Poem for the 46th Anniversity of Independence

ISSABELLE VILAU

Thousands

By Thousands we are
Hundreds of Islands scattered across,
the silky blue surface of the Pacific Ocean
Mountain ranges stood tall and proud like a King
Crowned with rare jewel of untouched virgin forests and
Clothed with the royal robe of endemic flora and fauna

By Thousands we are
Tribes sparsely scattered across the land
like a broken pieces of a bottle
Going from the highlands to the Islands
And from the Lowlands to the coast

By Thousands we are
Who would have thought we could come together?
Who would have thought Freedom was Calling?
Impossible it seemed
But not to Him
The Man who wanted freedom for his land

By Thousands we are
Colourful headdresses dancing on top of our heads
The beat of Kundu drums echoing throughout the land
And the joyful singing and dancing poured out the land
September 16, 1975
The Day Freedom arrived on OUR shores
The Land of a Thousand Tribes, United.

By Thousands we are
And One was chosen
What extraordinary capability the Man must have possessed
Leading the Land he loved so dearly to Freedom
If he should be described let it be
Grand.

Courageous and Patriotic.
Visionary, Wise.
Genuine and Charismatic.
And a thousand more words.

From the Thousand words, one word is Him
“SANA”
That is Him, the ‘Peacemaker’
A Great Chief
A True Patriotic and
A wise Man

By Thousands we are
Divided by tribes and culture, languages and ideologies
Now we stand together as One
The true black, white, yellow and red, Fly high and proud
The land cried out with a grateful Heart
To Honor the great Man, who brought freedom to this Land

By Thousands we are
And ‘SANA’ Unites us
We are truly one is a Thousand
And a Thousand in One
Can never be more grateful to
The Father of this Nation
The Late Grand Chief, Sir Michael Thomas Somare, for
A Free and United Thousands we are