Godfrey Madanhire

The Passport: Letters and Poems Godfrey Madanhire 1. izdevums

The sight of a place he called home since birth faded in the distance. He trembled. It was a complete paradox since his pounding heart sunk out of both fear and excitement as he crossed the border into a new country and a world of the unknown. Everything including his name immediately changed and he became a foreigner and a refugee. An unjustified stigma followed him. Life was never the same. He was treated like an outcast, felt unwelcome, prejudiced and constantly sidelined. He was labelled and branded, "The first suspect". He longed for a world free of stereotypes and xenophobia. He wondered and got lost in his thoughts. With his passport safely stuck deep in his pocket, his spirit magically wrote letters, his soul sung songs and lullabies; his heart recited poetry and his inner being painted a mosaic picture portraying the trials and tribulations of a son away from home. The world of genuine brotherhood, humanity, love and tolerance across different nationalities and various cultures remained a far-fetched dream.