Poem author and civilized pioneer, Maya Angelou is the American journey personify, beyond that, she needs a little introduction, her words do it for her. She wrote and recited a tribute to Nelson Madela on behalf of American people. The White House tweeted it out, Here is the ?.

 

His day is done, is done.

 

The news came on the wings of a wind.

 

We loved him to carry his burden. 

 

Nelsom Madela's day is done.

 

No sun outlast is sun set. 

 

But will rise again and bring the dawn.

 

Nelson Mandela's day is done.

 

We confess it and tear for voices. 

 

Yet we lift our own to say Thank you.

 

Thank you, Our Gideon.

 

Thank you, Our David.

 

Our great courageous man.

 

We will not forget you.

 

We will not dishonor you.

 

We will remember and be glad that you lived among us;

 

that you taught us

 

and that you loved us. 

 

 

 

I spoke with Dr. Maya Angelou shortly before air time. 

 

Dr. Angelou, I watched the poem that you wrote and recited in memory of President Mandela. One of the things that struck me that you said you refered him as David, not just South Africa's David, but our David, the world's David, our Gideon. 

 

The truth is we have many of us on David, a man, a woman, we can not be that particular person who have enough courage to stand up, and say " I am one. I have enough courage to dare to be a lover". Not an indulger, but somebody who dares to love. And that for Nelson Mandela was about. He had enough courage to say, you may call me, I am a person who dares to care for other human beings. And you see, one of the reasons I said this to you some time ago when I had pleasure of speaking to you Anderson Cooper. I like the fact that you have enough courage to stand up. Courage is the most important devoted virtures. 

 

The thing about Mandela that is I found so extrodinary in reading his history is for me very young age, he had the courage to see beyond his own situation. I mean, he was born into a, you know, rego family, he had access to education. He coud have stayed in his community, but he saw, he started to see himself as an African, not just as a Holsa. He started to see himself, and see how the white region was dividing people by stressing ethnic differences. And he was able to over combat. And I think that's something extrodinary thing. 

 

It's true. It's true. He was a courageous human being. And full of ideas that he was on the journey. And he had something to do. He had faith to be. And it's fabulous to realize. There's an old spirit to an old g? song, which is: I'm on my journey now, my own zxx; I'm on my journey now, my own zxx. I wouldn't take nothing, my own zxx for my journey now, my own zxx.  He was on the journey. And he knew it. And he had something to do. And this was what each of us has. If we have enough courage, we can say : I'm on the journey. I have a charge to keep.

 

You were living in Cairo with your husband who is a South African freedom fighter. When you first met Nelson Mandela, I understand your husband and Mandela were something of rivals. But you said that didn't matter to Mandela. Tell us about that experience. 

 

But they were rivals, but when Nelson Mandela came to visit, he never joined the vituperative.  He never joined the argumentative people. He was simply kind to everybody. 

 

When you heard that he was gone, what first went through your mind?

 

While I feel lost in a way. We've been friends so long from the early 60's. And I feel lost, I didn't know quite what to say. I mean it was a piece of muse that we known would've gone. But it through me and I don't know if I'm over it quite yet.

 

Dr. Angelou, I appreciate you spending some moments with us tonight. Thank you so much.

 

I thank you very much, Anderson Cooper. Thank you. God bless you.