Mpho Kgaswane Poet Ode

The Grave of An Unsung Hero

Here you silently rest unsung hero 
A granite stone on top of you
As a symbol of deference and dignity
With the words Rest in Peace.
	
Rest in peace indeed hero of mine!
You once walked amongst the living
Coming from a battle 
With aching wrists, stomach cramps and leaden feet,
And yet the world grinned at you with emptiness.

Yet, they sang songs loud and clear.
Songs of eternity about the same battle
Praising those who came back with 
Bleeding noses, cuts, bruises and black eyes.

Rest in peace, indeed.
You once came back from a marathon,
You were exhausted but still had your feet firm on the ground
And yet you were met with lifeless words.

Instead they sang songs of jubilation
To those who came back from the same marathon
With their chests panting like frogs and 
Sweat streaming all over their bodies.

And now!
Only now that you lay lifeless in the world of the silence
And the living finally has wax removed from their ears and eyes,
Are beginning to weave songs about you.
For they now know that you had the furnace of a tiger
You had burning passion that lit for men and women
Walking in confusion in the jungle war.
You held an elephant’s tusks
For your knowledge provided paths for those who were lost
And kept them grounded.
You had the strength of a lion
Your tenacity made you fight and fight…

Rest in Peace, indeed
Hero unsung.

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