George the Poet - My Mandela

You were born alone. Then
From your innocence we were torn and thrown into an
Unjust world that you inherited. But
Where your heart is is where you call a home

In the midst of a violent era
You have the nerve to defy the terror. And
Fight the better fight, you have a right to get it right cause
Life shouldn't depend on trial and error
Nor should it depend on the ruthless clashing
Claiming generations of youth assassins. They
all can talk and say you ought to walk away but
"Struggle" is just the name for fruitless passion. You can
Picture how the world could potentially be and
Believe that's a day you'll eventually see
Or you can accept the unacceptable, not
Expect all to change and pretend to be free. What
To do? Do you fold? Do you
Back down, do as you're told? Fade to the
Background, in the face of a crackdown
Aimed at you and your own?

27 years is a long time to hope
27 years is a long time to pray
27 years is 27 reasons for me to stand here with a strong mind today cause
I can't claim to have faith if I
Only believe when it's safe
You lost everything, everything but the will to live, the
Will to persevere and still forgive...

Sometimes I wonder if they knew they were wrong. You
Weren't a convict but you were convicted
Sometimes I wonder if you knew all along, cause
Even in conflict you weren't conflicted, see
Just like me, you were born alone but what you
Did for the place you called a home
Laid foundations for the future, you were the
Rock that became a cornerstone

In the midst of a violent era, the
Hardest thing is to defy the terror
Life shouldn't depend on trial and error
Your Mandela is my Mandela