i’m sorry

i have great sorrow and great sadness in my heart–

i wasn’t there for You when You needed me

when You wanted someone to look up to

i know that i haven’t  been good enough to You

i know that i broke Your heart

sorry for having hurt You

sorry for everything that i’ve done to You

sorry for those moments You wanted to speak,

but i couldn’t listen

sorry, please forgive me.

sorry for letting your enemies destroy You

sorry for letting them kill Your sons

sorry for letting them rape Your women and daughters.

no words can explain how sorry i am

i’m sorry for all the pain You keep inside You

even though You keep smiling

i’m sorry for letting You down

sorry, please forgive me.

i’m sorry for denying You

i’m sorry for betraying You

i’m sorry for dragging You down

trust me, i’m suffering too.

sorry for leaving You alone

sorry for causing You tears

i thought i liked You

but i confess – i love You.

sorry for everything You lost

i believe You will find them again

You will defeat Your enemies

You’re just waiting on a miracle

i realize what You mean to me

how beautiful Your heart is

You are not just a country to me

You are everything that i need.

i have a lot to say but

i lack the words to convince You

sorry Mother Congo, please forgive me.

sorry Mother Congo, please, forgive me.

Poet’s Bio – Grace LaFlotte is an 11^th grade student at Elizabeth Andrews High School in Stone Mountain, Georgia. She arrived in the United States in 2013 from Kinshasa, Congo. When asked about her inspiration for writing this poem, she replied, “The reason why I wrote this poem is because my country is under attack and no one is taking care of my country.”