In the night of death
Our nightingale took her last breath
Hope saw a star shinning
Listening love heard the rustle of a wing
A golden heart stopped beating
And hardworking hands went to rest

In the dark morning
Birds went silent
Rivers welled with tears
The swing of our trees turned to a dirge dance
As the wind whispered our loss
Mother nature mourned the loss too

What moved through us is a silence
A quite sadness in this silence
A longing for one more day
One more word
One more deed
One more touch

We did not understand
Why you left this world so soon
Why you left
Left before we were ready to say goodbye

Little by little we begun to remember
Not just that you died
But that you lived
And your life gave us memories
Memories too beautiful to forget

Our heroine Prof. Wangari Maathai
The flower has withered
But the seed remains
Like a bird singing in the rain
Your memories will survive

BROUGHT TO YOU BY PAMBAZUKA NEWS

* © David Njihia Mwakodi. I dedicate this poem to all who share in the vision of our heroine Prof Wangari Maathai – a template of selfless dedication to Mother Nature and human rights.
* Please send comments to editor[at]pambazuka[dot]org or comment online at Pambazuka News.