Immaculée, a girl like you and me,
Her skin is golden and her eyes are deep,
Her story, sadly, is no fantasy,
And certainly will make some readers weep …
Few years ago, under the Rwandan sun,
In Africa, quite a few miles from here,
A horrid holocaust had just begun,
Which spread around a lot of grief and fear …
The tribes, divided into enemies,
Called Hutus, or the “good race” on one side,
Who to the Tutsis did atrocities,
Possessed with hatred, ignorance and pride …
Immaculée, “the pure one” did belong
To the unlucky tribe which was their goal,
And even though her spirit had been strong,
This slaughter brought implosion to her soul …
When battles started, she did leave her home,
Her loving family was desperate with grief,
So many Tutsis aimlessly did roam
Around the country, just to find relief …
But hardly anywhere those helpless souls could hide,
The churches were a popular refuge,
Where many Tutsis desperately cried,
Until their number just became too huge …
The Hutus didn’t care about such pain,
Their blood-thirst did not stop before the Lord,
And recklessly, and certainly insane,
They slaughtered every Tutsi with their sword …
Immaculée was hiding with a priest,
Together with six other ladies sweet,
A tiny mouse-hole, just to say the least,
Would be for three months their common retreat …
Without much food, and not allowed to speak,
The ladies gathered fearful in this place,
Only their liberation they would seek,
From their small prison, from that tiny space …
From early morning to the latest night,
Immaculée would pray with heart and soul,
Her Lord, to keep her candle shining bright,
To never lose her soul’s most sacred goal …
Which was to love her enemies as well,
Although this seemed so very hard to do,
But so much faith within her heart did dwell,
A more devoted girl I hardly ever knew …
And through Her Lord’s Grace, she would soon be saved
From gnashing teeth of death, from cutting knife,
No more, she and the others were enslaved,
And all were free to start a brand new life …
Though not very romantic were their starts,
When finally their families they’d seek,
And broken were their grief-imploded hearts,
When after all the naked truth did speak …
One million Tutsis had been cut to death,
Or shot or tortured till their very end,
In horror, all those souls lived their last breath,
A holocaust, so hard to understand …
Immaculée now bravely faced the truth,
With tears she listened ‘bout her parents’ fate,
And ‘bout her brothers, in their blooming youth,
Who’d been the victims of this reigning hate …
One day, she met the man who’d killed them all,
A well known neighbor and a man of pride,
And with much sadness she realized his fall,
And all her judgment did at once subside …
She prayed to God to grace her with His Love,
And with much strength, and with much courage, too,
And most of all, protected from above,
No single unforgiving thought she knew …
“I have forgiven you”, she said with gentle voice,
To one who so much suffering bestowed,
Forgiveness was this saintly lady’s choice,
Which freed her from her dear heart’s heavy load …
If now your eyes are filled with blissful tears,
Her message had been useful to us all,
Those tears will free us from all fears,
When such a Divine lesson we recall …
Author notes
I would like to dedicate this poem to Immaculée Ilibagiza www.lefttotell.com/index.php
Written November 1st, 2006
A contest entry
- Deeper Meaning by Jim.
300 points, ended March 30, 2008, 11 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Biography Contest by Olivias Violin.
440 points, ended September 19, 2008, 13 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 17 of 17
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Yes! I have heard of this amazing woman!
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I was meant to read this. Thank you for sharing such a courageous and hopeful journey.
Contrats on the Gold!
Beautiful and so very deserving! God bless!
Kelly
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This is such a sad poem but the message it sends is one of great meaning. I think we could all learn a little from Immaculée's forgiving heart. Thank you for your entry.
~Phoenix
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Your poem sent chills down my spine and put tears in my eyes. Such an emotional write. Good luck in my contest
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A unique, dedication poem you have penned. Makes one wonder why there has to be so much hatred in the world.
Thanks for telling us the story, and good luck in the contest.
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thank you very much for your truly kind words, jasminerose.
maa -
Amazing story!
An amazing piece in tribute to a beautiful soul! Your story of Immaculée Ilibagiza, is wonderfully told, through all the peril and sadness so many face in this world and so moving to see it written so poetically!
Wonderful entry for this round!
Thank you so much for sharing
I wish you all the best!
Jasminerose
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I am very touched by your words, legend, thank you so much for having taken the time to read and comment this piece, and for your generous applause.
maa -
Maa you always bring something special to the reader with your work,words that just seem to flow onto the paper and draw the reader into whatever subject you are writing about.A wonderful sad touching piece that while one should say was a pleasure to read because of the content It was as it explained one of many cruel event mankind seems hell bent on continuing all over the world Good luck in the contest
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thank you, dear linda, for your kind words.
maa -
Wow, A beautiful story....Thank you so much for sharing the story of Immaculée Ilibagiza..... So sad and touching this is, and surely will bring a tear to all who read it...
Well done!
Good luck in round 2!
Lynda
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thank you so much for your blessed visit, dear carol.
maa -
How beautifully done, gf. Google Shqipe Malushi. I was able to pray for her and hold her in a shawl hug the day before she went back to Afghanistan to continue with her work for the lost and war-torn women and children. My heart is with her in ways you speak of Immaculee.
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dear ga of pure thoughts,
thank you so much for your visit here, I have just read immaculée's book, which has touched me deeply. she speaks from inside about what has happened in rwanda at that time, not very long ago, and hearing her truth about how this holocaust has touched her soul is very striking. it is still hard to believe for me how such cruelty is possible.
and she was able to forgive, despite the deep pain ...
...
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thank you so much, my sweet hubby, for having read and commented this poem of mine, which was so hard to write for me ... but I hope that some readers will be touched by its message.
marion -
maa, The torture of one is terrible, the slaughter of a million is unthinkable. Yet, this wonderful woman was able to forgive. Only through the Grace of God. Your wonderful poem shredded my soul at the thought of a million deaths and tortures and rejoiced at Immaculee's response.
Thank you for sharing this strong lesson of forgiveness,
Humbly, G A -
dear maa, thank you so much for a so beautiful and touching testimony. it concerns all of us, starting by the idea of separation, when the "I" thinks to be something separated from "you". the dramatic forgetting of the one being brings terror in mind, body and world. so thank you again for sharing your loving concern, arising from your own awareness of the eternal oneness.
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