Chapter 2 : Madiba

Summary: This chapter is to celebrate the life and teachings of Nelson Mandela a.k.a Madiba, who taught us the real meaning of love and forgiveness. As we remember him today, let us contribute our two lines towards weaving a poem with an exceptional confluence of authors, unified with one vision of peace: Let’s write for this great son of Africa.


1 Voice
Authors
Lines


The Poem: Madiba



His day is done. Is done. The news came on the wings of a wind,

reluctant to carry its burden.Nelson Mandela’s day is done.

( Dr Maya Angelou)


We see you, South African people standing speechless at the slamming of that final door

through which no traveller returns. Our spirits reach out to you Bantu, Zulu, Xhosa, Boer.

( Dr Maya Angelou)


The lens of legacy, blurred by the cacophony. The pain of reality births tears that cloud.

The soul knows the right path, the heart struggles to find hope.

( Kojo Baffoe)


Precious time, used wisely will grow a nation, build a city, gather the lost, connect a community, heal old wounds and save your soul.

The sun sets on another victory being won yet the day has only begun. May our forests grow with deep, good and strong roots.

( Andrew Q )


Dust to dust, ashes to ashes, His true legacy is revealed

Upon the winds of the smiles of the children who hold tomorrow in their eyes.

( Deborah Cockrell )


The changes the challenges

The strength of the character carries the balances

( Frederick Viedge )


Your example inspires a world far and wide

may I mirror it and go beyond narrow mind to extend compassion to all

( Leigh)


You took the long walk to freedom, leaving footprints

that never melted thereafter; but melted hearts.

( Abdul Wajid)


Caught, captured and forced into years of patience.

He carried weight of the country on weary shoulders.

( Mandla Phakathi)


Your race was not in vain; I still run the marathon.

Your baton lives in me; I will pass it on.

( Sandra Phoma)


Thou shalt live on in sobriety

As thy word did suppress captivity

( Dawn Edwards)


When of love there was dearth, based on skin one had it all and the other was nothing on this earth

Madiba came; brought back lost hope and showed once more color cannot determine humanity’s worth

( Ayman Parray)


You have fought the good fight, Madiba

South Africa is standing today, because you sacrificed yourself

( Cynthia Gcuwa)


You lead by treading as a leader of yourself, this inspired others

You understood the difficult choices are often the more powerful ones

( Saurell Boyers)


He created a school that teaches life

and education that made us who we are

( Tshepiso Majako)


Our father tata madiba, we love you all

Oh tata madiba, rest in peace

( Simbongile Dlala )


You would say \"Education is the key to success\".

We adore your words, Oh Madiba.

( Mbali Ngobese)


You are the hero and we love you all

Happy Birthday Nelson Rolithlathla Mandela

( Katleho Letawana Momo)


May we never forget, what sacrifice what pain

Alone in some dark dim lit prison

( Tumi Kanya)


As you stare in the face of night

with the hope that sun will rise again

( Tumi Kanya)


You are the leader of the people, you are foe to none

You are O Madiba, the proud African son

( Thabiso)


O Madiba O Madiba, the proud son of Africa

May you rest in peace, may your place be ever bright.

( Andrea Smith)


You fought for me O soldier, long before I was born

We will always remember, long past you are gone.

( Bugoi Thobejane)


Then we lost our memory, like the clouds that carry the rain

You patched what was in tatters, with love stitched the fragments of pain

( Ubaid Darwaish)


I didn\'t write two lines, i didn\'t know what to say

Forgive me Madiba, it has been a very busy day.

( Precious)


Inside those dark cells, you sang the songs of freedom

sing us that song again, and guide us to the Eden.

( Laetitia Helenki)


Weathering persecution, he stood tall, against mighty storms of segregation and apartheid

Child of the earth, a prince amongst men, in him, humanity shall eternally abide

( Sarita Lakshmi Bukkapatnam Tirumala)


O\' Madiba for you I today cry

Few gave to humanity as much as you

( HaciM Padoin)


His spirit is the legacy that fortitude can change a govenment

Resolve and resilience empowers a man to be free in a cell.

