Plumes of Honour

It was an era mankind groan’d
Brute, its ruthless fangs, apartheid
Regime so repressive, South Africans moan’d
A wail of laments, less than slaves
O, wept the Zulus, alien at home
Where is a redeemer?
Where is God?

Freedom zealots are killed, jail’d
Oliver Thambo, Nelson Mandela
God save our people, Archbishop Tutu wail’d
And fellow libertarians scattered abroad
Minutes, years, rolled! And rolled by
Where is the redeemer?
Where is God?
Of immortal presence his invincible light
From the heart of Mandela breathed forth this torch
A promise of love
A promise of freedom
A promise for forgiveness

Virtues, hate or death could never overcome
In praise and resilience scanned the minutes
In faith and hope waited Mandela
In dream of freedom
In dream for forgiveness
O’ Madiba, within your ribs beats the heart of an angel
An African with plumes of honour

NN Dzenchuo is a Cameroonian, member of the Anglophone Cameroon Writers' Association, ACWA, and a member of CPBM. He is the author of 'Diaries of the African Poet' known as 'The Gong Trilogy' poetry collections, composing of: The Griot's Hymns, Songs of African Roses, Creeds of Primeval Griots. The theme of his poems is a distress call for Africa to unite into a single republic with one constitution. Read other articles by Nestor.