Slice of Life #52Stories: 8/52, An Apology Poem

Last week I gathered my courage to join fellow educator and slicer friends at Ethical ELA for a five day writing challenge. One of our prompts was to write an apology poem using William Carlos Williams's poem "This Is Just to Say" as a springboard. As I thought about who I might need to apologize to, my conscience was pricked.  I wrote my apology to my fellow library patrons. I can't write stories about my life without including stories about my relationships with books and libraries and book clubs. It's a powerful thread that is stitched through the stories of my days and years.

This is Just to Say

I picked up
Giver of Stars
from my
holds shelf

Knowing I
couldn’t squeeze
it in before its
Feb 28 due date

Scheming to keep
it longer
and just
pay the fine

Apologizing to
my KCLS book friends
waiting patiently
in line

Returning the book
today and getting
back in line
I'm #499

- Ramona Behnke