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Stet
let it stand
It is a latin word used by editors and typesetters and proofreaders.
It means let it stand. It means I’ve changed my mind, go back
to the original. It is an easy shape to scrawl out in red
ink overriding what you thought you wanted.
It is a word that says there is still time to change
things around, that there will always be a second
and third, even fourth, chance to make everything fit
together perfectly, to make everything as it should be.
The memory is a diligent worker, tirelessly
correcting the long proofs, rearranging paragraphs,
settling agreements into one smooth consistent
flow, all referents clearly marked and indexed.
Tonight the moon is full, swollen like the right
conclusion to a perfect dissertation. You stand
in its light, clutching your reasons like arguments,
smearing all my faulty logic into one soft red
blur, bleeding like a heart I can’t correct.
__________
Copyright 1999 Marguerite Floyd all rights reserved
