A Zimbabwean asks a question
O Great Spirit,
You who in Your form of the Chapungu,
the great eagle with sharper eye than any aeroplane,
watches over us and knows all things;
who even descends from your great circles of flight
over our beautiful land of stone and earth and tree
to show a child lost in the bush
the way back to the village and to home,
please show us, too, the way back home, to You.
You know I talk to you each day in my heart,
but today a man has asked me to speak some words
that many people may hear.
So I speak for Zimbabwe, and for the Africa
of which we are so proud:
for we in Africa are proud; and proud for You:
that in a mad and busy world, we have not forgotten
that every blade of grass and flower,
lizard, singing bird, lion, elephant,
are You in all your great disguises
and that all that we see around us
is You in the spirits of our ancestors
who listen to us and guide us;
and so we know that we must listen
to every creature to hear news of You...
and in the evening of each day
(which, we cannot now forget, may be our last)
as the men come home from work
and the women and children back from the fields,
and the smoke from the evening fires
rises above the huts,
and the smells of cooking fill the air,
we tell all our children round the fire
the truth about You
in all the tales our fathers and grandfathers have told us -
told to these children who have so recently come from You;
by those grandparents who will so soon come back to You;
they have so much to share and listen to,
about You!
And would you not agree, O Great Spirit,
that the smile of an African child
is the biggest thing you ever saw - or made?
It reminds every mother and father of Your smile,
and tells every grandparent what is in store for them...
So we rejoice to think, O Great Spirit,
that we are still your children,
and that You know what is best for us -
And so I ask you, especially today, O Great Spirit,
for all who may read this:
Are the spirits angry with us?
If they are, please tell me why?
And so, what can we do to stay close to You?
Many men have many answers to these questions
in the reasoning of men;
but nothing from men quite seems to 'do the trick';
so now, I'm simply asking You
to speak in Your own way;
since nothing from men quite seems to 'do the trick';
and, O Great Spirit,
Chapungu,
it is Your world, which we look after, and not ours...
poem by Michael Shepherd
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Mother Sky
Oh great mother of the sky
Hear your children’s cries
They have been taken away
By non tribal hands
To a place far from your eyes
Taken off of federal land
Your children now cry for you
Eighteen of your children missing
Their spirits grow weak
Has they are together trying to reach you
Wishing to be back home
Under your watchful eyes
Oh great mother of the sky
Hear your people’s cries
We wish to have our family
And our friends back home
Investigations continues for your children
The eighteen that are missing
Photograph taken of the site
Now are missing as well
Eighteen children missing
From our holy cemetery
Help us find your missing children
Whose tribe looks endlessly for them
We want them back home
Here in Kingman Arizona
Home of the Hualpai tribe
poem by Davina Vanessa Rivas
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Great Heart
Great heart
By: johnny clegg
1987
Travelling always increases the appetite for new music and I found johnny clegg tapes in the south of france and was immediately hooked on them. Im glad there are still younger artists who writ
Play their own songs that I wish I had written. this is one of them.
(chant)
The world is full of strange behavior
Every man has to be his own savior
I know I can make it on my own if I try
But Im searchin for a great heart to stand me by
Underneath the african sky
A great heart to stand me by
Chorus:
Im searching for the spirit of the great heart
To hold and keep me by
Im searching for the spirit of the great heart
Under african sky
Sometimes I feel that you rarely know me (sometimes)
Sometimes theres so much you can show me (sometime)
Theres a highway of stars across the heavens
Theres a whispering song of the wind in the grass
Theres a rolling thunder across the savannah
And a hope and a dream at the edge of the sky
And your life is the story of the wind
Your life is a story like the wind
Chorus:
Im searching for the spirit of the great heart
To hold and keep me by
Im searching for the spirit of the great heart
Under african sky
Im searching for the spirit of the great heart
I see the fire in your eyes
Im searching for the spirit of the great heart
That beats my name inside
Sometimes I feel that you rarely know me (sometimes)
Sometimes theres so much you can show me (sometime)
(chant)
Chorus:
Im searching for the spirit of the great heart
To hold and stand me by
Im searching for the spirit of the great heart
Under african sky
Im searching for the spirit of the great heart
I see the fire in your eyes
Im searching for the spirit of the great heart
That beats my name inside
Sometimes I feel that you rarely know me (ah... sometimes)
Sometimes theres so much you can show me (ay yai... sometime)
Coda:
Im searching for the spirit of the great heart
Guk a mzimbo sala nhilziyo
Im searching for the spirit of the great heart
Guk a mzimbo sala nhilziyo
Im searching for the spirit of the great heart
Guk a mzimbo sala nhilziyo
Im searching for the spirit of the great heart
Guk a mzimbo sala nhilziyo
song performed by by Jimmy Buffett
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Son Of Africa
Listen Africa listen!
