April 27 — An Exercise in Form
1 min readApr 28, 2020
It’s supposed to be a copy.
It ends up being more like
Mimeograph. The resemblance
Remarkable, but with specks
And shudder marks across
Most of the letters. Because
It’s always a replica. The upward
Falling moments that define your
Happy, and sometimes, render
Your everything else. Remember
The skips in ink from a chipped
Quill, and tears when something
Pushes too far through and rips
What you were so prepared to write.It’s supposed to be a copy, but it’s
Not. Every sheet etched with some
Specific fingerprint that makes itself
Unique. The almost mirror other has
That same script, but sans. And there’s
Not much to do but hope that this miss
In your calligraphy, maybe a weak
Or broken nib, can be repaired.
You know because you’ve seen the
Original, and picked the most similar,
Scratches from a broken pencil tip
Will simply mean it’s time to reset
The carriage and continue thusly on.It’s supposed to be a copy, but it isn’t
The best can be expected is it isn’t too far off..
