
I apologize for all that I disturb
when I'm out walking.
Sorry, flock of starlings.
for interrupting your feast.
I regret, young German Shepherd,
that my presence set you off barking.
I’m a most repentant man
when it comes to the grass I trample,
the flowers I brush aside,
the sidewalk cement that
takes the full weight of me
and the glass storefront
that must endure a wretched, forlorn breath.
And people, don't get me started on people.
All of my remorse goes out to
the strangers who must step aside,
disrupt their pleasant thoughts
for a moment or two
of pavement traffic cop.
And, worse still, is when I come across
someone I know.
Add the time for acknowledgement,
for talk, worse still, for later arrangements,
to the great act of contrition:
me being in their life.
Would you believe some even love me.
They even love the poor example I set.
