Fifty years ago
A heart pumped blood in a different being
As Barnard, to American’s chagrin
Stole headlines around the world
The first human heart transplant
No simple cut and paste this
But meticulous cutting and
Miraculous revival of a dying soul
In the divided land of black and white
A new era dawned off the South Atlantic
Fast forward, actually slow forward
To the coming of new technology
As millions die from a forgotten disease
In the forgotten young of poverty and neglect
Balloons and helices and technique exquisite
Focus on the valves between life and death
The young, ambitious, lucky ones
Sat in the cape of hope and destiny
Working with their demanding mentors
To perfect a science
That would arrive
Almost imperceptibly
At the heart of the matter
To revitalize those defective parts
The first, really the first
In Barnard’s old great barn
Franschhoek, South Africa, February 2019
