   It appears to be frost on the ground.

举头望明月   I lift my head and gaze at the August Moon,

低头思故乡   I lower my head and think of my hometown.