Listen to the words of a stallion
Listen as I speak of a giant,
An African giant
A giant entangled by his own hand made snares
Yes! Indodana ya se Africa
Un-wax your ears and Listen
Great warrior of the chimurenga,
Phela you stood against white powers
And liberated black wishes
Against the Blairs and Bushes you stood.
Courageous, you battled the spite of the Smith.
Now listen Ndodana ya se Africa
Hear this young stallion galloping towards the truth.
In Limbo you stand snared by your own snares
In Limbo, you warrior remain just a memory
Hau lalela son of the soil,
It’s your people who go under the soil
Their calabashes are dry, they go under the soil.
Under the soil their bellies lie empty
Hau lalela Ndodana ya se Africa
Listen son of Africa
Do not stand as proud as death
Do not let its sting be your companion
An African warrior you must once more become
Adorn the spirit of Madiba, No easy walk to freedom
Remember...Listen...Remember.
T he Ndukus and the rocks, Africa’s weapons of old
Now Son of the Soil’s desires battle against Africa
Hau listen son of Africa
Lalela...listen...lalela
poem by David Lekoba
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I Have A Dream Of An Africa
I have a dream of an Africa
A united Africa!
Self sustaining and self reliant
Able to produce
Anything out of nothing
And trade within her-self
And with the world at large
A proud Africa
Of a civilizing people
Like our Egyptian, and
Olmec ancestors…
I dream of an Africa that
Patrice Lumumba died for
Kwame Nkrumah stood up for
Nelson Mandela paid dearly for
An Africa of Haile Selasie I
An Africa of GIANTS
Where men are great, proud and dignified
An Africa of Cleopatra, Maqeda, Nzingha and Nyamazana
An Africa without genocide, starvation, or disease
An Africa, without dictators!
A free Africa
Taking on the driver’s seat
Teaching without enslaving-
To show the world it’s possible!
No refugees because
All the Children belong!
An Africa, a Mother Land
Where an elephant
Feeds from the Elephant Tree
And the gorilla roams free
And the lion goes to hunt
If he wants
Because God loved him to!
An Africa that
Bhambatha (ka Mancinza)
Sobukwe (Robert)
Fanon (Frantz)
Biko (Steve)
X (Malcolm)
Garvey (Marcus)
And Douglas (Frederick)
Would look at and smile about
I have a dream of an Africa
But from this one, I shall not wake
Because I dream standing up
My eyes looking out
My arms open wide
To the ones, mad enough, to dream the same-
poem by LLM Mbatha
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Chosen People
Glory is on our way[? ]
Worship the sun, great spirit.
Born of the mother earth,
Seek for the true white brother.
We are the chosen people, give back our sacred land.
We are the four grandfathers, a destiny for man.
It is written in our prophecy,
[it is written in our prophecy]
That we shall find the true white brother,
[we shall find the true white brother]
Who will help us, joined together, to build humanity.
There is a place for everyone.
We are the chosen people, give back our holy land.
We are the ever forest, we are great spirits hand.
She will call us soon,
She will shake her body,
Bringing your land to ruin.
Why will the world not hear us?
We are most ancient teachers, we know great spirits plan.
We learned by natures secrets, the inner side of man.
We are the chosen people, give back our sacred land.
We are the four grandfathers, a destiny for man.
song performed by by Kinks
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Show me my Africa!
Show me my origin...
Show me my land...
Show me my Africa...
Shine and support the spirit of UBUNTU.
Take me back to where i belong,
Where birds fly well peacefully,
Where every creature is happy.
Let me hear African stories,
Let me see its natural beauty landscapes.
Show me my land...
The land of great heroes,
Where Nobel peace price winners were born.
Where fighting and murder is a sin,
Where all people wish one thing,
Where all people preach one thing,
Where all people practice one thing,
Where everyone wants PEACE.
Let me hear those voices of hope...
Land of admissible and prosperity,
Where cultural diversity means nothing, but
Brings us together as valiant regiments.
Past is the past and let us let it pass...
Show me my Africa...
Where robust and intrepid people lives,
Where the beauty of cultures reflects.
Let discrimination be the history
And believe in the beauty of Africa.
Show me my origin...
Let me venerate and cherish its traditions..
Let me be the true African.
Take me back to Africa.
Show me my origin,
Show me my land,
Show me my AFRICA..
