It's one thing to read poetry. Out loud. In front of people.

There are words to stumble over, inflections to perfect, and the right places to pause and -- this is important -- take a breath.

But it's something else to recite poetry. Out loud. In front of people. From memory. With props. And a bit of acting to boot.

There are motions -- as well as words -- to remember. Timing is key. So is connecting with the audience and making them laugh. Using different -- sometimes silly -- voices for various characters, shrieking or shouting if a particular poem calls for it, and donning crazy hats helps, too. So does audience participation, enthusiasm and picking the right poems.

Jimmy Mac knows 433 by heart.

With just a bit of brushing up before a particular performance, the Yakima entertainer brings poetry to life, emphasizing humor and punctuating his presentations with some of his own pieces.

His business card says: "I recite 'em & I write 'em."

Pulling from a repertoire that includes his own works -- he's written more than 100 poems -- as well as pieces from the likes of Edgar Allan Poe, Alfred Tennyson and Robert Service -- his all-time favorite -- the performer sticks to the poetry he likes best: rhyme-and-rhythm poetry.

None of that free-verse stuff.

"That's not my type of poetry," the 64-year-old says.

Jimmy Mac, whose real name is Jim Mc Aleer, has been giving poetry presentations around town, mostly to senior citizens' groups, for about four years now. But poetry, particularly the rhyme-and-rhythm sort, has been a lifelong love. He's been reading and studying it for as long as he can remember.

He's not big on poetry slams or open mic nights. He does his own thing, which is what he most enjoys: sharing his favorite type of poetry with children -- he does birthday parties -- the elderly, anybody who'll listen, really.

Sometimes, he's paid for his presentations. Sometimes, he's not.

"It's more of a hobby than anything," says Mc Aleer, who works nights as a manager at a Yakima trucking company.

Still, he says, "I don't know of anyone else doing anything like this."

The longest poem Mc Aleer's memorized -- "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" -- takes 43 minutes to recite. And he doesn't consider a poem memorized until he's recited it from memory 23 consecutive times.

"Then, I have learned it," he says.

Mc Aleer knows 30 poems by Service, including his absolute favorite, "The Shooting of Dan McGrew." It takes 5 minutes and 28 seconds to recite (yes, he has timed it). Another Service poem, "The Men That Don't Fit In," takes only 1 minute and 33 seconds.

Mc Aleer does theme-based presentations, like cowboy poetry, as well as compilations, drawing from his own works -- many of which are humorous, none of which have been published -- and a variety of poets, such as Henry Longfellow, Walt Whitman, Lewis Carroll, T.S. Eliot, Robert Louis Stevenson, Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein.

He's always adding to his repertoire, memorizing new poems and writing more of his own. "I like the challenge," he says.

His programs run about 40 minutes, including a short intermission in the middle. A recent show at Sun Tower Retirement Home featured 11 poems, including pieces by Banjo Paterson and Badger Clark, and another that involved audience participation, including that of his mother, 86-year-old Marietta Jones, a Sun Tower resident. She's seen several of her son's poetry performances and remains impressed.

"He's always had a love of poetry, and he's always gone to the full extent of whatever he's doing," she says. Admitting she's biased, she adds, "I think he's a pretty good entertainer."

So does 76-year-old Norma Clark, another Sun Tower resident: "I think he gives a wonderful presentation. I'm amazed at his memory."

Seventy-eight-year-old Ben Bost enjoys Mc Aleer's presentations so much he borrowed a notebook full of his poetry: "He's very original," Bost says.

"I told him he should have it published."

Mc Aleer says he's considered that option, but hasn't really pursued it. He hasn't done much advertising, either; he gets gigs -- at churches, reunions, parties and retirement homes -- through word-of-mouth.

Someday, the 1961 Eisenhower High School graduate and Vietnam War veteran hopes to start a group for like-minded individuals who love the same kind of poetry he does as well as performing it for others, particularly the elderly.

In fact, he'd like to start a nonprofit organization, specializing in sharing rhyme-and-rhythm poetry with seniors and leading workshops on memorizing, even writing, rhyme-and-rhythm poems.

Such an organization could benefit local seniors, he says. And studies show memorization is a great way to combat memory loss in older adults. Approximately 40 percent of people over age 60 experience some type of memory problems, according to the Radiological Society of North America. However, researchers have found that seniors who engage in an intensive period of rote learning, followed by a time of rest, display improved memory and verbal recall.

"Memorization," Mc Aleer says, "is great for the mind."

And Debbie Humphrey, activities coordinator at Sun Tower, agrees: "I would think his memory is going to stay with him for a long time because of what he does."

"Practicing memory skills like that really works your brain; you're going to remember things much better," she says. "It's just amazing what he can do, and I think that's what people find fascinating about him. There's not a lot of people that do that type of thing. You don't see a lot of that around."

These days, Mc Aleer is still working full-time, giving one presentation every month or so. One month, though, he did five performances, the most he's ever done in a 30-day period. And someday, he'd like to do more than that.

Maybe in retirement -- Mc Aleer's approaching that age himself -- he'll have more time.

* For more information or to schedule a presentation, call Jim Mc Aleer at 249-0485.

*Adriana Janovich can be reached at 577-7653 or ajanovich@yakimaherald.com.