Anthem For Doomed Maturity Poem by Gert Strydom

“First liberation and then
education, ”
thousands of voices
cried
and black youngsters
burnt schools to the ground,
destroyed examination papers
and stop others from learning.

Even though they sacrificed
education, some their lives
and in a way
brought freedom,
jobless damnation waited
for a uneducated segment
of society.

As time passed maturity came
and they were condemned
to manual labour,
thrived in criminality
and not one of them
was really free,
to become what they could
while destiny
measured out its toll.

To be living at the bottom rungs
of society,
was worst than being dead
and each and every day
was filled with dread
and the words of their anthem
faded away,
while reality structured
the tune that life played.