The Poem: Madiba

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 )