Rembering to do a thing

if i don’t write a thing down
i will forget a thing
i learned this young
and began a system of pen notes
and reminders
on the back of my hand
even when smudged
it was a reminder of the thing
i would otherwise forget
when i became more adult
i abandoned my hand
for post it notes
and handwritten lists
on the fridge
and tiny notepads
taped to
my computer screen and keyboard and on my desk
then technology made more efficient to-do lists and reminders
that buzz and pop when you need them to
but today i went old school
taking my pen to my hand
smudged in the end
but still i remembered
to do the thing
and i did