THINGS TO SAY INSTEAD OF I'M SORRY

I'm dying.

Forget everything I just said. I don't even believe the things I say. Only about 17% of them are true.

Hit me with a baseball bat.

Then I'll say I'm sorry better.

I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to say that.

Someone should be sorry for this. Someone should fix this. I will.

I understand.

I'm trying. I'm gonna try harder.

Throw me in the road.

I'm sorry. I really like it out there under the cars, I didn't mean.

I know.

I know what that does to you I know.

Don't you think I look really right with a dotted yellow line down the middle?

Sorry, I know I said I

BABY.

I'm sorry, OKAY?

Why did you think I would do that?

I'm not hurt.

You didn't do anything.

I'm sorry I haven't been paying enough attention to you, apologizing for not paying enough attention to you takes up all my time.

I know I did it wrong.

Why would you care about me?

I'm sorry, I was falling down a well in the earth.

I'm sorry, what did you say?

I'm getting better.

I think I know what I did wrong.

I didn't mean to.

Just make me die.

Sorry, I didn't say that.

As I lay in the crosswalk, I suddenly thought—someone put me here.


Aimée Lê

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Aimée Lê is a PhD candidate in Practice-Based Poetics at Royal Holloway, University of London; co-author, with Fiona Chamness, of the poetry collection Feral Citizens; has taught workshops across the country and has presented her work at conferences such as Allied Media and AWP. She was a founding member of Occupy Dartmouth.