So
Sorry
That your race does
Not
Limit your socioeconomic standing
That the accent you speak with does
Not
Negatively impact the way people perceive you
That the place you happened to be born in does
Not
Mean more than where you’re headed
That your religion you choose to practice and believe in does
Not
Cause people to assume you’re a terrorist
I'm
So
Sorry
That your sexuality has
Never
Been the reason you were ridiculed
That your parents’ nationalities have
Never
Made your life harder
That the amount of melanin in your skin has
Never
Caused you to be brutalized by police
That your genitalia has
Never
Lessened the salary you receive
So
I’m
Sorry
That since the day you were born
You were set up for success
That since the day you could walk
You were on the footpath to fame
That since the day you could talk
You were on the paved path to presidential speeches
That since the first day
That you could possibly remember
Your only hardship was to demand what you expected
Immigrants were expected to do the work “unfit” for you
Blacks, Latinos, and people of color were expected to serve you
Homosexuals were expected to not bother you
Homeless and poor were expected to stay hidden from you
Women were expected to submit to you
And you were only expected to expect
I’m So Sorry
To you, the few, white, privileged males
The pristine oligarchy
The prized diamond in this tarnished crown of copper
But that tarnished copper
Is what my country is made of
That is what lady liberty is made of
She, in the very ocean
that the first settlers crossed to colonize this land
This land that you claim to be yours
But this land isn’t yours
Just like this crown
And that same metal
That you once forced into your mold of a crown
Has now changed, oxidized
But that same oxygen
That has ruined your precious crown
Is what Americans have breathed for centuries
Breathed when they built the transcontinental railroad
Breathed when they worked the soil of your plantations
Breathed when they writhed in pain from the lashes of your whips
Breathed when they screamed for their suffrage
So I’m sorry
Sorry that your crown will never just be composed of the materials you deem fit
Sorry that this nation is a mosaic of every gem and metal that is raw and unique
Sorry that we are a melting pot and not a refinery
So I am Sorry,
Sorry that you can’t love this nation the way it was always meant to be
Pure Just and Free
I really liked the use of repetition of im so sorry, it did a good job at brining back to like the central idea and message. As well, I really liked how much history and stuff you used to make such a strong and meaningful poem! It was really good! :)
ReplyDeleteThe repetition throughout your poem makes it really powerful and creates a firm tone, almost like someone important is giving a speech that everyone is listening to. The other lines in your poem help to drive home your message and the hidden history within is super powerful!
ReplyDeleteI like how your repetition changes over the course of your poem and shifts emotion from sorrow to sarcasm to anger.
ReplyDeleteI loved how you use the repetition of sorry and never. You had a clear and powerful message which made the poem interesting to read.
ReplyDeleteI like how you represented the common people as tarnished copper and then compared that to the Statue of Liberty. The metaphor really nicely supported your central message that diversity is what makes our country what it is. Really nice poem!
ReplyDelete