Charles Martin Chommoda Dicebat Perseverance, she said once, late one night,
And her pronunciation seemed so right
That afterward, facing her bathroom mirror
I was just persevering in my error
When I pronounced the word as perseverance,
Or so it seemed back then. And ever since,
I’ve thought much of the solemn and austere
Occasions of all those who persevere,
Though drawn (and sometimes quartered) by the clever,
Whose ever-keen blades snick as they persever.