Sorry; A Cross Shaped Word

Sorry, a cross-shaped word,

innocuous
when spoken flippantly and overlooked,
'I brushed your sleeve, so sorry!'

life-changing  
when spoken to unlock hearts and turn away anger,
'I know I harmed you. Sorry.'

From where does its power come?
Its utterance does not wipe clean slates,
dry tears or right injustice,
merely unleashes a possibility,
'I was wrong in some respects,'
and reaches out to embrace 
across a gulf that otherwise remains 
uncrossable.

© Janet Henderson July 2015