Fundisi

Fundisi



It was in this single room
A school with one classroom,
Isolated on a desolate farm;
Which held no charms,
For boys rejected by society
There through their notoriety.
Coming with hearts hardened,
Leaving knowing they were pardoned.

The school was started
by a man now long departed;
Decades before it became the fashion,
Driven by a deep rooted passion;
He opened his home and heart,
Where all could come for a fresh start.
From the values he taught
Integrity and loyalty was wrought.

A motto not written on a wall,
Or hanging in fancy halls;
Yet engraved in our hearts,
We graduated masters of life’s arts;
With a line taken from The Bible
Breeching barriers of colour, creed and tribal;
The world will know you are brothers
By your love for one another.

Memories come rushing through
Of all the friends I knew
And the bonds which were formed,
Whilst we were all transformed,
As Africa’s melting pot began to boil,
And we were caught in its broil;
Forced to choose sides
Yet remaining friends across divides.

A new school bearing his name
Has been built to further his aims.
Still the greatest tribute,
Are the men who contribute
Daily to society’s mainstream;
Keeping alive the African dream,
The world will know you are brothers
By your love for one another.

Picture Prompt

Word count 221
Line count 40
Authors note
Of all the nicknames I have been given in Different parts of Africa, Fundisi; (teacher, preacher) is the one I have cherished the most, it is the one which has always left me humbled.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fundisi