('ubuntu' is a Zulu word meaning humanity)
poem by Siyabonga A nxumalo
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Don't Forget who is your Father
God is Great
He created you and me so ladies and gentleman
he is the only person to praise and pray
Cause some of us we pray Alan people you pray him
who is him God is the one who created us
so guys help me to Thank him every time i'm sick i call him cause
he is the hiller the killer of diseases in the world
Help me to sing.
How great is our God sing with me how great is our God
all we sing is how great is our God age to age praise his
Great great great great great
great great great great great great great
great great great great great great great
great great great great great great great great great great great
GOD GOD GOD GOD GOD GOD GOD GOD..
Thank you Help me pliz.
poem by Ruvimbo Daisy Matsika
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Singing Skies And Dancing Waters
So many years ago, I can't remember now, someone was waiting for me.
I had the answers to all of my questions, love was so easy to see. I didn't know.
When I was younger, I should have known better, I thought that nothing was new.
Through all the spaces, in all of the changes, the one I lost sight of was you.
I didn't know, I didn't know.
I could see you in singing skies and dancing waters, laughing children, growing old,
and in the heart and in the spirit, and in the truth when it is told.
My life became shaded and I grew afraid and I needed to find my way home.
I just couldn't see you, I thought that I'd lost you.
I never felt so much alone. Are you still with me?
Somehow in reason, I lost sight of season, tides rolling out and rolling in.
Sometimes in evening when daylight was leaving, I though I'd never see you again.
Are you still with me? Are you still with me?
I'm with you in singing skies and dancing waters, laughing children, growing old,
and in the heart and in the spirit, and in the truth when it is told.
If my faith should falter and I should forsake you and find myself turning away,
will you still be there? Will you still be there?
I'll be there in singing skies and dancing waters laughing children, growing old,
and in the heart and in the spirit, and in the truth when it is told.
song performed by by John Denver
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Spirit of Africa
To
visit Africa,
to spend time
to notice
beauty of the land.
To feel its heat,
to drink it’s waters,
to observe, to marvel,
at its creatures,
great and small.
To see the diversity
of its people, in all
their rainbow shades,
to feel their warmth,
their love, their
big-heartedness.
Means Africa,
has touched your soul,
you have breathed in
a love of Africa, a love
that never ceases,
a love that never
goes away.
you have been
delighted, charmed,
have become
enchanted by
The Spirit of Africa.
For Africa is a
land of spirits,
they occupy dirt,
soil, trees, flowers
fruit, food that feeds;
the mountains, streams,
rivers, seas, oceans,
air, the breath of life, and
all the people of its land.
Africa believes,
that before time,
before,
things began,
there was nothing,
save for a void,
a sphere of spirit
that knew no limit;
it did not have a name.
This one spirit split
broke up, spread,
to change, to
create our world,
and all that’s here.
This one spirit
known to us as love
stays the same, to
invade all it made,
all that visit, especially
those that stay.
Now if you leave,
you’ll always
yearn, you’ll hunger
you’ll always
have that longing
to return.
14-07-2009
poem by Bob Blackwell
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The British descended
The British descended
on the Transvaal and Orange Free State
from their island
on the other side of the sea
and in thousands
they came to ruin the land.
The British descended
on the Transvaal and Orange Free State
and from the sea they came
and an entire empire
send its soldiers to destroy,
to pillage and scorch the earth,
to rape, and imprison
the women and children
of the Afrikaner nation.
My great grandfathers rode on horseback to war,
with Christiaan De Wet, Cronje
and De La Rey
and they fought hard pressed,
to drive the British
and soldiers from all her colonies away.
My great grandfathers rode on horseback to war
and landed in prisoner of war camps in St. Helena
and although the second Anglo-Boer war was lost
and the Afrikaner nation paid the highest cost
in the destruction of the land,
the death of men
and the murder of innocent women and children,
a time came
that once more we were free.
