My Special Letter to Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela

Dear Madiba,

Prayfully this missive will find you in good spirits.
Today, February 11th 2010 marks the 20th year of liberty.
Liberty for you from 27 years in jail,
Liberty for the millions of your brothers and sisters,
The millions of your sons and daughters,
The millions of your grandsons and granddaughters,
The millions of your grand-grandsons and grand-granddaughters,
Who were enslaved in poverty only because of the melanin in their blood.

Baba, how are you? Where are you these days? What are you doing?
Contemplating the slow evolution of your country?
The world we live in?
Is this what you envisioned for modern South Africa?
Is Apartheid over?
20 years later, your country is governed by black elites,

The intelligentsia you groomed so painstakingly,
They are doing their best to rule a aching nation,
Fighting social evils wherever they can.

Madiba, is this what you foresaw?
The country is torn and needs healing.
Large swaths of the populace are still hurting.
A villain named AIDS is killing everyday,
Sons and daughters are being lost to oblivion,
While some of your political heirs are squandering huge time irrelevantly
Violence is rampant and it murders the very core of our societies.

Madiba, is this what your imagined?
South Africa is growing slowly, steadily and surely.
But the economy is still in the hands of a few,
The same few that held it before you were jailed,
The same few that held it before you were released,
While the mass is suffering from human greed and slow decimation
A new few also became wealthier than you can think,
And will be next generation power brokers.

Madiba, your country is crying,
Your continent is suffering from forces within and outer
Would you give them a bit of your rare wisdom?
Would you tell the world, so laudatory to you, that time has come for action?
Would you tell your African counterparts to let go of their massive military ego?
Would you please do that?

Would you…?