Dennis Brutus at 100

Dennis Vincent Brutus, poet, sports activist, professor, freedom fighter (28 November 1924 - 26 December 2009), ¡Presente!

Photo courtesy of Ghanaian Times

Can a poet fight for change through sports?

Among the work and sacrifice of Dennis Brutus in the struggle against the apartheid regime in South Africa, the South African Nonracial Olympic Committee (SANROC), of which he was a cofounder, successfully had South Africa banned from the Olympics in 1964, sixty years ago.

I wrote this recollection on the day of his passing. I first read it the next day for the radio program African New Dawn on WRSU-FM (New Brunswick, NJ).

I treasure every moment I was able to share with him.

The 3 AM Wake-up Call

for Distinguished Professor Dennis Brutus 

© Ángel L. Martínez 

Brother Professor, I can never forget

that one very early morning, when your greetings from overseas

Awakened me, but best of all awakened my heart

What a humble giant among sages you are

to honor me to hear your wise tenor

From the Mother Land - you could not join us then

But mercifully we were there to see you again, Dear Friend

When you sat back with us and wrote your notes

taking pride in the presence of a young generation of poets among us

Asere, we listened to your words

How profound can a poet write a verse

Expressing joy at picking up a feather from the ground

And then you invited us to have "Refreshments,"

as you called our humble feast in your honour

Yet for all the wonders of seeing you, Learned Comrade

Nothing for me I hold dear

the same as your wake-up call to me

A joyous start to that Friday morning