A Prayer for Civilisation
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A Prayer for Civilisation
When one observes our fellow citizens and their daily travail,
One can’t help asking of the powerful,
How can it make you happy if you are rude or rough with people?
How can it make you joyful if you make people’s lives difficult?
Would it help your digestion or your self-image,
If you shout at others, if you are curt?
Would it make you feel superior to others,
Or make you feel better than us?
Would it make your daughter smile,
Or make your son proud?
If you are arrogant and horrible, cold and unfeeling,
If you bully and humiliate people,
If you destroy careers and incinerate living people,
If you are racist,
What does that say about your Soul?
What does it matter if you have a string of
educational accomplishments,
If you’ve read Mandela, Albert Einstein,
Mahatma Gandhi, Dennis Brutus,
Desmond Tutu and Alan Paton,
If you still make children cry and women weep,
and men shake their heads in sadness?
When you, my fellow human beings, are in pain,
And tears trickle from your eyes like blood from your Soul,
What kind of person would be simple-mindedly
obsessed with himself?
I see people who care for people,
People who enjoy bathing babies
and who teach people manners.
People who sew, clean and teach children to read,
People who mix cement, lay bricks, repair vehicles
and remove the litter,
People who protect and employ the people.
People who have endured racism, humiliation and enervating stress.
I see people who have kissed and sung,
danced and loved.
I see people who love and who need love.
So I ask again, why must you upset myself by being awful to others?
It’s so much easier to smile, to be polite, to be kind, to care,
For from our fellow South Africans comes courtesy, humanity, appreciation,
love and respect.
Our fellow human beings illuminate the only lives we have.
When you look at us, you see South Africa, our beloved country.
When you care for us, you care for our country
And you honour God.
Written in the Year 2000
Published previously in New Coin (Rhodes University), Litnet,
Wild River Review (USA), and the Westville Rotary bulletin, Figtree
When one observes our fellow citizens and their daily travail,
One can’t help asking of the powerful,
How can it make you happy if you are rude or rough with people?
How can it make you joyful if you make people’s lives difficult?
Would it help your digestion or your self-image,
If you shout at others, if you are curt?
Would it make you feel superior to others,
Or make you feel better than us?
Would it make your daughter smile,
Or make your son proud?
If you are arrogant and horrible, cold and unfeeling,
If you bully and humiliate people,
If you destroy careers and incinerate living people,
If you are racist,
What does that say about your Soul?
What does it matter if you have a string of
educational accomplishments,
If you’ve read Mandela, Albert Einstein,
Mahatma Gandhi, Dennis Brutus,
Desmond Tutu and Alan Paton,
If you still make children cry and women weep,
and men shake their heads in sadness?
When you, my fellow human beings, are in pain,
And tears trickle from your eyes like blood from your Soul,
What kind of person would be simple-mindedly
obsessed with himself?
I see people who care for people,
People who enjoy bathing babies
and who teach people manners.
People who sew, clean and teach children to read,
People who mix cement, lay bricks, repair vehicles
and remove the litter,
People who protect and employ the people.
People who have endured racism, humiliation and enervating stress.
I see people who have kissed and sung,
danced and loved.
I see people who love and who need love.
So I ask again, why must you upset myself by being awful to others?
It’s so much easier to smile, to be polite, to be kind, to care,
For from our fellow South Africans comes courtesy, humanity, appreciation,
love and respect.
Our fellow human beings illuminate the only lives we have.
When you look at us, you see South Africa, our beloved country.
When you care for us, you care for our country
And you honour God.
Written in the Year 2000
Published previously in New Coin (Rhodes University), Litnet,
Wild River Review (USA), and the Westville Rotary bulletin, Figtree
If only, that is the thing, Deena, if only! I remember this poem from a long time back, and still feel this way. This is the mark of a great poet: one who writes things that we don’t forget!