A Measure of Greatness - Kofi A. Amoako

Mr. President, what is the measure of greatness?

The support of adoring lovers?
Or fortitude in spite of a foe?
One’s dignity when the night covers?
Or perhaps it's something we'll never know.

Through you, this much we do know:
We reap what we sow;
As in, patience is next of kin of perseverance;
And humility often harvests excellence

In one swift moment,
You made our hairs stand longer,
And forced our consciousness to broaden

In one swift moment,
You pushed democracy a step further
Though leaving our faces sullen

In one swift moment
Like the flight of a wounded bird
You made naysayers eat their piercing words
They realize, after all, that you were merely bones, blood, frail like them

In one swift moment
during that icy encounter you could not avoid,
You made your beloveds feel the void
They acknowledge, once and for all, that you were truly a gem

Ha! And they say nothing good comes out of death
How else would we've appreciated your time on earth?

So in bitter bitterness, a nation will mourn
as a gentle grave tries to cradle you
But when the next generation is born
The light of your vision will be lit anew

If that's not a measure of greatness, then nothing is.

Kofi A. Amoako is a Ghanaian poet who currently resides in Toronto, Canada. He is a regular contributor to One Ghana, One Voice.