W.S. Merwin - Apr 5, Iyengar III

For a group I trust to take this the right way; the blessings of experience.

To the Mistakes

You are the ones who

were not recognized

in time although you

may have been waiting

in full sight in broad

day from the first step

that set out toward you

and although you may

have been prophesied

hung round with warnings

had your big pictures

in all the papers

yet in the flesh you

did not look like that

each of you in turn

seemed like no one else

you are the ones

who are really my own

never will leave me

forever after

or ever belong

to anyone else

you are the ones I

must have needed

the ones who led me

in spite of all

that was said about you

you placed my footsteps

on the only way