The Quadricolour

Written on 27 September For: No. 1244 New Poem Only Poetry Contest Sponsored by Brian Strand The Quadricolour Let us all bow to the Quadricolour Flapping ever with joy and pride up high From its mast in the Mauritian sky, Beckoning us to unite together And pull the national cart up further Let us all bow to the four-coloured flag, With its red, blue, yellow and green tinctures And make graceful and respectful gestures That reveal a mind free from futile fears, A spirit full of hopes for coming years And a heart just longing for unity. Let us offer respect to the red tinge, Symbol of hard struggles of our forebears And their long decades of saddening tears For full independence of our country, Freeing us from British hegemony And securing a seat in the nations`s league. Let us revere the blue tinge of our flag, Emblem of the Indian Ocean And the blue sky towering our island, With a bluish sea surrounding our land, Star and key of Indian Ocean And once the heart of sea routes to the world. Let us ever cherish the yellow shade, Symbol of the light of independence Illuminating forward our island, Beckoning us to take our destiny Fully and squarely in our hands And shape it in peace, justice and liberty. Let us relish the green hue of our flag, Hallmark of green vegetation, Our cane fields spreading to the horizon, Our verdant valleys pleasing to the eyes, Our lovely mounts laid with greens not so high And charming hills inviting for a hike. Let us truly adore our awesome flag That has witnessed so many valiant days Of battles fought and won in diverse ways, Battles over distress and misery, Against financial chains and slavery, Against despair and acute poverty. Let us, indeed, salute our sublime flag That has beheld our beloved country Rise from the trough of the Malthusian doom To the pitch of economic glory, From the very ditch of financial gloom To achieve miracles in history.