“I Forgive You Because…”

Rachel’s “I Forgive You Because” piece describes what many of us hope to be and do in our own relationships with others. In one particularly unforgettable line, she tells her reader, “I forgive you because I know how it feels to be unforgiven.” Her piece also reminds us that the changes we long for in this world will only happen if each of us steps up to forgive, and to love, and to start “the ripple effect that has the potential to change the world.”

Shaquille's piece is deeply personal, honest, and moving, starting with his title, which really says it all: “I’m not mad at you, I’m mad at the man in the mirror.” Shaquille continues with this image and theme of reflective surfaces, and when he describes looking up – instead of down at his own reflection in the puddle of his tears – we can feel the dawning understanding and love that he’s feeling. It’s a beautiful moment of self-reflection and self-realization.

Peter’s “I forgive you because” poem uses rhyming couplets beautifully; the rhymes are fresh and unforced, and they add power to the poem's ideas. The poem is made even stronger by the specific memories and details Peter includes; for instance, consider the lines “Your character flaws developed way before I could crawl” and “Your rejection came from a place of not knowing how to be a man.” In lines like these, Peter displays an awareness of large, cultural factors that can lead to flaws beyond any individual’s control – and the necessity of forgiving people for those flaws, no matter how great the pain connected with them might be.

Wayne writes about forgiving multiple people (and institutions) in his "I forgive you because" piece. Forgiving "the system" isn't easy, and as Wayne reminds us, "forgiving isn't forgetting." But by embracing this kind of forgiveness, Wayne is able to recognize the knowledge and understanding he's gained during his 15 years of incarceration – and he's also been able to forgive himself.

I admire Jake’s use of internal rhymes in this brief but powerful poem; for instance, consider his observation that staying “locking in this pain” has left him “worn out, empty and drained.” Then listen to his powerful conclusion: “For these reasons I hope you forgive/me too. For you.”

Danielle's brief "I forgive you" essay reminds us of the biblical injunction to forgive "seventy times seven" times--which, in Danielle's words, "really means to forgive as many times as they mess up." Her reasons for working to be this forgiving are straightforward and clear: because it's what God calls us to do, and because "it makes you feel so much better."

"Hate" is a strong word, and not one we would automatically connect with a poem about forgiveness. But consider how Nico is using the word "hate" here. He says "I forgive you for hating me" because this has helped him to see that he has "hate[d[ the world for my mistakes," when really "I'm the one to blame." In giving the person he is addressing time and "distance just to breathe," he has given himself that same time and distance. And with that time and distance, he has come to accept responsibility for his own actions.