It’s a great thing to be able to recite a poem from memory, but sadly there are hardly any I can recite. (In contrast, my brother can recite many; he found it was a powerful way to attract women.) There is, however, one poem I have remembered and can recite since I first encountered it on a metal plaque in the Scottish Borders near Jedburgh sometime in the early 70s. Lilliard may or not have existed, but the story is that she fought on behalf of the Scots against the English at the Battle of Ancrum in 1545. The Scots won, and supposedly Lilliard killed the commander of Henry VIII’s army. It’s not the greatest of poems, but perhaps you’ll find that you can remember it as well.

Fair maid Lilliard lies under this stane

Little was her stature but muckle was her fame

Upon the English loons she laid many thumps

And when her legs were cutting off she faught upon her stumps.