Bongani Zungu Poet Bio

The Journey Nelson Mandela

18 July 1918
Mnvezo you gave birth
A birth to a son of Chief Henry 
Mandela
In the land of the Bathembu 
Tribe

You nourished your son with 
great breasts
The breasts the never dried 
out of milk
Fort hare and Wits university
The cleavage so huge,he did 
not feel the distance
Both breast he could reach for 
feeding his mind with wisdom

Rholihlahla the trouble make
As you were known back then
The trouble you started 1944 
when-
When pulling the branches of 
ANC
Leading them out of apartheid 
era rather than to fire.

Fighting against whites 
domination
Fighting against black 
domination
You had a dream
A dream to see whites and 
Blacks community living in 
harmony

1964 to 1982 just before I 
was born
Robin Island was you second 
home
They predicted you will perish 
there
Forgetting the meaning behind 
your name
Rholihlahla! The trouble make
Just like a snare,11 feb 1990 
befell them

The whole world felt the pains 
as of pang pains
Indeed there were pang pains 
preceding his resurrection
The Birth of first Black South 
African president
The birth of new South Africa 
A rainbow nations
The birth of international 
Mandela day

Today people world wide 
portray what you've fought for
Humanity, Harmony, Freedom 
and peace
Mimicking your humanity, they 
give willingly to the needy
27 years you reduced it to 67 
minutes to benefit the less 
fortunate

Under you wings we felt 
secure
We never thought the one day
One day you cease living
6 Dec 2013 when the sun set
It set with the sad news
Tata is no more

15 December 2013
The chapter of great man  closed
Qunu accepted his remians with joy
Son of the soil has returned to it with pride

Your Journey does not end 
here
You left the world talking
Seeking ways to revive your 
believes
They are concerned about 
reviving you ideas 
If they follow closely your 
footsteps
They will find the way
R.I.P Tata

♡Like0

Share Poem

---

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Patricia L Graham April 19, 2015 at 1:21 PM Remembering Mandela especially now when there is so much trouble in your land. Thanks for sharing your personal journey with him. Bongani Zungu April 20, 2015 at 1:15 AM Patricia, Thank you for stopping by and follow through the journey of an old man. Troubles present fresh approach to underlying issues and I hope this will resurrect the ideologies of African renaissance.

Richard Nnoli October 4, 2014 at 10:33 AM HIS LEGACY LIVES ON, FOR HE IS ONE OF A KIND, NICE POEM THIS SHOULD BE READ ALL OVER AFRICA..........,RICHARD Bongani Zungu October 6, 2014 at 1:21 AM lol, all over africa! what an accolade my friend. Thank you very much. Tata is truly one of a kind!

Anne-Lise Andresen December 6, 2013 at 12:25 PM - A man no one will forget!!! - R.I. P. Nelson Mandela - Nice poem. - oxox // Anne-Lise :) Bongani Zungu December 6, 2013 at 9:50 PM Dedicating the minute and read my poem,means a lot to me therefore I thank you for your comment.