'Developing through Poetry' Art and Artists  

Mambambo John (196.4.80.8) -

I am a University student and i believe that the issue of National Development does not commense at the Economic level but for it to be sustained, there must be some other complementary efforts from other facets of the economy. Botswana should develop its own tarlent that lies unnoticed in its youths and other massess. I have written this poem as a dedication to you the people of Botswana even if i am a Zimbabwean..I love you all.The title is "God gave us a history"

GOD GAVE US A HISTORY

God gave us a history,

But by destiny we crave for a future,

With our eating orifice deseart dry,

We hurl words that chorus, "life's wry"

Time after time we scream a bitter cry,

For we have nothing to swallow, chew, or fry,

Moment after moment i wish i was a bird in the sky,

Free from the tribulations of this land,

Is the world against time or have i gone astray?

Every silent dawn in hope i pray,

Well nigh yesterday my dreams came to pay,

But was nothing, only realities of a nightmare,

What is then beyond our days we wonder?

Till when shall we suffer?

When shall we be free....Honestly?

Puzzling questions torment the soul,

Percussions of the heart,

Outpour a feeling doubt,

Amidst pain and agony we strive to survive,

Yet we forget that God who gave us a history, grands us a future.

(By Mambambo John-Midlands State University)

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Reply #1 Mambambo John (196.4.80.8) -

It is high time people utilise the resources that are readily available and one such a resource is our "MIND". This connote explicitly thast we can build hope where it was nowhere to be found through our own mind thruogh "POETRY". BOTSWANA

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Reply #2 Mambambo John (196.4.80.8) -

I am in my third year at the Midlands State University in Zimbabwe and am undertaking a B.A (HONS) in African Languages and Culture. I am excelling in my studies and currently am the BEST in my Department at the University but my problem is with my own undertakings to be a World-class artist through Poetry and music. I am a very multi-faceted artist because, i have some poetry which has been published in an anthology by Mambo Press entitled "Jakawaya Renhetembo", I have been interviewed on the National Radio regarding my poetry on several occasions and appearred in a National paper "Kwayedza" of the week commencing 02-08 June 2006. Currently i have handed more poems to College Press in Harare, Zimbabwe. I now believe that it is high time i sought for assistance because i am writing "Plays" and "Songs". I know i have the tarlent but i do not have enough finances to venture into MUSIC as it takes a lot. Any assistance offered is greatly appreciated.I am 22 years old. My cellphone number is +26311 882 279.LETS LIFT OUR FLAGS THROUGH POETRY< MUSIC< PLAYWRITING< and other culture-related nexus.

By Mambambo John (Zimbabwe)

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Reply #3 Mambambo John (196.4.80.8) -

It is high time we go back to the definition of development itself, because it seems as if we are being diverted from what development entails. Development must be felt and received at all levels of the economy. It seems as if those who belong to the base of the economy, the uneducated ones are not considered when we talk of development. Therefore, we can not talk to them in an alien language if we want to include them in developmental issues. Therefore, we must be proud ofour own languages and know that they are very much a part of our development and without them developmental issues can not be addressed to the fullest possible extent.

By Mambambo John( Midlands State University)

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Reply #4 MAMBAMBO JOHN (196.4.80.174) -

