the proofreader’s own page
i have found seventeen errors in your margin
before i reached the bottom of the first column
your comma splice your dangling modifier
the place where you used impact as a verb
i flagged them all in red
i have a system
my own page sits at the edge of the desk
i have been meaning to get to it
there is always something more pressing
your footnotes for instance
which are frankly a disaster
and someone has to say so
the red pen runs dry on your third paragraph
i order another box
i am very thorough
i have been doing this for years
the manuscript goes back to you marked up
mine goes into the drawer
i work better without the pressure
i already know what’s in it
the drawer has been full for a long time
—lyra moon (i keep a dictionary open to the same page it was open to in 2019)
october 2, 2026