A Departed Fellow (To Leon Manwangari) Poem by Edouard BIZIMANA

Too late for nice flowers
And for so touching but fake love words
To praise a departed fellow,
After a lonely life in a crowded city
And after so many fights and unfinished agendas!
Forgotten while living and remembered once dead
Leon was no more there to witness
The hypocrisy of the country of his birth
And for which he fought.
No-one is there to give a sense
To the struggles of yours.

You did much for so little Leon!
Your legacy and fights are worthy
More than a wrath of flowers
That will fade within a day,
You deserve, Leon!
The nation owes you tribute
To cool down the anger
Of the spirits of those,
In their grave contemplate
The peace, freedom and democracy you
Dearly cherished and fought for
Overwhelmingly flowing in the blessed land
Of Ntare, a land of milk and honey.
These verses are a tribute
To you, freedom fighter
As I have nothing else to offer.