under one small star.

My apologies to  c h a n c e 
for calling it necessity

My apologies to  n e c e s s i t y
if I'm mistaken, after all

Please, don't be angry
h a p p i n e s s 
that I take you as my due

May my dead be  p a t i e n t
with the way my memories  f a d e

My apologies to  t i m e
for all the world I  o v e r l o o k  each second

My apologies to past loves
for thinking that the  l a t e s t  is the first

Forgive me, distant  w a r s
for bringing flowers home

Forgive me, open wounds
for pricking my finger

I apologize for my record of minuets
to those who cry from the  d e p t h s

I apologize to those
who wait in railway stations for being  a s l e e p  today at five a.m.

Pardon me, hounded  h o p e 
for laughing from time to time

Pardon me, deserts
that I don't rush to you bearing a spoonful of water

And you, falcon
u n c h a n g i n g  year after year
always in the same cage
your gaze always fixed on the same point in space
forgive me
even if it turns out you were stuffed

My apologies to the felled tree
for the table's four legs

My apologies to great questions for small answers

T r u t h 
please don't pay me much attention
D i g n i t y
please be magnanimous

Bear with me, mystery of  e x i s t e n c e
as I pluck the occasional thread from your train

S o u l 
don't take offense that I've only got you now and then

My apologies to  e v e r y t h i n g
that I can't be everywhere at once

My apologies to  e v e r y o n e
that I can't be each woman and each man

I know I won't be  j u s t i f i e d  as long as I live
since I myself stand in my own way

Don't bear me ill will, speech
that I borrow weighty words
then labor heavily so that they may seem light


- Wislawa Szymborska