This Is Just to Say by William Carlos Williams

This Is Just to Say

I have eaten

the plums

that were in

the ice box

and which

you were probably

saving

for breakfast

Forgive me

they were delicious

so sweet

and so cold

-William Carlos Williams

Don't miss the wonderful collection of non-apology apology poems by Gail Carson Levine with fantastic illustrations from Matthew Cordell,  Forgive Me, I Meant to Do it: False Apology Poems, many of which have a fairy-tale flair to them...

There is also a very fun book of poems by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, titled, This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness in which an imagined sixth grade class apologizes for everything from broken windows and stolen doughnuts to lost pets and crushes. The students then take the bold move of asking for responses to their poems. 

Dodge Ball Crazy

(to Reuben) by Kyle

Sorry,

Reubs,

for belting you

as hard

as I could

in dodge ball

I'd like

to say

I wouldn't

do it again

but I'd

be lying

By Joyce Sidman, from her book, 
This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness.


Sidman and Zagarenski are also the team who created the 2010 Caldecott honor winning book, Red Sings from the Treetops and a Newbery Honor in 2011 for her collection of poetry Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night.

And Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature with illustrations by Caldecott winner Beth Krommes.

To listen to some very funny and mostly adult variations on this poetic apology that is not really an apology, check out the last six minutes of show #354 of This American Life titled Mistakes Were Made. Thanks for reminding me of this, David!