I stopped apologizing, called a truce
toward everyone who disagrees with me,
and challenged my habitual excuse
for fierce expression (“it’s my tendency”).
And after quelling quiet for a while,
without a stroke my center was revealed,
and I began exhibiting a style
my hurries and my furies had concealed.

Apologies are voiced in self-defense
or signify poor samples of an act.
To speak with glib regret just makes no sense,
and bad production stresses what is lacked.
I’m sorry, but you’ll never hear that phrase
from me again, enjoying selfish days.