“MADIBA”

By Dwayne Morgan
Poet, Speaker, Social Entrepreneur

 

Beautiful Madiba,

I struggle to find the words

To tell you thanks;

I don’t know the instruments

One would use to measure a man

Who has sacrificed so much

For his people;

One whose vision

Was never tainted

By the actions of others.

You are the triumph of the Human spirit,

The embodiment of Ghandi, King,

And those who came before you,

Constantly turning the other cheek

To injustice,

As though your life,

Were on a rotisserie,

Preparing you to feed the masses.

What kind of man stands in love,

After experiencing a world of hate?

When your freedom was taken away,

Where did you find the faith

To face each passing day?

When your son and mother passed,

And you were denied the chance

To say goodbye,

Where did you find the strength

To dig plots,

Burying them in your heart?

When those who fought alongside you,

Were murdered to ensure their silence,

What kind of man chooses conversation

Over violence,

Peace over retaliation?

Madiba,

What cloth are you cut from,

Leaving a pattern for the world to follow.

How dare you defy the limitations

That others placed on your brilliance.

How dare you inspire others

The world over?

How dare you survive

Every punishment designed to break you.

Where have you hidden the secrets

That hide behind the smile

That decorates your face?

How do you continue to light up rooms,

When your life has seen so much darkness?

You are more than just the father of a nation,

You have planted a seed in many,

Shown how the most gentle of spirits

Can topple giants of injustice and hate.

You are proof

That long walks to freedom

Don’t happen alone,

Don’t happen overnight,

But are the result

Of carefully planted steps,

And a plan,

Backed by conviction,

And while you may be in the twilight

Of your life,

There are many,

Who because of you,

Will continue to struggle

Towards freedom,

One slow step at a time.