My great grandfathers rode on horseback to war,
but one was from and with the enemy
and a highlander was he
and a more decent man
is still hard to find
and one that hated the English
for the dreadfull things that they did,
at times I see the restored Martini Henri rifles
taken from the British
during that bitter war
and the legacy and great spirit,
of my great grandfathers
still stays with me.
poem by Gert Strydom
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Native American Pride
Equa Adanvdo adanedi aya hia nvlinegvgv Yv uduladi nudale iga
(Great Spirit give me the strength I need another day)
nashi Yv anasgvti adasehede anisoi
(that I may guide others)
Nasquu gohi Yv adadvdodi vhnai nehi
(Also this I ask of you)
Equa Unitsi Elohino
(Great Mother Earth)
We walked in peace and harmony
warriors brave and strong
guided by the Great Spirit in the sky
respecting the way of Mother Earth
we taught this to our children at birth
We were all but one, just like the Eagle, we were free
this was our way, the way it would always be
with our wings spread, we would fly
this was our Native American Pride
Then white man came to take our land
said our way of life was wrong
this is what they would decide
and it didn't take them long
Still we didn't run and hide
we stood tall and made our stand
never to carry the white man's brand
this was our Native American Pride
For our own beliefs, so many died
both women and children cried
as one by one, all was lost
at the white man's cost
Said the color of their skin, made them right
but we didn't give in, without a fight
no matter how hard they would try
they couldn't break our Native American Pride
(Spiritwind-2010)
poem by Spiritwind Wood
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The Pride To Be An African
My Africa My Africa My Africa
My Africa of which everybody imitates
My Africa of which culture exceed the Greek
My Africa of which everyone is jealous of
My Africa My Africa My Africa
My Africa of enormous natural endowment
My Africa of Non-Violence
My Africa of Amorous populates
My Africa My Africa My Africa
My Africa of patriot men and women
My Africa of shelter and vintage hospitality
My Africa of great ancestral mythology
My Africa My Africa My Africa
My Africa that bore fruits of black diamonds
My Africa which is a gift to the whole world
My Africa of great leadership
My Africa My Africa My Africa
My Africa of learned youths
My Africa of a bright generation
My Africa true tradition
My Africa My Africa My Africa
My Africa of black pageant women
My Africa of strong men
My Africa from who we all hail from
For every African deserves a Nobel Prize in
Existence.
poem by Fasan paul
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Do Exactly
Of wisdom, knowledge and understanding;
Of peace, love and care;
Of power, beauty and kindness;
We have the spirit of truth and the spirit of error!
So do not be a lair to your friends.
Dance exactly as he danced and,
Do not follow that which is evil;
Learn exactly as he learnt and,
be very strong like the palm tree;
For this world is getting worse all the time.
Greedy dogs!
They lie to the people;
So do write out exactly as he wrote,
For the truth is always the truth.
Of a great plan,
Of a great puzzle,
It is getting worse all the time with the world;
So try to test every spirit.
I have not send them, yet they run;
I have not spoken to them, yet they speak;
But try to eat from the tree of life to gain wisdom always.
Life is like the potter's clay and,
You have to do exactly as they did;
But do go for the truth always.
poem by Edward Kofi Louis
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To Doris
She said I come from a land flanked by the warmer seas
A flat brown land that stretch for miles with hardly any trees
In my dreams I see the big game parks and the open plains I see
'Oh' Africa my Africa I hear you calling me.
I hear the male lion cough and roar and the wild hyena scream
And the Natives dance before my eyes so real to me they seem
I hear them singing in the night and their drumming I too hear
And Africa close to my heart though miles away from here.
Doris accent is a give away as accents often are
You'd know that to get to this great Land that she's had to travel far
Her lovely South African accent one never should mistake
The migrant may live far from home but ties that bind are hard to break.
A farmer's daughter from South Africa her life story ought be told
A woman close to eighty years though she doesn't look that old
A teenager in the thirties the hard life she has been through
Her only brother a prisoner of war in Europe in world war two.
Her ill mother convinced her son had died lost the will to live on
And he returned home to the tragic news that his mum was dead and gone
There's sorrow blood and tears in war and tragedy as well
And for mums with sons on battlefields life must be living hell.
She raised five sons in South Africa and one died at twenty five
Brain damaged by measles as a child she helped him to survive
And Doris with great sadness says that her son's life was far too brief
There's ups and downs in life she says and there's happiness and grief.
With her son and daughter in law she lives east of Melbourne now by road off 'One Tree Hill'
A woman from a far Country and suppose she always will
Feel homesick for her home Country, I love Australia she say
But my homeland is South Africa the brown Land far away.
poem by Francis Duggan
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Grown men can learn from very little children for the hearts of little children are pure. Therefore, the Great Spirit may show to them many things which older people miss.
21st Century Job
There you are. Haunting my mirror, watching me
Making small talk with myself. So what do you think of the weather today?
Oh it’s never been better, I say as I strain to imitate your female voice.
Which doesn’t really work out because I’m still not in touch with my feminine side enough.
But even if I was, I still couldn’t counterfeit the love we shared.
And even if I was, I couldn’t recreate a beauty no longer there.
But I still try to
Because I can’t forget you.
