WEBVTT

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Thank you, Gail.

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Whoops.

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Thank you all for coming.

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It's an honor to be here.

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Those of you who were at
the celebration yesterday,

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Billy Collins was so funny.

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I thought I'd begin
with some funny poems,

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but I was looking
through my book,

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and I couldn't find
any funny poems.

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[LAUGHTER]

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I'm going to read
for about 30 minutes,

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and then if anyone
has any questions,

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I'd be happy to take them.

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So it is really an honor
to be here, and thank you.

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The first poem I'm going
to read is called "Words."

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"We miss what we miss.

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In adulthood, we miss childhood.

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In July, we miss January.

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In the city, we
miss the country.

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In the desert, we
ask for clouds.

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We miss what we miss.

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With one view, we miss another.

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With one memory, another speaks.

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With one desire,
another whispers.

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With one night, others are lit.

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We miss what we miss.

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When it passes, it stays.

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When it feeds, its hunger grows.

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When it fills, it empties.

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When it matures, it loses age.

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We miss what we miss.

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To what we miss, years.

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To how we miss, seconds.

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To where we miss, timelessness.

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To why we miss, the end of time.

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We miss what we miss.

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And in all the missing, a life.

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And in the life, a mourning.

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And in the mourning, a story.

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And in the story, words."

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