This is just to say

When Prof. Dr. Shirley Lim (writer of Monsoon History, among others) came to our uni to share on Asian American Literature, she shared this poem by William Carlos Williams with us:

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were so delicious
so sweet
and so cold

When she taught poetry to students (under the Budding Poets Society) in Hong Kong (I may be wrong about this information, it was a long time ago), she instructed them to use that format in the poem and come out with their own version. She actually wanted to do that with us but we ran out of time. 

I took it on myself to give it a go, but there were two problems. First, I was writing it during a boring athletic lecture, and second, I was starving. As in, really, really, REALLY hungry. 

And so I ended up with these two variations:

This is just to say (V1)

I have eaten

the stray cat

that walks around

our five-foot way

And which

you were trying

to keep as a pet.

Forgive me

It was so fluffy

it poo-ed all over the garden

and I was very hungry.

This is just to say (V2)

I have forgotten

the hunger I've had

that gnawed at my soul

and haunted my dreams

And which

I was using

to drive on my ideals.

Forgive me

it was so intense

and so overwhelming

but the desire has disappeared.

I might give it a shot some other time. My blogging spree continues....

Oh yes, she made me very interested in Asian American literature after that. Trying to hunt them up in the library to read. She also did her own variation of this poem, which was hilarious and witty, but I didn't manage to write it down. Sigh.