Apology, with Interruptions

Rita Dove

Mayhap—what

a curious word,

all misfortune and

circumstance or pure

terror (as soon as fate

gets her hand

on the string). Why

do we need free will,

anyway? What is this

beautiful freedom

we long for, then promptly

grow bored within?

I meant to say

perhaps, but this

conjoined relic slipped out

instead. What was it

I wanted to tell you?

I forgot. That’s how

everything goes now,

all of the time.