À l’heure du tout à l’image et du buzz sans suite, «l’express» souhaite faire découvrir la plume de poètes, de chanteurs, d’écrivains et de tous ceux qui jettent leur âme sur le papier en cette journée de célébration de l’Indépendance.

(An ode by the Mauritian diaspora to their beloved Motherland)

Settled somewhere on other continents separated by miles,

Where new landscapes and sceneries can be admired,

Where the new skies and oceans’ vastness can be enjoyed,

Yet, my island remains my lighthouse!

Crossing borders to venture out,

New horizons, New challenges –

Embracing a new land, wholeheartedly

Yet, my island remains my lighthouse!

Seasons and years flow by,

the mind achieving dreams and attaining goals,

the soul making and cherishing memories all along,

Yet, my island remains my lighthouse!

This lighthouse, an abundance of flashbacks –

Nou mama so ‘Enn bon farata so’,

Enn zoli match football avec Nou Papa

Enn ti sorti ant bann bon kamarad ek bann pros

Enn ti fet ant gran paran ek fami

This lighthouse, an irreplaceable Gift of God –

Moris so zoli lamer, so disab

Moris so dalpuri, so gajak

Moris so lepep, so solidarite

Moris Nou ti zil, pou toultan.

Bio

Angkush Poonye

A Certified Chartered Accountant by profession and a poet by passion, he discovered his love for poetry when he was in secondary school. He published his first poetry book “The Aapravasi’s Legacy” in 2020, a poetry book which narrates the journey of an Indian indentured labourer brought from India to Mauritius in the 1800s. With his second publication, “As One People, As One Nation” in August 2024, from which this poem is derived, he hopes to inspire Mauritians, especially the youth, about the importance of being a true patriot, and help the rising generations to learn more about the times when Mauritianism made a difference for the people and their beloved country, where God continues to bless thee, forever and ever.