Mandela

First and foremost, Mandela was a revolutionary Christian and to an extent a saint. He embodied the attribute of one universal principle espoused by the major religions - namely; Buddhism: "Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful; and in Hinduism: "This is the sum of duty: do not unto others which would cause you pain if done to you." and in  Islam: "No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother  that which he desires for  himself." in Judaism: "What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man. That is the entire Law: all the rest is commentary." And in Christianity:  "Whatsoever you wish that man would do to you, do so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." Albeit , Judaism and Christianity bear a striking similarity when it comes to forgiveness and retaliation in ( Le 19:18), it states: "Thou shall not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but shall love your neighbor as yourself. And then in the New testament , (Luke 6:35-37), Love ye your enemies, and do good And lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great; and condemn not, and you shall not be condemned: forgive and you shall be forgiven. After manumission from Robben  Island, Mandela held to the aforementioned  principles to become an unifying and universal force. Twenty-seven years of imprisonment did not deter his determination to see his people overcome abject humiliation, brutality and  demeaning shackles of apartheid. Though tried and tempted he never lost sight of his vision. Nelson Mandela, a great, courageous and uncompromising  giant of a man will always be etched in history as long as humankind exist. His Will has been done.  And he will rest in peace!!! 

Deodar

He had prepared to die.
All his worries were relieved 
After receiving official documents
And an identification bracelet
From a medical research department
Of a major university 
Accepting him as a gift donor.
He laminated the papers;
And proudly placed them 
On the  fire place mantle
Alongside his diplomas
And expired passports,
framed pictures of world leaders
he had entertained during the prime
of his life.
He wasn't that old, except in mind,
Lengthened by many travels and experiences
Felt somewhat ancient and fossilized
Where thoughts of death clutched his mind. 
Nothing was left to chance.

Packed neatly away in a
trunk beside his bed were,
certificates of achievements,
Metals he received and discharge
Papers from two forces of the military;
And his last will testament.
A planner and doer most of his life,
Obsessed with certitude

made his world an ordered province.
He had buried two sons - war heroes,
and a wife of fifty years.
He had his telephone disconnected,
Gas and electricity turned off -
resorted to burning candles for night light.
Ate canned foods and took daily supplements. 

Then came a Warner -minutes before

blinking awake, a dream nestled in his brain,
a premonitory  declaration of death.
He was prepared for death
(surely in his sleep)

He was sure to keep a shaved head,

clipped  finger and toenails;
And the nightly rituals of preparation;
a soothing shower and hygienic concerns.
And, before retiring, setting aside clean
underwear, socks and favorite suit,
starched shirt and tie.

Before turning in he'd tack the note
on the outside of his door for his friend
who lived across the hall
to knock by ten A.M.
to see if he was alive or dead.
His sleeping aid -  a glass of wine,
Then off to sleep perhaps sweet dreams 
 But fate is not predictable
as death is inevitable.

As he snored away the night
A fire raced throughout the building.
without consequence, burning all in its path.

Clouds ( Poem )

Clouds are icebergs in the sky, attics of heaven
basements of mountains.
Clouds are stalactites and stalagmites
in caves and catacombs,
silver-lined peepholes of majestic nature.
Clouds are polar bears, white sharks,
gargoyles merged into ghostly shapes;
leper colonies and albinos
scattered in the fluff of finite wonder.
Clouds are sublime apparitions
of seraphim's and cherubim,
balancing edges of atmospheric continuity;
volcanic images of gods and demons.
Clouds cloud my imagination,
milky white substances teasing
the synapses of my gray matter.

Juggernaut of Destruction (Poem )

Onward, Mother Nature,
forcefully triumphant,
marching as before.
typhoons and tsunamis
escaping from your core.
earth-quakes and tremors.
rushing land and sea,
no where to run and hide
from your menacing company.

trials and tribulations
echoing evermore.
death and devastation,
to hopes and dreams ignore.
Onward, Mother Nature
marching as before.

Nothing stands in your way,
Move out is your command,
a juggernaut of destruction,
a menace on sea and land
You strike after fair warning
of impending doom,
destructive and unyielding
as the cluster of your plume
.
Onward, Mother nature,
marching as before,
dangerously combative,
as in days of yore,
cyclones, tornadoes, earth-shakes
killing by the score,
Onward, Mother Nature,
marching as before
Juggernaut of destruction,
a catastrophic rebirth -
now and forevermore.

To Shirley Ward ( Poem )

the train departs

the station
as autumn leaves
skirt along
hibernating lawns
and perforated concrete

the train roars
as it enters and exits
the terminal
and is engulfed
in instant renewal.

an exhilarate explosion
of solitary warmth
abounds in the essence
of its transmigration.

death is universal
with varied destinations.
without forethought
it gathers and scatters
the primer of presence.

the caboose is last
to pass through
the station
and as with all things
that have come before
it signals finality.

Iconic Image 4 ( Poem )

We lured him to the wine cellar,
away from his inner sanctum,
the holy of hollies
where fat, wealthy women,
and giggling girls
worshipped and delighted in him,
indulged the height
of his libidinous appetites -
all to our embarrassment,
because they were our sisters, daughters
and some our mothers.
We fed him sweetbread
laced with arsenic and lye,
flanked him with dark humor,
false cheesy smiles
as we waited for him to die.
his system was cast-iron -
constitution even stronger,
And between cracked, chipped teeth,
picket-fenced in a reeking mouth,
he spewed out diabolic laughter,
demanding more wine and sweetbread -
and we gladly obliged him.
He sang songs, danced, and told lurid jokes,
peppered with prophylactic intrigues,
amorous and clandestine escapades
of the royal court.
We were nobility - aristocrats,
he a peasant, a self-proclaimed holy man,
A tatterdemalion in ragged garb.
We were jealous - envied him;
his power, wealth and popularity
with the throne and unruly masses.
Surely and secretly
we wanted to be like him.
He was taking centuries to die;
then suddenly he hurled ear-piercing
and mind-numbing curses-
gave us the finger,
spat and toasted his ass
and penis in our direction.
As he charged,
we returned volleys of invectives;
produced our hidden arsenals:
clubs, knives and pistols.
He was a Hugh chunk of man,
fighting as if death was nonexistent,
and victory inevitably his.
We bludgeoned, kicked, stabbed him,
snatched his member from his crotch,
violated his bowels with hoe-down kicks;
then dumped his mutilated body
in freezing waters, clapped our hands,
gave high fives, clicked our heels in celebration.

We, having been judged by a jury of our peers,
were found, Not Guilty,
because we had killed a devil -
We the nobility - aristocrats.