Twenty-seven Years
My heart's a dry dessert
yearning for summer rain,
dreams forever
castles in the sky.
My song of Hallelujah
suppressed behind a mask,
emotions spill forth,
ink stained, smuggled out.
My nose touches yours,
photograph dusted,
youth, life, sacrificed,
my image myth-like -
but I'm just a man.
by Margaret Bednar, December 16, 2013
This is for "Imaginary Garden with Real Toad's - Nelson Rolihlala Mandela - In Memoriaam" I in no way want to misinterpret his life's message or the meaning of this man's life. I tried to focus on a very human part we can all understand - being separated from family. The above poem is my humble attempt of capturing a slice of this man's life while in prison - compiled from letters he wrote to his wife, Winnie - HERE. I also snagged the two ending lines from his statement he delivered on April 13, 2992 HERE when he announced he and Comrade Nomzamo Winnie Mandela were divorcing.
Nelson Mandela was allowed one visitor a year for 30 minutes - one letter written, one received every six months. He was a prisoner for 27 years!
His autobiography is "Long Walk to Freedom" which I plan on purchasing soon.
Here is an amazing link I am still reading and wading through about this man I really know little about.
A review by Roger Ebert of "Winnie Mandela". I hesitate to watch it as I often dislike what Hollywood does with real-life stories. There is also a movie based on his autobiography "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013) and it got a 72% liking from "Rotten Tomatoes". Has anyone seen these movies? Are they worthy of seeing - do they do the two justice?
