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Madiba

June 29, 2009
By Salankara Bandyopadhyay BRONZE, Marietta, Georgia
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Salankara Bandyopadhyay BRONZE, Marietta, Georgia
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He dreamt of one day seeing his people free,
He thought “I will keep my ground, unlike my neighbors who flee”,
For trying to voice his opinions about the Apartheid,
He was confined in jail with no one but in himself to confide,
After his days of isolation were through,
He found an inner calling to reach out, and with this ambition he flew,
He captured hearts and he captured souls,
He walked through the white gauntlet filled with burning coals.
With his sweet words of freedom, victory, and hope,
He coaxed his people to take action and not stay home and mope,
In 1990 South Africa’s most triumphant day,
The first multi-racial election gave way,
When all the votes came in,
It became quiet enough to hear the drop of a pin,
The winner of the election,
Led the insurrection,
His countless friends would call him a humble fellah,
But the people around the world just call him Nelson Mandela.

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This article has 12 comments.

tdurk said...
on Aug. 14 2009 at 12:39 am
Wow. That's really really good, and it rhymes - a bonus! I love the topic as well. It's important that we remember stuff like that.
Shubho.D said...
on Aug. 3 2009 at 10:21 am
An inspiring poem composed in a very eloquent manner. This poem reflects the sense of purpose in this young poet to send a positive message to the society. Keep it up!!
AranyaTampa said...
on Jul. 16 2009 at 5:00 pm
I loved the vocab, portrayal of feelings, the readability, and the title. Great Job, I hope it gets published.
coolcucumber said...
on Jul. 13 2009 at 11:49 pm
salankra is quite the talented writer and her poem is a clever and entertaining piece!
Cipher said...
on Jul. 11 2009 at 5:57 pm
This poem captures so well the spirit of Nelson Mandela, the universal triumph and joy in his victory over apartheid in South Africa. Really inspirational diction and solid rhyme scheme, and a powerful message to boot. Great job, this should definitely be published.
rs said...
on Jul. 11 2009 at 4:30 pm
An interesting poem. She takes a little poetic license but pulls the poem off. It is good.

rs
SilentProphet said...
on Jul. 9 2009 at 7:09 pm
Apartheid is everywhere, in different forms and shapes, yet certainly more in perception than in exhibition. We need poems like this not only because they remind us of the great souls who have dedicated their talent, energy and time to dispel apartheid, but also to encourage and usher further works by younger and upcoming leaders who could ameliorate the still remaining sorry chapters of our life in this world.
sol123 said...
on Jul. 9 2009 at 3:52 pm
I liked it. The poem captured the essence of a selfless leader, Mandela, succinctly. Keep up the good work.
sarah s said...
on Jul. 9 2009 at 2:32 pm
this poem is impressive.

good word choices and great piece in general.

hope they publish it in teen ink 'cause you deserve it. :)
me said...
on Jul. 8 2009 at 11:25 pm
great poem..i loved it! it captured the essence of the wonderful leader and all that he stood for.
Barnali said...
on Jul. 8 2009 at 12:24 am
Good job!! The theme is inspiring too.
Mallika B. said...
on Jul. 7 2009 at 3:50 pm
I really like the subject she has chosen. The way she has portraited this great leader in her poem is amazing. It is informative too. Keep it up.