A Tribute to Don Bosco

In the heart of Turin, where cobbled streets winded

A young dreamer emerged, his purpose defined

Born in eighteen-thirty five, humble and true

His heart, a nucleus of compassion, boundless and bright

Attracting souls like electrons, drawn to his guiding light

From the shepherd’s fields to busting city squares

He tended both sheep and souls with equal care

Gravity, they say, bends the fabric of space

So did Don Bosco bend fate’s rigid trace

He gathered the lost, the wayward and the stray

He created an Oratory, which was sanctuary where they’d stay

His vision clear to rescue the lost and forlorn

To nurture young hearts, their faith to adorn

In dreams and visions, he glimpsed the divine

A ladder to heaven where stars brightly shine

His motto still resound “Da mihi animas, cetera tolle”

Give me souls and take away the rest – his unwavering goal

Through trials and triumphs, he stood firm and tall

A friend to the friendless, a shepherd for all

He founded the Salesians, a brotherhood strong,

Guiding youth towards virtue where they belong

Don Bosco, they call him, a father so dear

His wisdom, a beacon, dispelling of fear

He taught trade and letters, kindness and grace

Empowering the marginalized to find their place

And in Eswatini, where rolling hills meet the sky

The Salesians arrived, their mission held high

Back in nineteen- fifty three, the beacon was lit

Fifteen years before the country’s independence dawned

Don Bosco’s sons set foot on this fertile land

With the same purpose he had – to nurture minds, hearts and hands

Education, their compass, their guiding star

They welcomed the young, near and far

Thousands of Bosco’s Past Pupils walked these halls

Diocesan priests, leaders and charge-makers arose

From the classrooms of Salesians wisdom in schools they chose

In the crucible of learning, character was forged

And the seeds of impact were meticulously sowed to fruition

Newton’s third law echoed in their hearts

For every kindness given a ripple imparts

The Salesians legacy like gravity’s pull

Kept Eswatini peaceful, harmonious and full

The Salesians continue – their impact lives on

So let us be proud of being Salesians

Let us be proud of being sons and daughters of Bosco

As we sing his anthem in praise

“Bosco, Bosco together standing tall

Shoulder to shoulder, we answer Bosco’s call.”

                                                                                                             Sandisizwe Mootse (St John Bosco High School)