( Gerald Weeks)


Years ago, you blew away the dark clouds of storm over South Africans

Now they are smiling behind your shadow; celebrating freedom, and equality

( Pantas Pangihutan S)


He came, he saw, he acted

He lived his life in his truth

( Noelene Rattray)


There was no way to know his sentence would not be long and cut short

That his actions would one day be celebrated in song that again he would have a day in court.

( Max Stelmacker )


Around the world people celebrated apartheids demise

Nelson Mandelas name is used to guide the way ahead

( Max Stelmacker)


Through all disaster there still is laughter

Leave a good memory burnt into the minds of others after you long gone.

( Ruth Ely)


July 18, birthday of the Father of our Nation Tata Madiba has come and gone but like a sweet fragrance it lingers on.

Like a beacon of light his forgiving spirit guides and gives hope that through our love in action we unite and become one.

( Lorraine Cockrell)


Speaking words of peace

Ending in sad violence

( Rose)


When she realised that the arms of peace are disappearing from her home, waving away from her children,

Africa gave birth to a son, when ever we sing we are.

( Bonisiwe)


Dont race with the race, dont face with the race,

He guided us to the humanity, giving us the base.

( Aqib Iqbal Dar)


From a world where dark and sinister spelt evil and good was named tall, right and fair.

You led us to a universe beyond color and race, a triumph over oppression and despair.

( Sarita Lakshmi Bukkapatnam Tirumala)


Iron bars did not his prison make,

Freedom lived in his peaceful heart.

( Marie Shine)


There\'s a child, smiling and laughing with hope

A Madiba in confinement, is waiting for home

( Aritra Chakrabarty )


Those people are gone. are gone.As birds are chirping,

they say, people like MANDELA are gone.

( Imran)


You were the torchbearer, beaming a vision of peace

the vision that still scintillates in the eyes of our nation.

( Bandile )


You slept on the bed of thorns, fighting our nightmtares.

Your dreams came true, as we live them now.

( Kungawo)


O Madiba, rest in peace

the peace you taught us to live for.

( Siyabonga)


Madiba Madiba, here is the day.

The sun shines proudly over the dark clouds long gone.

( Khayone)


You kept scribbling on the walls of your prison

believing one day the walls will speak.

( Lethabo)


Each verse adding another numeral to an infinite longing

that melted the all the stones in the wall.

( Lethabo)


You pictured freedom into your verses like one beautiful wall painting,

staring at you all the time, giving you company.

( Lethabo )


You were not alone in that prison cell;

the dreams of freedom would bead into your praying rosary.

( Lethabo)


You wrote a dream on the walls

believing one day the walls will speak.

( Lethabo)


If those walls could speak,

Imagine what would thay say?

( Tanya )


Years in the prison for opposing apartheid,insulated by the insolence of lies,

freedom doesnt take offence,unmoves its feeble defies and struggle never dies

( Hashim Bashir)


Was it the courage or vision that eliminated the curtains of apartheid

or dissolving of colours that rebuild africa

( Hashim Bashir)


Madiba, you instill hope into the minds of poor and oppressed; to resist and to fight

for the right, the cause of freedom against all odds of oppression.

( Majid Marazi)


Be the peace you seek, be the love you want.

That is what you taught us, O Madiba.

( Kagiso)


Your belief was stronger than the storm outside.

The winds surrendered, as you sailed through the ugly tempest.

( Funani)


You stood tall against all oppressors

And embraced misery for the love of all.

( Joseph)


Only through freedom can peace prevail

Liberation is the only solution

( Phila)


It was once so hard to see, the world beyond slavery

Those lies seemed so real, so close to reality.

( Bafana)


True to his people, true to his land

He will always be remembered, for him we will always stand

( Sanele)


God blessed our land, He is always kind

When the night is darkest, the light you will find

( Mpumelelo)


At last you won, at last

And forgave all that happened in the past

( Sifiso)


The world with its blanket of darkness was unmoved, unfazed

You were the beacon of light, brave and untamed

( Andrew)


We held to darkness, real tight but had to eventually let go

The truth came to light like the sun from behind those clouds

( Karlos)


What was it that ket you going; after all those losses after all that pain

World will never see another Madiba, never again- never again.

( Mozam)


On the sill of some church, the extinguished candles stand in a row.

When the night believes it has won over light, the new sun is born.

( Mozam)






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