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A Unique
40th Anniversary Gift
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A great idea
for any anniversary, A Gift of Poetry is a truly
romantic way of expressing your innermost thoughts
and feelings.
Whether for your partner, parents or friends,
an anniversary gift poem will make the day an
unforgettable experience. |
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(Here's
a good example of just what can be achieved. Ntsiki
wanted something special for her friends who were
celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. Ntsiki
has kindly given her permission for her poem and
story to be published) |
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What
is your name : |
Ntsiki Langford |
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Who
do you want the poem written for: |
Very dear friends (we're all
from South Africa) |
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Why
do you want the poem written: |
For their
40th wedding anniversary that is being organized
by their children. I'm one of the South
African community members who has been invited
to this celebration. |
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What
are the key messages you would like to send: |
The Big
Hearts that this couple has----never failing
to show up to conduct weddings (Husband
is an ordained minister who has conducted
weddings and funerals for "unchurched"
people who would otherwise not have a religious
ceremony) The wife is industrious, creative
(cooks, decorates, organizes functions,
brings songs to events). This couple (Glory
and Chris) is very dignified, and both have
been role models of what a marriage means
for their children and the larger community.
They're very special in the hearts of so
many! |
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Do
you have any funny, sad, happy, embarrassing
or otherwise memorable moments that you
would like to share: |
I remember
the times when I've grabbed Chris to chair
events to which he was an invited guests.
When other ministers do not show up at weddings
(one walked out because the bride was an
hour late), he stepped in and conducted
the wedding ceremony. |
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Do
you have any other comments or thoughts: |
It is
rare to find such a loving couple that has
brought up a lovely family of highly educated
children (now adults, one is a doctoral
candidate, one went to Harvard), but with
all of that this couple is down to earth.
Many South Africans came here thinking they
were coming to the land of plenty where
streets are paved with gold, and when they
got the rude awakening and found themselves
homeless without food, this couple has brought
everyone into their home. |
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What
style of poem would you prefer (happy, sad,
romantic etc.): |
Happy,
romantic, artistic touch, use words like
humanness (In Africa this implies the ethos
of caring for one another, and the African
world for that is "ubuntu" which
you can use) |
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Please
choose which package you would prefer: |
Unique |
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Do
you have any last comments or thoughts: |
'm looking
for a creative, unique piece. There will
be a full audience where this card will
be opened and read. |
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UBUNTU |
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I know of a little village,
it's a place not too far from here,
but sadly, it's a place torn apart,
it's full of atrocity, greed and fear. |
That's not to say it's
a place without hope,
because that hope is within us all, it's an
eternal flame,
but I think the village needs some of our
help,
bear with me, as I won't yet tell you it's
name. |
Firstly, let me describe it to you,
on one side, there are all types of treasure,
glistening gold, electricity, medicine, gismos,
in fact, there's wealth beyond earthly measure. |
Now, this is the side
where the controllers live,
they preach love but practice another kind,
and if you had a look inside their tiny brains,
well, the poor would be the last things on
their mind. |
In the middle of the village, there live
many,
they're neither poor nor rich, they just live,
but they too get caught up in their earthly
struggles,
and all too often, they too forget how to
give. |
Now, if we walk through
to the poorer part,
there you'll just see struggle and strife,
where disease, hunger and starvation,
well, they're just an everyday part of life. |
And it seems so very strange to me,
how one village could get this way,
I think the villagers should hear about Ubuntu,
and that one line leaves so much to say: |
Now Ubuntu is a marvelous
spirit,
it's all around us and in the heavens above,
it makes sense of all the confusion,
it covers everybody with a blanket of love. |
It's at the very core of African culture,
it's the ethos of humanness on planet Earth,
it means feeding a stranger, caring for them,
it's a recognition of every life and it's
worth. |
It's giving a stranger
a place to sleep,
it's babysitting other's children, it's learning
to share,
it's about all chipping in and helping,
it's proving to others that you truly care. |
It takes a village to raise a child,
but there are many children with no one to
hold,
and we need to rescue the village's children,
because they too, have a story to be told. |
But before I tell you
name of the village,
and I think I'll leave that until the very
last line,
I need to tell you about the Ubuntu spirit,
because it's alive and well in two friends
of mine. |
Chris and Glory Nteta are simply beautiful
people,
truly, they are Ubuntu personified,
and I know I couldn't have picked finer friends,
I know I couldn't - even if I'd tried. |
You've both been involved
in the South African struggle,
and to many refugees, you've put a roof over
their heads,
and together, you've strode forward with such
purpose,
you've gone where many a mortal rarely treads. |
You are a couple with
gigantic hearts,
at times, they're even too big for you chest,
and I know that I speak for all of us here
tonight,
Chris, Glory, you two are two of the very
best. |
You share the epitome
of a perfect marriage,
and as role models, you've played the perfect
role,
you not only have an amazing depth of character,
you have Ubuntu imprinted on your very soul. |
Now, for those of you
that are unaware,
Ubuntu means humanness, in all it's glory,
Ubuntu describes a better way of life,
and Chris, Glory, Ubuntu is your story. |
And at the start of
these lines I spoke of hope,
hope for a village that is as yet, nameless,
but I think if we all lived like Chris and
Glory,
well, the village would be covered in humanness. |
And the village would
change it's ways forever,
watch it really soar with it's Ubuntu sails
unfurled,
of course, it would still be the same shape,
but boy, that village would be a different
world. |
Copyright
Allen Jesson :) 2004 - 2011 www.agiftofpoetry.com |
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In the end, this work was
a true collaboration. After the second draft,
Ntsiki kindly replied:
This is great, I really like it!
1) Key verse
for the front:
Those who hold love and Ubuntu in their hearts
are forever precious! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
2) Inside Message:
Congratulations on your 40th year together. You
are blessed, and so are all those of us who know
you! You Are Loved!
Sheila, Joyce, Nobubele, Ntsiki
Style of Card:
The HEARTS
Paper:
Tulips |
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