WHAT MATTERED part eleven

It wasn't the first time

Nelson Mandela came into my life

Oh no, not with the sad event

That I wrote for you

In 'What Mattered X'

Oh no

It was back in '88

Then



But to get to this new story

Of my inner Glory

To have done what I could

Just to be there

When Mandela needed us most



1988

I was not gonna to be late

Driving to Wembley

Throught the Gate

Going Backstage



Nelson was loved

By the people

That very day

His seventieth

Birthday



With Sting it all started

I was just driving in

Sting already on stage

He sang out to the crowd

He sang out to the world

Singing...

"If you love somebody set them free"



Free him

This great man

For Nelson Mandela

I stand



It was the first of two

Mandela Events

Raising worldwide consciousness

Of ANC Leader Mandela's imprisonment



1988

I'm so glad that

I always did what I did

If you dig



All I've said

I was there

Like I would be anywhere

To do good

Whenever I could

I can!



All the women

All The men

Who came to do

Tribute

To the man

Here I Name:



Some brought Speeches

Some played Music

for the Singers

To the crowd

Comedy came with the Players

Here the List

For you to see...



Sting

George Michael

Richard Attenborough

Whoopi Goldberg

Richard Gere

Eurithmics

Graham Chapman

The Arnhemland Dancers

Amabutho Male Chorus

Lenny Henry

Al Green

Joe Cocker

Jonathan Butler

Freddie Jackson

Ashford and Simpson

Natalie Cole

Lenny Henry

Fry & Laurie

Tracy Chapmans first Apperance

Wet Wet Wet

Tony Hadley

Joan Armatrading

Midge Ure

Paul Carrack

Fish

Paul Young

Curt Smith

Bryan Adams

Bee Gees

Ali McGraw

Phillip Michael Thomas

Jonas Gwangwa

Salif Keita

Youssou N'Dour

Jackson Brown

Sly & Robbie

Aswad

Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens

UB40

Hugh Masekela

Miriam Makeba

Courtney Pine

IDJ Dancers

Simple Minds

Peter Gabriel

Stephen van Zandt

David Sanborn

Jerry Dammers

Harry Enfield

Amapondo

Whitney Houston

Salt-N-Pepa

Derek B

Stevie Wonder

Fat Boys and Chubby Checker

Billy conolly

Dire Straights

Eric Clapton


Jessye Norman closing with "Amazing Grace"


Leaving a heavy

TRACE

Of what it would mean to give back

SPACE

Though

TIME

Cannot be given back

Yet this man had always stayed on

TRACK

Never swayed

Never looked back

Always foreward

To his

GOAL



Subject 'Apartheid NEVERMORE'!



Yes we carried Voices loud

Out into the World and Crowd


PROUD


Tracy Chapman

Born to a Star

Appeared first time

She had a line

Talkin' 'bout a Revolution

everybody chanting that rhyme



Now that I retrospect

Did I say it was one of the best days in my time?


It's what mattered...


PoeDes©