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Madiba - A Tribute

“I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.”
 - Nelson Mandela


In life, when I faced odds, the image of this man always helped to recover my hope. Having spent most of his lifetime in jail, he never came out with vengeance. Rather he had a saga of forgiveness to be prophesied and a life filled with sacrifices to give for a struggling world.

The skies turned mild gray,
My mind remained rustled amidst,
Hopelessly I gazed at the setting Sun,
A million prostrations were paid,
As he slowly disappeared into the sea.

Just then a dove circled around,
She flapped her tender wings
With rejuvenation and grace.
I found her to be moving towards
The horizon, where the lights
Of the Sun still blazed.

From there she dived
Into my tormented mind
And showed me a vision
Her life was destined to show;
A land where lights remain, and
A path that lead towards the land.

With the bludgeonings of time,
The dove faded from my memory.
And took flight to its abode, but
The vision lasted forever in my eyes,
And the gentle flaps of her wings
Continue to reverberate in my ears.

Madiba will always be an inspiration, his walks shall never end. He will always transcend hope and shine gloriously like a light that shall guide all lives from darkness!

Comments

  1. A very touching tribute to Nelson Mandela, Anand. The image of a dove taking flight is very touching. Mandela's vision, as the vision of the dove, will be remembered forever!

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  2. Wow! That is such a beautiful tribute to a great man. The vision has lasted for so long and the sound of flapping wings still prevail- that is what matters.
    -HA

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  3. very nicely written , a poem with depth

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  4. such a beautiful poem :') We will miss him

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  5. This is a beautiful tribute to a great man! I also enjoy the quote you put at the top of your post. Mandela did show "A land where lights remain" and once homages have been paid, our greatest tribute is to do good, not resort to vengeance and never lose hope.

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  6. i hope that his inspiration continues to reverberate and he does not become just a long line of those we have statues to that our children never understand why....you know....really a nice tribute sir....

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  7. very inspirational, and i love the image in the end.. may it be so forever.

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  8. This is beautiful Anand and I do so hope his vision lives on, brings light and sunshine and hope to those without hope. May we all follow his lead and continue his journey.
    Anna :o]

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  9. So beautiful and touching, Anand. He showed us the best in what it is to be human, he showed us how. I like your use of a dove as the symbol of peace and hope that will never end. If enough of us continue on Mandela's path, the world will continue to change. He showed us what ONE MAN can do - he brought down apartheid and over turned an oppressive system - with the force of his character. Wow. One of my heroes too, always.

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  10. Anand, would you please email me at WildWoman2@shaw.ca ? I have a question I would like to ask you. Thank you so much!!

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  11. A real nice tribute to the great man..

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  12. Lovely tribute to Madiba. There is a gentleness to your poem pretty much like the man. I love the last verse.

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