And the hail rains down outside tonight like so many stones
Thrown at me by god. But why would he want to stone me, dammit?
Am I Job's great great great great great great great great grandson?
Or something?
Maybe, he answers silently through your gravestone
Which I will have a one-sided chat with today
Despite the weather.
Maybe, god tells me. But maybe is an answer I don’t want to hear
As I stand near this rock marking a victim of chance.
Because the fear of tragedy has steered me into a sad apathy
I never knew was in me before you died.
But you are not gone.
Nothing is wrong! I will keep you alive!
I will make you live on as a spirit which visits me:
There. You. Are. Dancing with me under the stars as they rain stones
Down on me and the monument to your life. But I will weather the weather
Like the gravestone staring me down just to dance with you.
And here. We. Are. Together again, expressing love
Through awkward steps and turns like we used to do:
You, dodging my awful coordination, which makes me trip on your foot
Smilingly
While your ghost smiles too.
poem by Thomas Lyons
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I Would Love To Go To Africa
I would love to go to Africa to see the wildlife there
To bring away from there great memories that with others i could share
To see the Serengeti the World's greatest wildlife park
And hear the male lions roaring and hear the wild dogs bark.
I would love to go to Africa to the Countries of the Nile
The home of the World's largest reptile the African crocodile
To see the wildebeest and zebra in huge flocks congregate
Across the bare savanna in thousands they migrate.
I would love to go to Africa the cradle of humanity
As long as marvellous wildlife there's colorful people for to see
The indigenous people of a Continent that is as old as time
A Land sketched by great artists and that has inspired writers to story, song and rhyme.
I would love to visit Africa from here many a mile
To see the World's greatest Continent would be something well worthwhile
The cradle of humanity a Land beyond compare
Of there i would have such great memories with others for to share.
poem by Francis Duggan
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Calling My Children Home
(doyle lawson/charles waller/robert yates)
Those lives were mine to love and cherish.
To guard and guide along lifes way.
Oh God forbid that one should perish.
That one alas should go astray.
Back in the years with all together,
Around the place wed romp and play.
So lonely now and oft times wonder,
Oh will they come back home some day.
Im lonesome for my precious children,
They live so far away.
Oh may they hear my calling...calling..
And come back home some day.
I gave my all for my dear children,
Their problems still with love I share,
Id brave lifes storm, defy the tempest
To bring them home from anywhere.
I lived my life my love I gave them,
To guide them through this world of strife,
I hope and pray well live together,
In that great glad here after life.
Im lonesome for my precious children,
They live so far away.
Oh may they hear my calling...calling.. and come back home some day.
song performed by by Emmylou Harris
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Im The Greatest
When I was a little boy,
Way back home in liverpool,
My mama told me, I was great.
Then when I was a teenager,
I knew that I had got something going,
All my friends told me I was great.
And now Im a man,
A woman took me by the hand,
And you know what she told me...i was great.
I was in the greatest show on earth,
For what it was worth.
Now Im only thirty-two;
And all I wanna do, is boogaloo!
Hey!
I looked in the mirror,
I saw my wife and kids,
And you know what they told me...i was great.
Yes, my name is billy shears,
You know it has been for so many years.
Now Im only thirty-two;
And all I wanna do, is boogaloo!
Hey, hey, hey, (hey, hey, hey) yeah!
(hey, hey, hey)
Im the greatest and you better believe it, baby!
Ho! ho! ho!
Im gonna be the greatest in this world, (ho!)
In the next world and in any world! (hey!)
Alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright,
Alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright.
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, all right!
song performed by by Yoko Ono
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Our Fallen Hero~
Our Fallen Hero
Stands tall in our minds
As he lay lifeless
To save your child and mine
A good man he was
We'll hear everyone say
That doesn't even touch
The man he was that day
Many will say
I'd do the same
I'd lay down my life
If tragedy became
Yet, all we do know
Stood a great man
In our time of trouble
He took a stand
His rewards are great
So selfishly we can say
Our Fallen hero
Saved our children that day
11/16/05
In my son and daughters high school this past year a 14 yr. old boy shot 3 of our principals killing 1. He was a great man and still is in all our minds. My son just graduated this May 2006~ and they both were there to speak at his graduation. They came back to work in about 6 weeks after being shot. They both were critically injured and doctors didn't know if they would live. Our head principal was shot 3 times and still took the gunman down and subdued him and then got on the intercom and put the school in lock down. That's what kind of men they all 3 are. I'm proud that my kids have roll models like them in their lives.
poem by Lagaya Evans
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