Honouring Those Who Persecuted Him [+ Revised] Poem by Margaret Alice Second

Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison paying for the
right to be spokesman for Africans oppressed under the
policies practiced by Europeans living in Southern Africa;
he made the supreme short-term sacrifice for long-term
results - sacrificing a hedonistic life for a world in which
equality is acknowledged by every player on the board

He set a quintessential example - changing the world by
changing yourself, choosing persecution and prison - an
irrational choice when he could have had peace; chose
to set aside vengeance and anger - totally irrational, no
dignity satisfied, no feud settled, no dispute laid aside -
terrible, deplorable - acceptance of the inexorable

So the whole world was won, prejudices overcome; yet in
South African political circles his legacy is trampled by the
President following in his footsteps using public office to
enrich himself - paying homage to examples of European
monarchy; still, the reconciliation brought about by Nelson
Mandela, our nation’s Madiba saved a country from burning

Saved Africans from reverting to savagery; kept South Africa
from becoming a second Zimbabwe - the former Rhodesia
who revered a Mugabe as saviour, killing people on street and
reaping despair at his hands - while South Africa rejoiced in
the forgiveness of a Nelson Mandela and tries to live up to
his superhuman example of unconditionally honouring

Those who mercilessly persecuted him…

[7 December 2013]


[ORIGINAL: ]

Nelson Mandela made short-term sacrifices for long-term
results: sacrificing a hedonistic life for a world in which
equality is acknowledged by every player on the board,
spending 27 years in prison paying for the right to be
spokesman for the oppressed Africans under policies
practiced by Europeans living in Southern Africa

Nelson Mandela set the example of how to change the world
by changing yourself, choosing persecution and prison – an
irrational choice when he could have had peace; choosing
to set aside vengeance and anger – totally irrational, no
dignity satisfied, no feud settled, no dispute laid aside –
terrible, deplorable - acceptance of the inexorable

And so the whole world was won, prejudice overcome; yet
in South Africa’s political circles his legacy is trampled by
the President following in his footsteps as he uses public
office to enrich himself - paying homage to the example
of European monarchs; still, the reconciliation brought
about by Nelson Mandela, the nation’s Madiba

Saved a country from burning, saved the Africans from re-
verting to savagery; saved South Africa from becoming a
second Zimbabwe - the former Rhodesia who revered a
Mugabe as savior, killing people on street and reaping
despair at his hands - while South Africa rejoiced in
the forgiveness of a Nelson Mandela and tries to

Live up to his superhuman example of unconditionally
honouring those who persecuted him mercilessly…

[Friday 6 December 2013]