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. The Shared Thought A world without class Lies like shattered glass; A thousand pieces Scattered across all places; Each shard reflecting A different pain, A fractured dream A heart groaning in vain. A whispered plea A yearning sigh, A desperate need to see, Or rise to mountain’s high. The leaders call From towers high, “The future is nigh Hold onto this hall With a steadfast soul! A shared thought held By a common thread, To mend the wounds And without bounds Forge ahead in unison, With a single vision Focused bright, To guide the flock Through the darkest night. But whispers rise Of doubts and fears, Of fractured paths And bitter tears. Some grasp the thought With a trembling hand, Finding solace In a common stand. Others flinch; Their faith On a hearth Amid whispers Of closed coffin doors. The shared thought A fragile vine; Tended only by those Who labour to refine By what they choose. Some tend to it With watered care, For its echoes are a deep, Lull that whispers Believers to sleep; While others Give in to ditherers And stare as it withers. Some even listen To enobling tales Of shared thought And only hear A hollow sound, A whispered lie On shifting ground Or a cranking sound Of chains Of cruel deceit. But for believers In shared thought A strength resides, A unity forged Where hope presides. It is a potent force, a might To hold together a flock Against any roadblock. The discerning leaders Are not eternal pretenders To the perfections Of intertwined hopes and passions For they have learnt That even woven threads May leave behind Dark corners Where shadows creep, And seeds of doubt, Begin to weep. They have also learnt That to get A thought To truly bind Pieces of the shattered glass Is both a work of art By a mind and heart Prone to eternal vigilance. The author is a former Ambassador of Rwanda to Turkey and former High Commissioner to India and United Kingdom.
