The Deeper Right Poem by Gert Strydom

When my ancestors faced Mzilikazi,
Dingaan and the British
they thought of no honour
or heroic deeds
while spears and rifle barrels
gleamed in the morning sun

and their eyes were set on You
and with the Bible in the hand
they wanted to convert heathen
and to make impressions in this land,

but somehow
my people were murdered by barbarians
and covetous people,
the Godly call was lost
and survival went into their very souls
to make laws for their own protection.

Still in our simplicity
we tried to stay with You
and now I ask that our property
remain our own,
for the oppression to be gone
so that the sun can shine over us as well
and we also can have a life

and if they that sit in the highest chairs
still want to deny
the deeper right that belongs to us,
do not want to honour You,
further want to trample us
and try to indoctrinate
it compels me to ask:

that You let the broom loose
which Your prophet had predicted
and wipe this continent clean from end to end
and bring salvation to us.


[Reference: The deeper right here refers to the right of leading a life.]