Nelson Mandela; A truly remarkable man!
By Stanley Collymore
Twenty seven years of personal sacrifice selflessly but
passionately combined with a lifetime of national
and global inspiration to all those who
genuinely believe in freedom, justice for all
and equality of opportunity for everyone
to exploit their God-given attributes,
fully realize the ambitions they
aspire to and have earnestly
and positively set their
hearts and minds
on ultimately
achieving.
That’s your enduring legacy Madiba: the indisputable and
amazing embodiment of the resounding triumph of the
human spirit over the formidable and pernicious
challenges of adversity that one can and does
encounter, fashioning you as a result into
the Moral Colossus and the Giant of a
Man you inevitably became and will
forever remain in the full consciousness
of those who, as you most evidently
were, are likewise perceptively,
acutely and empathetically
in touch with their own
comprehensive and
inborn humanity.
Most notably among them the progeny of Mother
Africa that together with the children of her
wider Diaspora have proudly watched
you evolve into the fixed and guiding Southern Star
you eventually emerged as, and whose bright,
stubbornly undiminished and consoling
light permanently radiates both near and afar
serving as a trusted and reliable beacon of
reassurance whose influential moral compass
directs and assists us in navigating our way safely
and appreciatively through the perilous waters
of racism, bigotry, ill-natured intolerance
and the insidious contempt
generated by and routinely directed
at us from others on our onward
journey to the tranquil haven
of collective forgiveness,
mutual respect for
and much needed
reconciliation
towards one
another.
© Stanley V. Collymore
8 December 2013.
(2013)
Tribute from the author of this Poem:
It was the cherished belief of Nelson Mandela and one fully endorsed by those of us who strive to emulate him and his ideals that to be free is not simply to cast off one’s chains of oppression but rather as well to live life in a way that respects, empowers and enhances the freedom and dignity of others, reinforcing as a consequence their integrity as human beings along with that of our own.
Let’s all then do our very best to fulfil those aspirations that this phenomenally great man lived and sacrificed his life for, and in the process fittingly keep his memory and legacy permanently alive.
Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika! And Tata Madiba! Rest in Peace and rise in Glory.
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