I have erred
I have erred in writing
I have erred in writing a perfect
I have erred in writing a perfectly good poem
I have erred in writing a perfectly good poem for a specific person
I have erred in writing a perfectly good poem for a specific person when it could have been created for the entire world.

How could I have been so selfish
and small minded and stone-hearted
that the birthday poem I wrote before
which was dedicated to one small man
should have been made with all mankind in mind!
I cannot be so ungenerous in this way.
Why was I not naturally so giving
in my nature?

I am sad
I am saddened
I am saddened by the ways
I am saddened by the ways I cannot help
I am saddened by the ways I cannot help everyone
I am saddened by the ways I cannot help everyone with the wonder that is me when I spread around all that I can do!

I am so sorry to you
who have not experienced enough of me!
I apologize wholeheartedly
if you have lived in an absence
of what I could bring to your lives.
I don’t know what I was doing
not providing what I could.
I should have been there.
I don’t know what I was thinking, staying away!
Never again: I’ll keep my promise;
don’t keep your distance.

I will
I will be
I will be better
I will be better prepared to be all that I can be for you, my beautiful people, the next time
I poke my head up, asking for your affirmation.