there are two poems i have remembered since i believe i first heard them recited by Martin Luther King he recited them but I don't know thw author of the first one...i have never memorised any other poems in my life but these

It's only just a minute
sixty seconds in it
forced upon me
didn't choose it
but it's up to me
to use it
i must suffer if i lose it
give Account if i abuseit
it's only just a minute
but my whole eternity
is in it
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a crust of bread
a corner to sleep in
a minute to smile
and an hour to weap in
a pint of joy
to a peck of trouble
and never to laugh that the moans
come double and that is LiFe
Paul Lawrence Dunbar

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My mother used to recite this one another favorite

IN THE MORNING by Paul Laurence Dunbar

'Lias! 'Lias! Bless de Lawd!
Don'you know de day's erbroad?
Ef you don' git up, you scamp,
Dey'll be trouble in dis camp.
Tink I gwine to let you sleep
W'ile I meks yo' boa'd an' keep?
Dat's a putty howdy do
Don' you hyeah me,'Lias --you?

Bet ef I come crost dis flo'
You won’ fin’ no time to sno'
Daylight all a-shinin’ in
W'ile you sleep --w'y hit's a sin!
Aint de can'le-light enough
To bu'n out wid out a snuff,
But you go de mo'nin' thoo
Bu'nin' up de daylight too?

'Lias, don’ you hyeah me call?
No use tu'nin' to'ds de wall;
I kin hyeah dat mattuss squeak,
Don' you hyeah me w’en I speak?
Dis hyeah clock done struck off six-
Ca'hne, bring me dem ah stick!
Oh, you down, suh; huh, you down-
Look hyeah, don' you daih to frown.

Ma'ch yo'se'f an wash you' face,
Don' you splattah all de place;
I got somep'n else to do,
'Sides jes' cleanin' aftah you.
Tek dat comb an' fix you' haid!
Looks jes’ lak a feddah baid.
Look hyeah, boy, I let you see
You sha'n't roll you' eyes at me.

Come hyeah, bring me dat ah strap!
Boy, I'll whup you 'twell you drap;
You done felt yo’se’f too strong,
An' you sholy got me wrong.
Set down at dat table thaih;
Jes' you whimpah ef you daih!
Evah mo’nin on dis place,
Seem lak I mus' lose my grace.

Fol' you' han's an' bow yo' haid-
Wait ontwell de blessin"s said'
'Lawd, have mussy on ouah souls-
(Don'you daih to tech dem rolls--)
'Bless de food we gwine to eat-"
(You set still - I see yo' feet,
You jes' try dat trick agin!)
'Gin us peace an' joy. Amen!'