To honor the passing of Nelson Mandela, here is a poem I wrote in Cape Town during the 2010 World Cup.
Cape Town
How can they be so friendly
In this formerly tripartite city
Wouldn’t years of separation
Breed distrust of the others
Yet they have overcome such division
In only half a generation
Afrikaners Blacks Coloureds
I’ve met them all
All beautiful
So comfortable in their own skin
Which used to restrict them
I’ve been all over the world
And never felt more welcomed
Nor at home than in
Cape Town
About Bartholomew Barker
Bartholomew Barker is one of the organizers of Living Poetry, a collection of poets and poetry lovers in the Triangle region of North Carolina. His first poetry collection, Wednesday Night Regular, written in and about strip clubs, was published in 2013. His second, Milkshakes and Chilidogs, a chapbook of food inspired poetry was served in 2017. He was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2021. Born and raised in Ohio, studied in Chicago, he worked in Connecticut for nearly twenty years before moving to Hillsborough where he makes money as a computer programmer to fund his poetry habit.
Bartholomew Barker, Poet 
When I heard of his passing, I immediately thought of that poem and was hoping you’d remember you had written it. :-)
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I’m honored you remembered it. I’ll never forget that trip to Cape Town. My only regret is that I didn’t make it to Robben Island. I waited until the last few days of my trip and the seas were too rough for the ferry.
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