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. Incandescent In our darkest moment He was the incandescent Light beckoning In the black night Of our despair; A light of hope That all was not lost In the bloodletting; That out of our desolation An enduring seed: Forgiveness Would germinate And renew our soul; Refire the palpitations Of the nation’s heart To beat in rhythm As her children Cried together; Cried over the pain They had suffered Or inflicted; Cried over the scars Seared on their bodies; And etched forever In their minds. Then heard the silent Inspiring Whisper In the darkness Of their despair And glimpsed at The incandescent Flash and shine In their black night; And woke to walk On the bridge Of his light To a new sunrise And a silent whisper In their ears And across the land: Acknowledge your past But it’s captive; Do not become. The author is a former Ambassador of Rwanda to Turkey and former High Commissioner to India and United Kingdom.
