uncorrected proofs

I'm trying to learn not to say
the mistakes I make.
I know you will notice them,
I feel you'll understand,
and I've come to believe

I am forgiven. But
I can't help suspecting
they drive you nuts!

You know that I'm better
than this, I trust.

It was too, not to
And an, not and,
And, and I can't even

face the one
with the parentheses,
man. I mean damn. Please, no

just know
my humiliation at this
is beyond non-existent.
All I am is indignant,
all of it leveled against myself
at the inconvenience of these
imperfections, tiny,
malignant, eye-jabbing

scattered through. So few

Three, maybe. Two. For
what?

To ruin it. This

is the total effect.

And I have already paid
sharp penalties, pangs
of missed chance, of
should have with ease,

what could be and was almost
effortlessly achieved,
arguably too effortlessly,

and far too almost.

But I feel that I owe you
something else.

To make up for the strain
of my failure to impress,
which you no doubt by now

had looked forward to.

You can see as well as I
how close I came, and could have

done flawlessly all
that either of us

could have asked
or deserved of me

so true!

And instead of which, both of us
deserve an apology,

probably.

First to me,
(Which I give and accept with solemnity),

And then, with a pause for gravity,

to you.