Nelson Mandela was a natural leader. The essence of the man propelled him to greatness, amidst the suffering and depersonalization to which he was subjected to, forgiving his jailers is a profound teaching of compassion. What can we learn about transcendent leadership from Nelson Mandela's example?
An imperfect man, Mandela self-professed his struggles and challenges. From freedom fighter, to prisoner, to President of South Africa, Mandela's dedication to his mission seemingly never wavered.
Under the auspices of the African Union and the South African High Commission, one of Ghana�s talented poets, Johnnie Hughes as written and performed to the South African community in Ghana, Diplomatic corps, African Union and millions of mourners across the continent an eulogy at the Dubois Center in memory of Nelson Madiba Nelson who died as the age of 95.
His performance was described by the diaspora forum as �touching and inspirational�.
Below is an unedited lyric poem with complex stanza forms Johnnie Hughes performed�
A WREATH FOR MADIBA OF AFRICA
SONG: Tata Madiba�
From the roof of my defenseless head
To the very floor of my broken heart
I have come to orate through the door of my okro mouth
To birth the ripe fruits of my African lips
As conceived by my labouring-pregnant thoughts
Delivered by my restlessly erected-tongue!
For Madiba: A king of many sorts from Africa
I sing tunefully with energy, the harmony and melody of Madiba Nelson Mandela : Notre ami
To gently soothe and heal the malady of sorrow and grief in you and me
That savagely beats mortal hearts and minds of mine and me
Like strong winds topples trees
Like good antidotes melts disease
Way up North, down South, West and in the Far East
Royalty is seated on ancient stools so
I have come to let the palms of my hand beat the royal drums
And let the warriors of Africa their feet thump
Let ocean of tears in their eyes flow
With Mandela on their minds
They must lay down spear, arrow and bow and wallow in sorrow
To permit the flow of eulogies germinated from love;
Woven with respect and sorrow for today and the unknown tomorrow
Let their wailing pierce harder than bees
For death has chased and skipped the tease
And they dare not stand at ease
For Madiba Nelson Mandela of Africa is gone in Peace!
SONG: tata Madiba!
TATA Madiba! Proud Son of the world from Africa
Gentle survivor for earth, man and maker
Man-Dela; Saviour of Mankind
Wun njuma pa ama wo adin papa
Africa kro tiawa nyinara fre wo papa
Na south Africa four se TATA
I sing for you my wreath of songs, words and songs
With the very breath I breathe
Come, Madiba. It is you we celebrate today, come and claim your praise.
For you are over qualified to bask in the adulations of you numerous companions,
Students, friends and admirers
TATA Madiba: you who sat in the seat of humility and authority in the critical day
Before the sun shone, you made hay to make your people happy and gay
You placed your heavy feet of gravity on the violence and madness of apartheid
Stripping it off unmerited honour and unnecessary swagger
You were an ordinary cattle boy
Then you became a protestor
Then you were a prisoner
You emerged as Patriot and President
And took over the world as Peace Maker
Come and claim you praise for we are obliged to celebrate you today
O MANDELA: freedom to the people!
In the confusion of destruction with careless abandon of sufferation
The stage waited and the audience thirsted for adventure
Then came Madiba: The liberator
With action and passion
That epiphany into service to mankind was very early and against all odds
And you knew that a hero couldn�t survive in a vacuum
So you set sail along the banks of apartheid to the land of freedom
That path to freedom, fraught with consequences
They confined you for one score and seven � not in a peaceful haven
They denied you of your earth�s heaven
But their confinement couldn�t silence your inspiration from above: HEAVEN
Mandela: Freedom is what we need!
You said NO to the forces of terror and tyranny
For you had, had enough of their tomfoolery
Emanating from their crude hands, hearts guns and armoury
That ousted nothing but assault and battery
You sought to unite black with white
And hoisted your flag of bravery
Against their evil treachery
Mandela: Freedom to the people
We felt a sense of calm and charm each time we shook your palm
Peace, unity and forward-march engulfed us like water in a dam
The day is gone, from the sun to sea to the moon and stars
All is not well, but you are safe to rest
A man of many accolades you were
And now, a man of many epitaphs you are.
Oh yes, you curtailed violence with your whip of peace
You are the key that unlocked world peace
You mentioned their names and pointed fingers at them
You made friends and foes
And when their smoke became wild fire, your everlasting words quenched it
Mandela: freedom to the people
TATA Mandela Nelson Mandela of Africa
You never were a coward
You fought disease and won the battle
But death, won the war
Now you journey to meet your peers on the other side of the wall
Jomo Kenyata, Steve Biko, Oliver Thambo, Julius Nyerere, Malcom, Peterson, Kenneth Kaunda, Patrice Lumumba, Nkrumah�
So stand I, to bid farewell with wreath of my breath
Wreath of words, songs and words from the breath I breathe
You are gone, but your memory will linger on forever
Like the break of a new dawn
So we smile and yet we mourn
As the rainbow your soul adorns
You lived, you survived, you achieved and you departed in Peace
So rest in perfect peace Mandela Nelson Mandela of Africa!
Source: King Edward Ambrose/Peacefmonline.com/Additional Files From Johnnie Hughes
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