This poem explores the complexity and emotional depth behind the word “sorry,” portraying it as both a powerful symbol and an often-hollow gesture. It underscores how remorse alone cannot undo past harm or bring back what’s lost. Yet, it suggests that “sorry” might offer a path toward healing, forgiveness, and personal growth—if expressed with sincerity and action.

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Sorry

The time of war is aging,
To feed the fire that is raging,
We will battle onward to the end.
Show our strength, our might, - no need to defend.

We will find the power to devour,
Our regrets, our sorrow, and remorse.
To live with the karma of our curse,
Let the diabolic forces and essence of human nature be wakened.

Drown the world in sorrow and dark,
Secure the legacy that won’t depart.
Born in a world that must be torn apart,
We must survive!
In every culture, every life,
Sorry cannot replace what is lost,
The hurt, the pain, the cost.
We’ve endured the trials, the strife,
But sorry cannot bring back what was once alive.

Perhaps “sorry” is just a word,
A feeble attempt to be heard.
But in the end, it cannot mend,
The wounds we’ve caused, the lives we’ve spent.
But still, we say it, time and again,
A hollow promise, a fleeting trend.
But in the end, we must learn,
To face the truth, to take our turn.
We must learn to forgive, to let go,
To find the strength to rise and grow.

Perhaps “sorry” is just a start,
A way to show we have a heart.

Perhaps “sorry” is the modest attire,
A way to show we have the desire,
A cloak for demons we never retire,
Kindness and compassion, our only fire.
It is the word we all take for granted,
A simple gesture, a way to be candid.
A word often misused, a word often abused,
Sorry, the word we hate when used.
The expression of regret, sorrow, and remorse,
To right the wrongs, to change the course.
Of things we have caused,
The pain we have wrought,
To tame the evil in our hearts.

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Photo credit: Steve DiMatteo from Unsplash