MADIBA

Madiba,
Great Soul,
like a clear wind
you blew through
the hallways
of tyranny and oppression,
disarming the despots
with your dignity,
peacefulness and irreproachable 
insistence upon justice
that would no longer 
be denied.

The bondage of apartheid fell.
One of the most joyous moments of my life
was watching you dance your victory
before the cameras of the world -
from Robbins Island
to the Presidency,
never once stumbling
off-course.

It seems in every generation
there emerges a hero. 
In my lifetime,
you were mine,
along with Gandhi, 
Martin Luther King,
Robert Kennedy Jr.,
all of you
peaceful warriors 
for social justice.

You were my inspiration
for personal freedom.
Even while captive,
your spirit transcended
and saw far beyond
the bars you looked through.
Even when treated brutally,
you did not forsake your dignity,
or turn away from 
your personal mandate.

You held a vision
for your beloved country
that you lived to see come to pass.
As you danced in celebration
of the first truly free election, 
the sweetness in your smile
touched my heart.
Such a long road
you had traveled
to reach that moment.

Madiba,
take the rest and the peace
you have earned,
and consider your job well done.

May we all take up
the banner of social justice
in your honor,
until the message of your life
covers the entire planet,
a planet, not of black and white,
but of Great Souls.

Happy Birthday,
as you rest  
after 95 years
of being honorable.
To the entire world,
you are, and will 
forever remain,
our hero.