Astonishing
Morwa wa Bapedi
How you have tread up North
Taking giant literary leaps

Your pass on not final rest
For your words—
Eskia philosophy
Transcends the physical
And spiritual realm;
A timely one to quench
Neo-colonial thirsty mindsYour achievements do not go unseen
You pave a way for Afrika’s future
Through your finding
Of Afrikan literature department
At Wits University
And The Eskia Institute

After Raisibe 
You held my hand
And asked for my name
Uponwhich you murmured:
“Freedom is a song,
Keep singing”

For that you words and
Your testimonies
Will forever reverberate
Through pavements
Down Second Avenue 
Not the one in Melville
But the autobiographical
One in our minds

From GaMphahlele
To Biafra
Your literary genius,
Personas and wisdom
Will forever be cherished
Morwa wa Bakone

You taught the English
Afrika my Music 
Now the notes of
Your melodic mantra
Skin the pitch
Of the sounds
In their head

Ditau tja go hloka sebata
Dihlola ke nare e hlotja…
Kannete le bile sebata
Sa sechaba papa

Robalang ka khutjo

1. Eskia found the African Literature department at the University of Witswatersrand in 1980, upon returning from exile in Nigeria
2. Raisibe is Uhuru’s anthology of poetry
3. Down Second Avenue is Eskia’s first autobiography
4. GaMphahlele is Eskia’s home in Limpopo
5. Afrika my Music is Eskia’s second autobiography