A fallen icon can never truly die. They are memorialised in the work of artists, the pens of history, and the lips of the people. As much as Nelson Mandela’s own legacy is contested in the country of his birth, the former freedom fighter turned statesman is remembered all over the world in different ways, for different things. Mandela’s story stretched beyond the confines of South Africa and nestled itself into the hearts of many. In his life and in his death, poets wrote of Mandela. The Daily Vox collected some of the poems.
Thabiso Mohare, An Ordinary Man
South African spoken word artist Thabiso Mohare, who performs under the name Afurakan, wrote a poem for NPR about Mandela when he passed away in 2013.
In the end he died an ordinary man
Only rich in wrinkles from where the spirit had been
It would be the saddest days
And we watched the world weep
For a giant bigger than myths
A life owned by many
Now free as the gods
Some cried as though tomorrow was lost
Some celebrated, questioned freedom and its cost
Some seized the chance to stand on his shoulders
While others cursed his grave and scorned wisdom of the elders
Read the full poem here.
Maya Angelou, His Day is Done
Maya Angelou needs no introduction in the literary world. The lauded American writer, singer, and civil rights activist wrote a tribute poem for Mandela.
Although born into the brutal embrace of Apartheid, scarred by the savage atmosphere of racism, unjustly imprisoned in the bloody maws of South African dungeons.
Would the man survive? Could the man survive?
His answer strengthened men and women around the world.
In the Alamo, in San Antonio, Texas, on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, in Chicago’s Loop, in New Orleans Mardi Gras, in New York City’s Times Square, we watched as the hope of Africa sprang through the prison’s doors.
His stupendous heart intact, his gargantuan will hale and hearty.
He had not been crippled by brutes, nor was his passion for the rights of human beings diminished by twenty-seven years of imprisonment.
Even here in America, we felt the cool, refreshing breeze of freedom.
Read the full poem here.
Afzal Moolla, Nelson Rolihlahla ‘Madiba’ Mandela walked amongst us not long ago
Afzal Moolla was born in Delhi, India to parents who were working as political exiles against apartheid in South Africa. This poem was published on his personal blog where he writes poetry for pleasure.
Nelson Rolihlahla ‘Madiba’ Mandela walked amongst us not long ago.
A human being who personified kindness.
A human being who embodied humility.
A human being who exemplified the unity of our human race.
Read the full poem here.
Patricia Schonstein Pinnock, Ingqanga ifile:The Bateleur is dead. Praise Poem to Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela 1918-2013
Patricia Schonstein-Pinnock, also known as Patricia Schonstein, is a South African-Italian writer and curator of anthologies. She wrote this praise poem when Mandela passed away.
Yakha yaligorha elixhobileyo
He was once an armed warrior
Kodwa yazibeka phantsi izigalo
But he put down his weapons
Yaza yangumfuziselo woxolo
And become an icon of peace
Yayingumthetheleli wabo bacinzelekileyo
He was a spokesman for the oppressed
Nabo babefumene uphum’ aphele
And for the banished
Yawaqhawula amakhamandela ocalucalulo
He broke the chains of apartheid
Yasifundisa ngoxolelwano
He taught us reconciliation
Yazamkela iintshaba zayo
He embraced his enemies
Ayizange ibenekratshi kwabo babeyivalele entolongweni
He had no hatred for those who imprisoned him
Silandela ekhondweni layo
In his flight path we follow
Read the full poem here.
Nayyirah Waheed, watching over madiba (june. 23, 2013. 6:07 p.m. est, usa)
Contemporary poet Nayirrah Waheed wrote a few poems about coping with the grief of the death of Nelson Mandela in her second poetry book nejma.
madiba.
ninety four years
is
many lives.
is many bones to go through.
many walks through the sun.
many hearts to shed.
many stars of joy to comb through your hair.
a lot of time to drink.
let us hold you now.
let us warm the water for your skin. let our youth be your comfort.
we have seen how your feet danced.
know.
that we have committed
your rhythm.
your song.
you.
to memory.
our weeping
is
all hope and fresh mourning.
The full poem is in Waheed’s poetry collection nejma.
Dr Zakes Kagiso Motene, Go wele Mokaloba!!!
Medical doctor at the South African Military Health Service and author Dr Zakes Kagiso Motene wrote a tribute poem to Mandela in Setswana, which was translated into English. Motene read the poem at the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory in February 2014.
Ijoo re lesego jang ne
Oh, just how blessed we are!
Go beng re ntse mo botshelong ka nako le mogaka yo
To have shared our time of life with this magnanimous Hero
Fa a ne a leba ngwana, a bona lerato leo Rara a re ratileng ka lone
Who, whenever he looked at a child, would exude such an exuberance of Love,
Tota e ne e le wa magodimo
That which only God has shown to each of us
Tota fa mongwe a ka tle a botse
Indeed, he was of the heavens
Le nna ke tla itaya sehuba
And yes, indeed, if one would ever ask
la re:” Ke bone moengele, mo nakong ya me ya botshelo”!
I would pound my chest and say: “I have seen an angel in my time of life!”
Tota, o ne o se wa fatshe leno
Indeed, you were not of this earth
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
You belonged to the heavens
Read the full poem here.
Togba-Nah Tipoteh, Mandela the Madiba
After the 6th Annual Nelson Mandela Lecture in Soweto in July 2008, Liberian poet and politician Togba-Nah Tipoteh presented Mandela with this poem which he had written in Mandela’s honour.
From those years detained
His back so straight
Despite the apartheid dictate
Back bending rock breaking
Bent on dignity taking
Apartheid sought to break his back forever
Instead, Mandela broke apartheid’s back forever
Apartheid doped with the authority of brutality
Mandela robed with the authority of morality
Apartheid crushed under the ground
Mandela raised above the ground
Unto people of the world in need of moral authority
Unto people of the world in search of moral authority
Read the full poem here.
Thabo Mbeki, A Farewell to Madiba
Succeeding Mandela, Thabo Mbeki was the president of South Africa from 1999 to 2008. Mbeki delivered this praise poem about Mandela to the National Assembly in Cape Town on 26 March 1999. The poem was written in Xhosa and English.
You have been where nobody should be asked to be.
You have carried burdens heavier than those who felt it their responsibility and right to proclaim you an enemy of the state.
You have to convince your enemies to believe a story difficult to believe, because it was true, that your burnished spear glittered in the rays of the sun, not to speak of hatred and death from them, but because you prayed that its blinding brilliance would tell them, whose ears would not hear, that you loved them as your own kith and kin.
You have had to bear the mantle of sainthood when all you sought was pride in the knowledge that you were a good foot soldier for justice and freedom…
Read the full poem here.
Kelwyn Sole, The empty space we call Mandela
Kelwyn Sole is a South African poet and academic. Sole has published seven volumes of poetry, the latest of which is Walking, Falling. This poem was one of his previously unpublished works.
In London a poet launches
his self-promoting barque of ignorance
with incantations to your legacy;
in Durban a performing Fallist
castigating the privileges
of everyone except
her own
shits on your name,
in a different kind of posturing.
In a sense, I suppose, it was your fault:
Who were you, Mandela?
Read the full poem here.
