Poetry for Madiba

Grade 7 Tyler Wratten of St Peter’s Girls High writes:

Inferno

How easy is it, to blow out a candle

Take a big breath and the flame flickers out

The wax hardens, the smoke floats away

And there’s nothing but darkness and doubt

But the light always sticks like a shape in your eyes

And you can rub and blink but the memory stays

Though the candle is gone you can never forget

Because a flame can burn in so many ways

A spark is contagious, it catches and burns

Igniting the torch that each person holds

It flares and it grows like a flicker of hope

A burning fire of red and gold

A fire is a rainbow reds golds and blues

Like our nation of people, it’s different and proud

It’s a spectrum of unity that cannot be silenced

Its cries for our freedom were burning and loud

But it wasn’t like that in the years before now

Darkness took over and swallowed the light

And each spark that fought back was quickly snuffed out

Leaving the people without any fight

Although, sometimes, a spark can be overlooked

Can be locked in a cage where there’s nothing to burn

Where people will think its spirit will fade

And fire will blow out when the wind hound turn

Yet the spark flickered on and never gave up

And when it was released it would not be held back

Its fire lit others and the rebellion grew

But the fire used unity not violence to attack

The army was huge and wouldn’t stop lighting

Recruiting more people who were wrongly abused

A joining of people who wanted their freedom

A nation tired of being mistreated and used

Each person was different in colour and race

In belief and religion, in gender and age

In sexuality, personality, features and flaws

Yet they all worked together to escape from their cage

But they needed a leader to show them the way

To give them the freedom they needed so badly

They needed the person who started the blaze

They needed Mandela to give them the key

Together they rose to achieve their goals

Alongside each other, hand in hand

They never stopped fighting, would never give up

To take back their home, to take back their land

How hard is it, to blow out a fire

Take a big breath and you just fan the flames

Millions of people united as one

A rainbow inferno that cannot be tamed