Flyleaf

A blank page is all I have
Just one small page to plead my case
But nothing I say will ever change
The whole book that follows

I start lightly with my pencil
Ever so lightly still able to erase
I whisper I cannot make a defense
For the hundred pages below

The words are slurred together
My hand is shaking as tears fall
The blank page is definitely shrinking
There's too much to say

I continue to plead with anything
Explaining, excusing, ignoring the book
Cause there's no way it will be changed
And it's growing always

And I tremble as I place the final dot
Reading it over I know I have not at chance
One page could never explain away
The thousands of pages below

I shake as I walk to the doors
Drop to my knees and hand over the book
He opens it to the very first page
In red writes two words

The rest of the book he does not even touch
I stand in confusion unsure of what's next
And he stands with his arms outstretched
Hugs me and lets me in

As I open my book to present to the king
I gasp in wonder at the lack of writing
Not one word is left the pencil is gone
Just two words in red

I quickly flip through every page of the book
Not one has a story every one blank
Each clean as new perfectly unused
Except for the first

The king smiles as he reads the words
All my crimes all deserved death
But they've all been forgotten
BY GRACE

-Ben Ankenmann
Date: December 9, 2008
Location: Hamilton