deepundergroundpoetry.com
The Mandela Effect .
It's hard to believe
as I walk
the 285 meters
between Newtown and
Braamfontien
that this tar
these steel cables
the lights
will celebrate
20 years of bridging
the race gap
next year
find myself wondering
if there'll be a party
to celebrate
the 40 railway lines beneath it
as I count
the credit cards
car keys
purses
discarded on the curbs
I remember that a memorial
would be apt
it'll be the 10th Anniversary
of his second death
it's hard to believe
that he'd
have a 105 birthday candles
had his lungs
kept breathing
a tourist
stops and asks me
after they witness
their first
gun point
"If it's safe?"
- remind them
that he brought freedom
to our people
in 1994
and that means
most our country remembers
being set free to walk
anywhere, safely
30 years ago
but many people
remember
many things.
Published 22nd Apr 2022
Author's Note
"The Mandela effect describes a situation in which a person or a group of people have a false memory of an event."
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/mandela-effect
...23
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/mandela-effect
...23
All writing remains the property of the author. Don't use it for any purpose without their permission.
likes 7
reading list entries 1
comments 3
reads 340
Commenting Preference:
The author encourages honest critique.
22nd Apr 2022 2:45pm
An excellent and worthy tribute to a great leader. Oh, to have more to follow his example. Thanks for the reminder. Hugs and peace, Oral
Anonymous
22nd Apr 2022 6:47pm
I laughed at the mention of a Newtown. That’s the name of the area I live. 😂
Do you get many tourists asking about the area out of interest? I always wonder if people are just laughing at tourists or generally trying to help them.
I do enjoy a poem that brings to light something that the rest of the world doesn’t really know much about. I love how poetry can bridge that gap for the whole world. As per usual, the narrative you provide here is on point.
I didn’t know anything about the Mandela effect, but I was very interested to read the article. Actually explains something for me that I didn’t realise was an actual thing. So thank you for that.
Thank you for sharing your 23. It was good to learn a thing or two. 😊
-M
Do you get many tourists asking about the area out of interest? I always wonder if people are just laughing at tourists or generally trying to help them.
I do enjoy a poem that brings to light something that the rest of the world doesn’t really know much about. I love how poetry can bridge that gap for the whole world. As per usual, the narrative you provide here is on point.
I didn’t know anything about the Mandela effect, but I was very interested to read the article. Actually explains something for me that I didn’t realise was an actual thing. So thank you for that.
Thank you for sharing your 23. It was good to learn a thing or two. 😊
-M
Hi there, A :)
We often have mention of the 'Mandela effect' here in the states... Unfortunately I believe it's even more rampant now because of the barrage of lies that have been disturbingly and disgustingly inflicted upon the general public, almost force-fed as accepted 'truths' over the past 6 to 8 years or so. My guess is it has made people a little bit more susceptible to automatically believing something without any, and I mean ZERO verification... Lol... It's astounding, sometimes.... Truly!
I really appreciate this powerfully felt piece , Al. I was certainly caught in your creative snare and felt it wonderfully interesting and incredibly insightful to partake (and almost participate in) the snapshot you generously give us of the happenings from your side of the globe.
We're all enormously lucky to get to have that tiny view— it's a cherished opportunity, imo.
Your combination of using that modern day 'Mandela Effect' phenomenon and juxtaposing it against the actual historical heft of the upcoming anniversaries was a true stroke of genius.... It makes such a impactful statement.
The last three lines , hit hard! ... A perfect 👌🏻 poetic gut punch!
Such cleverly crafted, moving ink.
Thank you for putting it out there-🙏
Well wishes ✨
🌹 - 💙
B
We often have mention of the 'Mandela effect' here in the states... Unfortunately I believe it's even more rampant now because of the barrage of lies that have been disturbingly and disgustingly inflicted upon the general public, almost force-fed as accepted 'truths' over the past 6 to 8 years or so. My guess is it has made people a little bit more susceptible to automatically believing something without any, and I mean ZERO verification... Lol... It's astounding, sometimes.... Truly!
I really appreciate this powerfully felt piece , Al. I was certainly caught in your creative snare and felt it wonderfully interesting and incredibly insightful to partake (and almost participate in) the snapshot you generously give us of the happenings from your side of the globe.
We're all enormously lucky to get to have that tiny view— it's a cherished opportunity, imo.
Your combination of using that modern day 'Mandela Effect' phenomenon and juxtaposing it against the actual historical heft of the upcoming anniversaries was a true stroke of genius.... It makes such a impactful statement.
The last three lines , hit hard! ... A perfect 👌🏻 poetic gut punch!
Such cleverly crafted, moving ink.
Thank you for putting it out there-🙏
Well wishes ✨
🌹 - 💙
B
