Amending an Inheritance by Beth Spencer is like a prayer of confession and repentance, embodying a desire for people to overcome past and repeated failings, to be and do better. You may notice the second stanza of this poem has fewer lines than the first, perhaps alluding to the universal belief that human transformation involves pruning. Also pay attention to the way she uses traditionally “religious” language to challenge patriarchal and intergenerational violence. The title tells us this poem does not disown its inheritance. Instead it redeems, insisting the heir deserved and will pass on something better.