Apology | Poems of Despair

Poems of Despair

You took my burden

from an early age

on your young shoulders.

The Jewish minstrel,

keeper of all words blue,

broke your child's heart.

I had no words

of hope to give you.

My darkness, your cross.

I did not have the right.

A few words about the poem…

Exploring Emotional Weight in Poems of Despair: An Analysis of Apology

The poem Apology is a compelling and intimate piece that exemplifies the emotional depth found in the cycle Poems of Despair, a collection of works that explore regret, loss, and the complex terrain of human sorrow. Through a minimalist style, the poet strips away excess language, leaving only the raw emotional core—a confession of regret and the weight of inherited pain.

At the heart of the poem lies a deeply personal acknowledgment of the burdens passed from parent to child. The speaker admits that their darkness became the child’s cross to bear, encapsulating the theme of generational impact and emotional inheritance. The line, “You took my burden from an early age on your young shoulders,” conveys both a sense of guilt and helplessness, highlighting the unspoken bond between love and suffering.

The reference to the “Jewish minstrel” is an evocative tribute to Leonard Cohen, whose work is synonymous with themes of sorrow, longing, and spiritual searching. By invoking Cohen, the poem suggests that art has the power both to heal and to wound, to comfort and to deepen emotional awareness. It also situates Apology within a larger literary tradition—one where music, poetry, and confession intertwine to explore the darker recesses of human feeling.

What makes Apology particularly striking within the context of Poems of Despair is its restraint. The spare, deliberate phrasing allows each word to carry emotional weight, while the silences between stanzas suggest what cannot be said—regret that lingers beyond language. The final line, “I did not have the right,” provides a haunting closure, a statement of moral reckoning that resonates long after the poem ends.

In its simplicity and emotional honesty, Apology stands as a powerful addition to the Poems of Despair collection—a reminder that the heaviest truths are often spoken in the fewest words.