Isinamuva - The last (traditional) dancer
by Fano Sibisi, written on 4 March 2008 (more about him below)

O yes MND,

Motor Neuron Disease,

You are a giant amongst diseases!

Medical experts were intrigued

As they tried to locate your origin.

Some say I was born with you,

And you hid in remote areas of my body,

Waiting for your striking moment.

O, that milestone year 2000,

We were waiting for it with baited breath,

Expecting multiplied blessings.

I wonder what it was 2000 said to you MND.

Whatever it was that got into you,

You came down on me in full fury,

You struck repeatedly until I felt it.

You were not satisfied even when I was limping,

You were not satisfied even when I was in a wheelchair,

You were not satisfied even when I was confined to the bed,

You aimed for anything in me that still moved.

You knew my calling in this world,

You saw me criss-crossing countries with the Gospel,

But you showed no mercy whatsoever. 

You robbed me of any movement,

You robbed me of my voice,

You thought you had removed me from the living;

How mistaken you were.

Thanks to western technology,

Given to the Westerners by the Maker,

Here I am surrounded by a maze of gadgets,

Through them I still talk even though my mouth is shut.

Where on earth did you see eyes that talk?
And MND that makes you mad with anger,

I see your wicked gaze towards my eyes.

You knew that my mother brought me up with song,

At school music was part of my life,

You knew that I have a calling for singing,

Praise to the Almighty wells up from within me,

But you rejoiced when my voice was gone,

My voice has become history to those who knew it;

But you have forgotten the song of the heart.

I still hear those beautiful voices,

And my innermost being sings along,

“Even though my mouth is shut

I am still singing on.”

You used to hear me say, “Umculo weklasiki,”

Then I played the best from the music world,

Beautiful compositions that will not wither and die out;

By masters such as George Friedrich Handel,

Johan Sebastian Bach and Franz Schubert,

Josef Haydn and Wolgang Amadeus Mozart,

Antonio Vivaldiand Felix Mendelssohn;

Wow, I could go on until the sun goes down.

You used to hear me say, “Yelula isandla,”

Inviting the children of men

Whose hearts and hands are shrunk,

Who are being consumed by anger and grudges,

Dragging big loads of this world’s sorrows,

And pointing them to the Lamb that takes away sins,

To the Deliverer who has broad shoulders,

To the Saviour whose arms and hands are stretched out,

Who beckons the destitute of this world to Himself.

You used to hear me say, “Ngimi Edwaleni.”

In this changing world,

With teachings advancing and retreating like waves,

And fashions coming and going,

The unchanging Truth stands,

The fortress that will never be conquered stands,

The Eternal Rock stands.

MND, even though you have ravaged my body,

I am still standing firm on this Rock;

I am still singing Luther’s song,

“A mighty fortress is our God,

A bulwark never failing.”

O yes MND, from the Disease family,

If your aim is to destroy me, you can forget it,

You can get sticks from every forest,

They will all end up as a heap of splinters;

You will never get to the real me,

The secret of my life is in the heavens.

MND, dance to your satisfaction,

Boast about your conquests over my body,

But I will be the last performer on this platform;

Remember, the last dancer gets the most attention.

My song will be echoed by the cliffs,

Trees will clap their hands,

The thud from my feet will shake the ground,

“Death is swallowed up in victory.

O death, where is thy sting?

O grave, where is thy victory?”

(Fano Sibisi has been a co-worker at Kwasizabantu Mission since early 1977. He is a great preacher, musician (he's composed a number of songs), and, until MND took his voice, sang in the Kwasizabantu Choir. When he was diagnosed in 2000 with Motor Neuron Disease (known in America as ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease) he was given 6 months to 2 years to live, by his neurologist, which is the normal time for this condition to kill its victim. But, as you can see from his poem, Fano does not allow himself to live under the power of MND but under the power of God. Now, almost 8 years later, he still walks (though paralyzed) with the Lord in victory and joy. He writes regular newsletters using his eye aimed at his computer as he painstaikingly points out each character on the keyboard. His wonderful wife and family have surrounded him with love and care. And, very importantly, he has a team of "nurses" who watch over him day and night. These dedicated souls have given up so much (even careers) just to nurse Fano. We thank God for them and pray that they will receive special crowns in heaven.)

Some photos of Fano Sibisi in his healthier years and recently (3 September 2008), with his nursing staff: