One of the greatest poems of the 20th century is William Carlos Williams' "This Is Just To Say". It's funny, profound, and all too human. But most importantly, it's short. This is the poem in its entirety:
This is just to say
That I've eaten the plums
That were in your icebox
Which you were probably saving for breakfast.
Forgive me, they were delicious,
So sweet and so cold.
-William Carlos Williams
Yep. That's the poem. It captures all the human emotions of time and eternity: honesty, greed, guilt, regret, righteousness, and, of course, humor. Plums just happen to be at the center.
Williams' "This Is Just To Say" is a testament to the power of poetry to distill complex emotions into a few simple lines. Its universality and timelessness will continue to charm. And delicious, ice-cold plums and ravenously starved humans will continue to have their moments.
