From ancient tales of mythical heroes to modern-day stories of bravery and sacrifice, the idea of heroism continues to captivate the human imagination. It is through acts of heroism that we witness the best of human potential and aspirations, as individuals rise above their limitations and selflessly embrace a higher purpose. That is what President Kagame and his fellow liberators demonstrated when they took up arms against a brutal state machinery to challenge a dictatorship and later put their lives on the line to stop the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Through his readiness to sacrifice his own life to liberate yours, he reminds us of the importance of courage, selflessness, and determination in facing the challenges of life. Indeed, his example teaches us that heroism embodies the very best of our essence as people and lights the path to greatness for every one of us, if only we give it a shot, like he did. The following poem is one in a cluster of poems penned to celebrate and capture the echoes, and lessons drawn, from the brilliance of a man who has faced extra-ordinary adversity and triumphed over a milliard of constraints to squeeze possibilities out of improbabilities. Tribute to PK’s leadership Whispers. Pleasant Whispers Float on air Like a scintillating Scent of a Rose Perfume, Rocking me awake And gently whipping up A compelling image Of a living reality That dwarfs Old tales of faces Firmly chiselled in rock; Immortalizing heroes Of other lands In other times..... For now Is our time. Yes, his face Is Indellibly curved Not on a mountain side, But inside Our hearts; His every step To move us forward; His every act, To serve; His every word To re-assure: Like the true Descendant And inheritor Of a silent; But enduring legacy: Of African Courage And instructive tutelage; Of African honesty And humility; Of African passion And Compassion; Of African resilience And grit. It didn’t start With Rudahigwa Nor did it end With Mandela; For he carries the torch And the continent sees The dark clouds Over its dignity Slowly dissipate As a Gem Is revealed. Like man’s perennial Quest for understanding, He dominates My every thought; Flashes of flight Keep me awake Not to miss his light And like a blind hunter Become a wanderer In the tropical forest Of my delayed twilight. Whispers whirl into My midnight dreams: Gentle whispers From the deserts To the North; Urgent whispers From the ancient Jungles Of the West; Silent whispers From the grass plains Of the East; And ever gentler whispers From the roaring rivers Of the South: Whispers of my kindred Who, too, share their truth And affirm their faith In a new, ennobling African Reality. And like a muted symphony, Whispers still filter Through from the tenants Of our meandering valleys, Scaling up the contours Of my mind Like wind blowing Up the terraces Of the thousand Hills Framing this ancient land; And all I hear is an echo Of whispers Of a man With a heart Of a lion Who put all on the line To stop a pogrom And string together A shattered land Into a marvel Of unity In spite of past fires Of hate; Yes, string together An impoverished land Into a marvel Of rising prosperity In spite of past Shrouds of poverty. Yes, soft whispers Of a man who still stands As a vanguard Against indignities Of his kindred By alien hands Twisted by greed Disguised as compassion. The whispers From other lands Affirming this reality Stridently rise: Theeee Geeeeem INTORE IZIRUSHA INTAMBWE Is Reveaaaaaaled!! AND I BELIEVE!! The author is former Ambassador of Rwanda to Turkey
