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Notes About The Poem

This is an Ode about Namibia. Axali Doeseb is the composer of Namibia’s National Anthem “Namibia, Land of the Brave” (line 5). Namib desert is the world’s oldest Desert at 80 million years (line 9), while sossusvlei is the highest sand-dunes in the world (line 10). The Namib and Damaraland offer remarkably clear skies for astronomers and keen star gazers (line 12). The Northern coast is also called the skeleton coast because of the many sailors who perished on this desolate sandy coast (line 19).

Arena of the Brave

Characterized by the early settlement
of the San Bushmen of the Kalahari.
Its patriotic sentiments of profound bravery
echos the nation’s long struggle for independence
well articulated and expressed in the psalm of Axali Doeseb.

This second to the least overpopulated territory
is home to the continent’s tallest elephants
and the endangered black rhino.
It houses the world’s oldest desert
with a display of the globe’s highest sand-dunes.

Quadruple medals from Frankie Fredericks,
remarkable atmospheric space for astronomers and star gazers,
spectacular deserts in the Kalahari and Namib
and the emanating awe from the Namib-Naukluft park
are national prides fixed into global glories.

Next after the Grand canyon is the Fish river counterpart
but the Dragon’s breath stands tall in the globe’s underground lakes.
Populates the most in free-roaming Cheetahs,
accepts nature’s curse of the historic Northern coast
and the sun’s blessing in over three hundred days every year.
‘peace be still’ is the definition of its pride
but still not exempted from the painful whip
afflicted by the demon enslaving its mother- region.

africacommunityconflictcorruptionearthode

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