About you many are silent
And on you all should look at, putting on their lenses
You are the candlelight
That our nation, you put through the light
The Watchdog, by your friends you were called
Transparency and justice for so long you called
Intellectually you fought
With them against the whites
Nothing you asked for, only justice and rights
Tough it was, when many were indoors
In the stinking put of injustice you put your nose
Only that self rule you were trying to source
Talked about are many today
For them you paved the way
Looking for, is self popularity
And keeping quiet are they about the reality
For that they only treasured vanity
In the heart of people, you shall remain for life.
For them you surrender your life
You know no enjoyment in life
All you spent in the struggle of liberation was your life
On exile also you were sent
Many dark nights you worked alone
For that, never your head was bent
Only, your dreams were, Gambia to stand on its own
Sank you were, in the unpredictable depth ocean of liberation
Across you swam, was the sea of freedom
And land yourself, was on the port of victory.
Edward Francis Small was your identity
Standing for all you were, was to end cruelty
In the heart of our history you shall live for eternity
On your soul you let fire fed, for that you can give light
And not anything more about you, we shall take light
For that you are our candlelight.
The poet is the founder, coordinator and head of programmes at the Initiative for the Promotion of Democracy and Good Governance (IPDG) The Gambia.
