This rhythm will outplay the song
Of the African TomTom, and will
Eternal overwhelm the voices of the
Talking drum…
It’s the dance of the Madiba
Of Africa, the great seed of the
Qunu
people…
He is their pride, their own,
Who showed like the eternal
Verses , that something great
Can emanate from Nazareth…
This dance is the rhythm of truth,
Of the scars for freedom coming
From everything Madiba touched,
That touched Madiba…
Let Africa dance, but switch to the
Madiba’s dance…
A dance of care, of tender foregiveness,
After the cutting blades of Apartheid…
Africa, let that blade pass, in the spirit
Of Madiba, let GOD breathe everything afresh…
Let them say a poet of Africa
Danced to see Madiba in flesh,
Let posterity say a poet unto GOD
Saw the days of the conscience
Of Africa…
This dance is the Madiba’s dance,
Of peace and bearing everything,
Living for the poor in that shanty hut,
And sharing
the brunch with the unsung people
In the hinder parts…
If we must dance Madiba’s
Dance, we
must exist for
The other man, the dying in
The winter nights, and others
Wasting in the war-sun…
Then, we will have grown
Into the trees, from the eternal
Seeds Madiba sowed….
© 2013. Dike Dyke Williams.
From the anthology: ‘GOD: As I See Him.’
At Pearls Magazine, our vision is to celebrate people who have contributed to virtue, and inspire others towards virtue, and Mandela has done that. We should embrace that life of living for others, to create a world GOD can be happy for!
"We must exist for the other man" surely this theme of compassion and self denial is a core feature that resonates through the life of Madiba. It is also a true canon of any moral philosophy that embraces the hope of a quintessential soul. Here lies the dream of Madiba, which in turn has created a spiritual rhythm all across the globe that we may dance to and perfect ourselves to a level of purity and acceptance in the eyes of the divine. However, I must emphasize that this dance has somehow lost it's musical accompaniment, in that those who hold the political instruments of the law are not musically inclined enough and have also tainted the flow by their segregation and callousness towards their own people. Thus, another theme from this line, "living for the poor in that shanty hut,and sharing the brunch with the unsung people" compliments the theme of compassion; it is the theme of humility and attachment. This theme propels the former into a light where one goes the extra mile to make a connection with other persons that seemingly are below one's status. It also encapsulates the soul of the Madiba dance by extending its force to parochial areas of the human mind, and trying to touch the very essence of beauty and purity. In this, the dance is unique and somewhat sacred, which in turn must be handled or performed by such people that have also tapped into the force that drives the dance. In essence, if Africa or any race is to comprehend Madiba's message or share in his experience of beauty through pain and suffering, then that race must break down the walls of segregation and division, and embrace its humanity and fend for all, hoping to attain a level of security and peace for itself and all mankind as a whole.
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