It is the ONE WHO DEFINES A CONCEPT OR PHENOMENA WHO CONFINES IT. THIS MEANS THAT, DEVELOPOMENT HAS BEEN DEFINED WITHIN THE NEXUS OF THE SO CALLED FIRST WORLD OR DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, WHERE THEY WANTED EVERY COUNTRY TO PURSUE THE VERY AVENUES THROUGH WHICH THEY DEVELOPED(AN ETHNOCENTRIC APPROACH); WHICH SOUNDS VERY UNLOGICAL AND UNREALISTIC IN CONCEPT. IN ESSENCE, IF WE LET SOME PEOPLE DEFINE DEVELOPMENT FOR US, THEY ARE GOING TO CONFINE IT TO THE EXTENT THAT WE AND OUR GREAT, GRAND CHILDREN WILL DIE HAVING NOT SET OUR FEET INTO "DEVELOPMENT". WELL..THIS IS NOT TRUE, BECAUSE WE ARE DEVELOPING IN OUR OWN UNIQUE MANNER (RELATIVISM);BECAUSE IF WE WOULD FOLLOW THE FIRST WORLD, THEN IT MEAN THAT LIFE WOULD LOOK VERY DULL AND MONOTONOUS.POETRY IN AFRICA HAS ALWAYS BEEN CRUCIAL AND A WAY OF EXPRESSING OUR HAPPINESS, SORROW, SHARE OUR THOUGHTS,LOVE PASSIONS AND RECEIVE A NEW MEMBER OF OUR FAMILY WHEN JUST BORN, OR SENDING HIW/HER TO THE UNKNOWN WORLD AT BURIAL . THIS WAS VERY INFLUENCIAL EVEN IN COURTSHIP WITHOUT WHICH A MAN WOULD NOT FIND THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE. MOREOVER, WHEN ONE WRONGED IN THE SOCIETY, WE HAD OUR OWN UNIQUE MANNER OF BRINGING BACK HIS SANITY AND NORMALCY; THROUGH POETRY AND SONG(KUROVA BEMBERA IN SHONA). OFCOURSE SINGING AND POETRY FALL UNDER THE SAME BROAD GENRE OF POETRY WHICH ONLY DIFFER IN THEIR WAYS OF EXPRESSION AND THESE HAVE PLAYED AND CONTINUE TO PLAY A VERY SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN OUR OWN DEVELOPMENT AS AFRICANS. ALLUDING TO THE PRE-COLONIAL INTERLUDE ALONE MIGHT CONNOTE THAT "WE BURIED OUR UNIQUE AFRICANNESS WITH THE ADVENT OF COLONIALISM" ;BUT ALAS, EVEN IN THE POST-COLONIAL PERIOD,POETRY CONTINUES TO PLAY A VERY PIVOTAL ROLE IN ENHANCING ONENESS, PROPELLING THE POLITICAL PHILOSOPHIES AND TEACHING THE MASSES;BUT NOT ONLY THOSE STRICTLY SOUNDINGLY INTELLECTUAL PURPOSES BUT THE ENTERTAINING ROLE OF POETRY STILL WIELDS ITS POWER AND EFFECTS. HOW CAN WE IGNORE OUR OWN SELVES THEREFORE AFRICA? REJECTING OUR OWN UNIQUE WAYS OF EXPRESSION IS AKIN TO REJECTING OUR OWN SHADOWS.

MAMBAMBO JOHN (MIDLANDS STATE UNIVERSITY-ZIMBABWE)

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Reply #5 Mambambo John (196.4.80.174) -

Since the emergence of language, poetry unconciously emerged and it brought with it some very significant expressive power. Accordingly, both the poet and the observers and listeners shared a common framework of the procedures. thus, accroding to a malawian poet, Jack Mapanje, =when a good song was sung well, everybody applauded, when it was badly sung everybody everybody new it, when the poet invented some new expressions he was acknowledged for hs creative genius. This is a clear indication of the sasme kind of mutual understanding which is conotatively expressed when a song is being sang and there in an audience tro complement the singer by way of clapping their hands and backing the singer. Such a cordination is a clear indication of how systematic the african philosophical facets are."Chako wega mukonde wesadza" (It is only your plate of sadza that you totally own in an african society-all the other spheres need the complementing efforts of other societal members).In essence, having such a philosophical backround that champions oneness and unity, it means it takes little effort in an African society to cordinate the people, you just venture into an avenue which bring them all together and enhance the unity from there.Poems are one such an aspect of the philosophy.The sanity and solace so much craved for in africa is not an issue to be solved by International Humanitarian organisations, but it is simply a matter of revisiting our philosophical norms.

By Mambambo John-December 2006

Midlands State University

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Reply #6 Pearl Kutlwano Magashula (168.167.147.26) - Thu May 22 02:41:01 2008

my name is Pearl Kutlwano magashula a.k.a Lady Verbatim, 20, jst fifnished my 2nd year of law at the university of Swaziland, a motswana female. Poetry is my passion, i hve it running through my veins, it is my strengnth and my coping mechanism. with it the uncontrollable power surging within me is unleashed and im given a voice, a platform to share my piece with the world...

here is a little something i wrote, its yet to be tittled. don't know what you'll make of it...i think it's what Jesus must have felt;

I am a faceless body in a world migrating to a state of emergency which is yet to be declared

I am a frightened child screaming against the repression, depression, opression, transgression, regression and no progression of the world

I am a voiceless object undetected, unprotected, implemented, depleted and deleted

I am a soldier fighting a battle wchich doesn't grow any older but is never over

The demons i fight are the driving force behind the bandwagon of doom the world seems so intent on riding,

Striding so intact its a matter of fact it has no intention of providing,

Some room for the light entrapped inside my body

To shine through so true, penetrating to every memeber of the crew,

Calling out to the few, who choose to open their ears and listen

Take a lesson of this and lessen the number of passengers on the runway train to a place i can't even comprehend, imagine or understand...

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