Gentle tribute of a dissident poet
Legendary apartheid-era dissident poet, writer and publisher, James Matthews, has visited Mrs Leah Tutu at home to share a special poem dedicated to Archbishop Tutu over a cup of tea.
Matthews, now 92-years-old, was detained by the government in 1976. His poetry was banned and he was denied a passport for 13 years.
Best known for the volume of firebrand poetry, Cry Rage (1972), in recent years he published an extraordinary series of poems on the subject of ageing – Age is a Beautiful Phase – and struck up a friendship with the Tutus.
A poem dedicated to Archbishop Desmond Tutu
a priest of the people
has died
a man filled with piety
and merriment
who defied the horror
of apartheid
with personal confrontation
and prayer
those in the western world awarded him the
Nobel Peace Prize
he was not a seeker
of fame
displaying the humility granted
by God
for us who strived to follow
his lead
a banner and glowing beacon
forever etched in our
heart and mind
Leah Tutu, we are grateful sharing
our Arch
James Matthews (10 March 2022)