He was a man of hope
With hatred and racism, he would not cope
Head unbowed, eyes unaverted
Tolerance and love for all, he asserted
White or black, rich or poor
America, Cambodia, Lebanon, or Boer
We are all part of the same human race
Each other’s morals and character, we shall embrace
Not the hue of our skin or our temple of prayer
Or ideas and beliefs that we may not share
Let us surrender our bludgeon of ignorance and prejudice
As we dawn a new age of compassion and repentance
Twenty-seven years of imprisonment, he did bear
But his vision and patience, time did not wear
“An end to apartheid,” he humbly echoed
“Mandela for President!” South Africans bellowed
Empowering lost voices, guiding broken souls
He led his antiquated nation towards a new goal
Of equality and peace for all human beings
Generations of oppressed and discriminated, he was freeing
International hero of human rights, he became
A refreshing breath of freedom at the sound of his name
With his passing, the world was silenced with woe
Boding farewell to a man of willpower, a man of true hope