REJECT
May 31, 2016
Joseph Appel

This flat, my best and last effort to be published in The Enigma, was rejected as being not up to par in the Transdeletion category according to "the Guide". Nevertheless, I am proud of it. The capitalized words RESPITE and SPRITE are key words which should be replaced by other words which will make sense in the context of the flat. As a solving hint, notice that the two key words differ by only one letter. The two answer words also differ only by this same letter.

That callow girl, so innocent
And not a hint of guile -
The embodiment of RESPITE,
but only for a while.
For as she grew,
Her SPRITE did too,
And now they were contenders.
One or the other she must eschew,
A woman now, the girl surrenders.

Answer:

NAIVETY
VANITY