This Is Just To Say

There's a lot to write about, but I'll save it in order to make room for something light and fun.Last week's (radio) episode of This American Life was entitled "Mistakes Were Made." Basically it was about people who apologize without really apologizing at all. For those of you unfamiliar with TAL (you can check the podcast out on iTunes), basically what they do is choose a theme and then tell stories that are somehow about that theme.

So, in this particular episode, host Ira Glass began by reading an aplogy sent by Congressman Geoff Davis (R-KY) to Presidential candidate and Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) after the former made remarks in a press conference recently about the latter saying, "that boy doesn't need to have his finger on the button." In the letter, Congressman Davis seems to be sincerely apologetic, and though it's a formal lettter, wants to clearly and personally convey this to Senator Obama. After reading the letter, Glass contrasted it with recent "apologies" given by Senator Obama and his rival for the Democratic nomination, Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) ,concerning statements about supposedly bitter Americans clinging to guns and religion and incorrect reccollections about supposed sniper fire, respectively.

After walking his audience through this brief but timely introduction, Glass then introduced the two acts of the program. Act One was the majority of the show and was primarily about the early days of Cryonics. It was devestating, heartbreaking, and extremely interesting all at the same time. Act Two was much shorter by comparison, but is the one that really struck me.

This act was about a poem entitled This Is Just To Sayby William Carlos Williams. The text of this poem is below:

This Is Just To Say

I have eatenthe plumsthat were inthe icebox

and whichyou were probablysavingfor breakfast

Forgive methey were deliciousso sweetand so cold

I won't do a lot of literary analysis here, but you can probalby see rather easily how this poem fit in with the theme of the show. Evidently, elementary school teachers use this poem regularly to help teach poetry to their students and often have them write a version of their own. In fact, a lot of people do this. If you google "this is just to say parody," you can find all kinds of them. In fact, TAL had many of it regular contributers offer some of their own.

Well, this sounded great to me. I'm always on the lookout for writing exercises that are really different from what I'm used to and that can help challenge my creative impulses (and, if I'm honest, procrastinate working on what I need to be doing). So, I decided to give it a shot and share it with you. Below you'll find some of my own variations. Enjoy!

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This is Just to Say

1. TodayIs the dayI said IWould have it done

Of courseIt's notSurpriseSurprise!

But itWill beSoonI promise

2. I toldYour secretTo everyoneOops

I guessThat meansI can'tBe trusted

But whatYou don't knowCan'tHurt you

3. "I love you"Meant "I want you""Trust me"Meant "Take me"

But you knowWhat they say"It takes twoTo tango"

So whyDo youIgnoreMe now

4 .I'm notWhat you wantI'm notWhat I could be

So?You justNeed toGet over it

How can IBe anythingOther thanMe

5. I didn'tDo it'Cause I didn'tWant to

It isReallyJust thatSimple

Why notJustAcceptIt

6. I deletedYour showSo I couldTiVo mine

I justCouldn'tLiveWithout it

Yours wasPrettyCrappyAnyway

Plus they'llProbablyRerun itAgain soon

7. I knowI told youI wouldHave it done

But youKnow me wellHow I likeTo put things off

So youShould have knownIt would beA little late

8. We've madeA few dealsIn ourTime together

If youDo thisThen I'llDo that

Of courseI failEven thoughYou don't

But that'sTo beExpectedRight?

9. I amThe oneWho swipedYour change

I wasThirstyAnd boughtA Coke

This wasNot theFirst timeEither

SorryBut ICouldn'tResist

10. I knowI've beenDistantAnd rude

But youHave beenDriving meCrazy

So selfishSo needySo passiveAggressive

You can'tReally blameMe thenCan you

But I'mSorryIf I hurtYour feelings

You reallyShouldn'tBe soSensitive

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Now, why don't you give it a shot?