A Chant for Nelson Mandela (1918 – 2013)
"We saw
in him what we seek in ourselves." – Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa
It was
decided:
In order to
protect themselves
they took
him
walled him in
even
from the
shouts of the prisoners playing
in the field
from the smell of his
daughters’
hair from the squinting eyes of the boys learning
at his books
They took him and found
themselves
bound by his gaze
and he
did not
move planted by the water
when
you
can bring
the sky inside you
the world
will circle you
When they
saw that even sitting on the floor
he
was the
tallest tree on the island
They became afraid
of his
shadow the reach of his breath
cracked the stones
when he
walked through the walls
the children
filled the air like
dawn-shocked summer birds
one day of
ice and snow has stopped this city
so that
We could hear the drum
The old man
has now
released us
the laugh
that his heart held
in fear makes the circle
dance
-- Luke 5 December 2013
"...when you can bring the sky inside you
ReplyDeletethe world will circle you"
In the Lakota land that I inhabit, I am surrounded by circles...would that they could be the "laughing circles' that would release the pain and fear... Thank you Joseph for these moving images of children who will be the ones to carry the legacy- to deepen the roots he planted .
ReplyDeleteThe eternal principle of this universe... the circle.
ReplyDeleteIt cannot be broken as God does not desire such.
There is no death for the eternal soul...
only continuation.
Gosta Bihari