"Raise a Pint of Nelson"

So farewell then. Mr. Mandela
You had a wonderful innings
Albeit a large chunk of it
Incarcerated behind bars
Rather than in them.
Although I no longer drink
May I symbolically
Raise a pint of Nelson
In honour of Nelson
Hight in the air
A toast in your honour
Now that you're a goner.
A Belgian beer
Named by Cockneys
After your good self
I would say 'good health'
But under these circumstances...
One man's terrorist
Is another man's freedom fighter.
No contest for me
You were an inspiration
Across your entire nation
A shining light
For an entire generation.
Without you apartheid
Would still be in place
Third class citizens
By fate of race.
In freedom such a humble man
Side by side you were able to stand
Next to the men who
Kept you under lock and key
For so many decades
Before you were set free.
Even next to our Thatcher witch
Who called you a terrorist
The crazy bitch!
Don't get me wrong
Your homeland's not a perfect place
But because of you
Apartheid was laid to waste.
Your legacy is the hope
That will always live on
Spirit still shining
Even after you've gone.

Dulwich Poet 24th June 2013

(Nelson Mandela, jailed ANC leader, and later South African president, is on the brink of death, as I write this. A 'pint of Nelson' is a pint of Stella Artois-'Nelson Mandela rhymes with Stella)