Poem: Apology Accepted by Mark Tulin

I’m sorry, Mom
Sorry, Dad
Sorry, poor Mrs. Dehovney,
my frustrated next door neighbor,
I’d like to apologize
to all the adults
and members of society
who were in positions of authority
that I had given such an awful time
when I was a bratty kid

I blame it all on being
an earthling,
young and naive,
flawed and self-centered,
a face full of pimples
not quite ready to be popped

My underdeveloped teenage brain
made poor choices
and was influenced
by the stupid ideas
of other misguided kids
who believed
that grown-ups should be
mocked and disrespected
because of their corny rules
and chastising faces

Now that I’m a parent,
I’d like to forgive my children
in advance.