About some compensating
subtle change
the aging speaker and I agree

Asked he named it
forgivingness
The word surrender
came to me

surrender to the stumbles
the avalanche of errors
the worn-thin entrance ticket lost
as was his wife’s mind

What had he surrendered to?
What infused his flushed
embarrassed smile?

Did he know he was warming
listeners in that cold white room
with his sweetness?