Spelling

I know the spelling of a word or two
Expressing understanding – maybe three.
I know the origins of "Yes, I see,"
"Mm-hmm," and also "What is it to you?"
I left my dictionary with the crew,
But I can say, with utter certainty,
That roses should not smell like misery,
As surely as some violets are blue.

There are some things I never claimed to know,
Like when my aunt became the Scourge of Doubt,
Or who among us is the most devout,
And what a palm tree thinks about the snow.
The spelling of a word or two I know,
And how such verse as this might come about.