The bird hummed where eagles feared,
Sang the taboo words,
Tuned to the emancipation of masses,
With an ecstatic difference.

She walked where angels feared,
Talked the language of the voiceless,
When the breeze blew against all odds
And put on a brave march.

As the dawn for our liberation – the Second Birth,
She stood for the truth, with fearless attitude,
And earned a viper’s wrath.

The bird lifted the land high above,
When she held the coveted prize,
For the quest in restoring our dignity,
And we all shouted in her praise.

She fought for you, me and us,
And made us proud,
Our future was restored,
At last, as it ignites our heritage.

Then the wind blew so hard,
That it was too difficult to steer,
Or perch on the nearest tree.

The wing could not move further,
And the sun finally rested on her,
Before, just before the dawn.

The daughter of the African cause,
The tigress that pounces,
The mother of restoring our dashed hope,
The fertility of the land,
The peace beacon of Kenya, Africa, the earth.
Rest in peace,
Prof. Wangari Muta Maathai

© mburu kamau