Weeder extols hope in anthology of poems

FOLLOWING the release of his first collection of poetry, Lockdown, Love & Lament, the Right Reverend Dean of Cape Town’s historic St George’s Cathedral Michael Weeder plans to unveil his second anthology of poems titled The Promise of Memory.

Weeder, who is a devoted jazz lover and an outspoken critic of corruption and inequality, wrote the 69 poems in his anthology in the hope of emphasising that which has been lost, and hope to serve as a rallying cry to preserve nature.

“The Promise of Memory attempts to express and raise the tattered flag of hope, while living life daily out of a consciousness, flowering from the wisodm of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who believes that ‘we can’t go to heaven alone because our historical mandate is to rebuild out of the recognition that we all have, in one way or another, contributed to the current malaise in our society’.”

“I believe that this collection dates back over many years and is focused on the theme of identity and the Struggle for freedom. It is also located in a contemporary reality that recognises that ‘freedom isn’t free’ and it came at a cost.

“We are still paying off a debt incurred by our martyrs. The Zuma years compelled a certain farewell to an innocence that facilitated deception and plundering of our future and undermining the quality of our lives in the present,” said Weeder.

For those with an inquiring mind, copies of both The Promise of Memory and Lockdown, Love & Lament will be on sale at the launch on Tuesday, 30 November, at 6.30pm at St George’s Cathedral and will also be available to order via email at mweeder@mweb.co.za