‘Just hear me out. To do what I do, I need to be alone. I know I’ve neglected you. I wanted to make amends with a poem. As for the climate stuff, if that’s relevant, you know my views. This is clearly not me in the poem and therefore it’s not you. It’s not a portrait of our marriage, it’s not about me or you. It’s for you. It speaks for your interests and concerns, not mine. It’s a gift, as simple as that.’ ‘It’s a confession. I didn’t ask to be implicated.’
