Mirna Kabwe is a 22 years old born in the DRC but based in Johannesburg South Africa. She is currently a third year student at the University of Monash studying computer sciences. She enjoys writing and listening to poetry. One of her poems was published in Sakaza Mngani (A Kidz Community Radio Handbook) in 2007.
Spotlighting Pan-African Poetry
Biography
Mapendo
Mapendo…..
Her name means love.
It is beautifully pronounced,
and announced
in Swahili tongue,
but Mapendo is a direct contradiction
to the admiration
of her name.
She has self hate tattooed in ghostly tears,
Destruction enveloped in suicidal chants,
and emotions bottled in hypocritical smiles.
Her Mother calls her Mama,
“And Nukupenda” (I love you), is uttered to her each morning.
Followed by the tales of how, the magic in her ethnic features exhibits beauty undefined,
Beauty preconceived,
That can never be confined.
Her mother explains that, the swarthy pigment of her skin boast,
of being kissed by the sun,
and her flaws make her human.
and that her thick cotton hair is her crown,
but depositions
of previous invasions
of self hate surrounds her pupils.
Drenched in insecurities
insinuated by the Medias lies.
Her cries,
are of silent melodies.
She searches for clarity in preconceived norms of beauty.
With the depiction
Of her reflection,
being nothing but imperfection,
BEAUTY becomes her addiction.
So she seeks solace in bleached skin.
Acceptance in extensions.
Joy in illusions,
And hope in confusion.
She is oblivious to the fact that she is
Mapendo,
and Mapendo is everything that is beautiful.
Mirna Kabwe
Featured Poem:
Life
With clinched fists,
wrenched dreams
and clipped wings,
She attempts to fly.
Perhaps like Icarus, not knowing the fine line between foolishness and bravery.
She carries her load.
In bondage
and caged by her own body.
Trying to find the immense
essence
of ones being.
With the elusive definition
Of her devotion
found in a creed.
Encrypted in her core.
Rooted and concealed,
but often decrypted, when crippled by life.
When evicted by pain,
ensnared by depression,
illusions,
inhibitions
and imperfections.
She endures with silent melodies
ghostly smiles
and with complete bravery,
she tackled life.
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Biography
Mirna Kabwe
Biography
Mirna Kabwe is a 22 years old born in the DRC but based in Johannesburg South Africa. She is currently a third year student at the University of Monash studying computer sciences. She enjoys writing and listening to poetry. One of her poems was published in Sakaza Mngani (A Kidz Community Radio Handbook) in 2007.
Mapendo
Mapendo…..
Her name means love.
It is beautifully pronounced,
and announced
in Swahili tongue,
but Mapendo is a direct contradiction
to the admiration
of her name.
She has self hate tattooed in ghostly tears,
Destruction enveloped in suicidal chants,
and emotions bottled in hypocritical smiles.
Her Mother calls her Mama,
“And Nukupenda” (I love you), is uttered to her each morning.
Followed by the tales of how, the magic in her ethnic features exhibits beauty undefined,
Beauty preconceived,
That can never be confined.
Her mother explains that, the swarthy pigment of her skin boast,
of being kissed by the sun,
and her flaws make her human.
and that her thick cotton hair is her crown,
but depositions
of previous invasions
of self hate surrounds her pupils.
Drenched in insecurities
insinuated by the Medias lies.
Her cries,
are of silent melodies.
She searches for clarity in preconceived norms of beauty.
With the depiction
Of her reflection,
being nothing but imperfection,
BEAUTY becomes her addiction.
So she seeks solace in bleached skin.
Acceptance in extensions.
Joy in illusions,
And hope in confusion.
She is oblivious to the fact that she is
Mapendo,
and Mapendo is everything that is beautiful.
Featured Poem:
Life
With clinched fists,
wrenched dreams
and clipped wings,
She attempts to fly.
Perhaps like Icarus, not knowing the fine line between foolishness and bravery.
She carries her load.
In bondage
and caged by her own body.
Trying to find the immense
essence
of ones being.
With the elusive definition
Of her devotion
found in a creed.
Encrypted in her core.
Rooted and concealed,
but often decrypted, when crippled by life.
When evicted by pain,
ensnared by depression,
illusions,
inhibitions
and imperfections.
She endures with silent melodies
ghostly smiles
and with complete bravery,
she tackled life.
Mapendo
Mapendo…..
Her name means love.
It is beautifully pronounced,
and announced
in Swahili tongue,
but Mapendo is a direct contradiction
to the admiration
of her name.
She has self hate tattooed in ghostly tears,
Destruction enveloped in suicidal chants,
and emotions bottled in hypocritical smiles.
Her Mother calls her Mama,
“And Nukupenda” (I love you), is uttered to her each morning.
Followed by the tales of how, the magic in her ethnic features exhibits beauty undefined,
Beauty preconceived,
That can never be confined.
Her mother explains that, the swarthy pigment of her skin boast,
of being kissed by the sun,
and her flaws make her human.
and that her thick cotton hair is her crown,
but depositions
of previous invasions
of self hate surrounds her pupils.
Drenched in insecurities
insinuated by the Medias lies.
Her cries,
are of silent melodies.
She searches for clarity in preconceived norms of beauty.
With the depiction
Of her reflection,
being nothing but imperfection,
BEAUTY becomes her addiction.
So she seeks solace in bleached skin.
Acceptance in extensions.
Joy in illusions,
And hope in confusion.
She is oblivious to the fact that she is
Mapendo,
and Mapendo is everything that is beautiful.
Nice poetry. I like the message in Mapendo.
Love this poem life