The Captain of his Soul

Nelson Mandela is fighting for his life.

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

He is the Captain of his Soul.  Champion Idealist Portrait of Nelson Mandela

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4 thoughts on “The Captain of his Soul”

  1. I believe that Mandela is a flawed hero. Despite the countries natural wealth, the majority of the the population remains poor and by 1999, 10% of South Africa’s population were HIV positive. Mandela had done little about this during his presidency. Despite his attempts at reconciliation between blacks and whites, violent crime remains high in the country. According to Wikipedia, “It is estimated that 500,000 women are raped in South Africa every year.”

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