Sometimes I say words like “slides”
When I was thinking “slips and hides,”
But since the word I used was real
Nobody noticed. Should I feel
Relief that no one caught my tongue
Betraying me? Do songs unsung
Resent the absence of applause,
Or cherish their potential? Flaws
That might not long survive exposure
Thrive in silence. No one knows you’re
Less than perfect if you’re mute
But if your secret skill’s acute
Then aren’t you selfish not to share it?
Dare to err! Then proudly wear it!*

*Not the message that I started
Off with. Once again, outsmarted.