A heartwarming poem dedicated to the life of murdered backpacker Grace Millane is circulating on social media.
Hundreds of people have shared the moving tribute, written by Auckland woman Kate Smith, about Ms Millane's innocent journey to New Zealand and the feeling of deep sorrow felt around the country for her loss.
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The blogger told Newshub that it took about ten minutes to write her "words from the heart that connected the hearts of others".
Taking to her Instagram and Facebook page, Kate captioned the post: "Sometimes writing things down can help you make sense of intense feelings. I haven't stopped thinking about this young woman. This is for you, Grace."
"With a bag filled with hope, belongings too, she travelled solo, as many women do," the poem reads.
"She formed relationships, connections grew, it was not her fault that she met you.
"We say our country is safe, and you shouldn't need to worry, but you met a monster, and for that we are sorry."
In a series of posts to her Instagram story on Tuesday, Kate revealed feeling "so grateful" that the poem had reached "all the way over to Grace's family and friends" but was dealing with an uncomfortable feeling that her platform had gained from sharing it.
"The response that I got is a reflection of the way people feel about Grace, and not a reflection on me and my words," she said.
"If you know me, you know that I am quite a creative person. I am not a writer usually, I haven't written a poem since probably I was about 13, but I just had this feeling inside of me that I had to put down on paper."
She ended the posts by thanking her followers for their support and understanding of her peculiar position.
The piece echoes the same sentiment conveyed by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday - that Ms Millane was let down.
On Monday Ms Ardern sent her thoughts and prayers to Ms Millane's father David, before apologising to the 22-year-old's loved ones.
"Your daughter should have been safe here, and she wasn't, and I'm sorry for that," she said.
Ms Millane was visiting New Zealand during a year-long OE. She was reported missing on Wednesday, December 5, and on Sunday police found her body in the Waitākere Ranges.
A 26-year-old man who has interim name suppression has been charged with her murder.
Newshub.
