Neverending Apology (Every Crane I Fold is Yours)

More about Neverending Apology (Every Crane I Fold is Yours)

Late as ever. How to find the words?

I'm so sorry Sadako. Sorry for the inexcusable and irreparable mass murder of your home town. Sorry for the black rain. Sorry for the sores and agony. I'm sorry to have spread the lie that we had to do it. I'm sorry that my people placed a higher value on our fear of the soviets than the lives of you and your neighbors. I'm sorry that we thought it would be better to destroy your city than let Russia have another win. I'm sorry in ways that I don't have words for.

I can't explain it... We learned that they had a good chance at defeating you, and... We thought a Soviet victory over Japan would be politically dangerous, so we made sure they didn't get the chance...

And the shame from that decision is permanent now. We made the heart of your city into a ball of light. We made black rain. We made your life painful and short. We made a mistake, but we made it on purpose. I'm so sorry.

Nothing will ever make it alright. Nothing should. It truly is inexcusable.

So here's another crane. And another. And another. And I know it's not just some debt to be repaid, but it's wrong to not pay what I can.

And there are many days when I don't fold... but every crane I fold is yours.