Poetry From Way Back Then Pt.1

I wrote this back in 2010, barely two years after my sister's death. 

It was a dark,confusing and painful time. 

Worse yet it was a time of faithlessness.  

Here's one snippet of my many my internal fights:

My Internal Ying &Yang

Where there is evil there is good

Where darkness dwells there light to illuminate it

Where you feel love you feel hate

When you revenge you feel remorse

Where there is pure goodness evil is ready to take its place

When I’m happy the darkness creeps in bringing me back down that path

The path...

The path of deep rooted sadness within

How do I stop it?

I keep debating

Should I stop it?

Do I need these emotions?

Do I really want to feel??

If I let it engulf will love ever beseech me again

Its tentacles threaten me

They move suggestively

They entice me

I debate even more so

Do I really truly want to know?

Oh how beautiful the feeling of blackness can be

I know not if I still know the true meaning of beauty

Its version is much more sinister

Perverted and twisted is my new mind

Leave me alone I shout

The light listens

So pure end considerate it can be in such dire moments

You do not even try to dance suggestively

Am I this worthless to you?

You won’t bother to seduce me?

Curses from the grave! For in the pits of my soul I crave goodness

Regardless of how empty and void I may be

I know not what it will be....

I know not how to be

One without the other

Can I love without hate?

Can there be light without darkness

And darkness void of light

Can I be joyful without the slightest sadness?

la Francophonie's : Cabaret Français

Seeing as there are 220 million French speakers worldwide, 96.2 million of those being in Africa; it is s no wonder that the one of the Organization of La Francophonie’s missions has been to promote solidarity amongst 70 of its member states through the cultivation of linguistic and cultural diversity. In pursuit of all things Artsy & French *wink* I headed for the Le Cabaret first showing on Thursday night.

The time on the Posters and flyers heralded the start of the show to be 7pm however it officially began at 7.30, no one was complaining though this gave the patrons enough time to sip or like me gulp the oh so complimentary and not so French wine. Arties mixed it up as there was a hum of excited conversation. I had to admit after one glass of dry white I was giggly and girly (oh the shame), I probably need to work on my booze ethic since a 12 year old with the very same glass seemed to be doing much better than I. (Could it be more French culture?)

He looked a little like this....

The foyer presented everything French; they certainly did a fantastic job transforming it; a Confectionary tray teaming with Croissants (my favourite), the colours Blue, White and Red (French flag duh!),  a giant replica of the famous Arc de Triomphe and folk music in the corner by a fairly old duo playing the Saxophone and Accordion. Ah le Parisan Cabaret indeed!

As the show began a young man (Josh Harley presumably the MC for the night) scantily clad in slacks, a bowtie and suspenders (cheese-appeal) teamed with more make up Dita Von Teese herself has ever worn; kept us informed and mildly amused as he see-sawed between mock French accents and stumbled (humourously) over complex Shona stage names and often English ones too.(His cute backside did no harm to the entertainment!)

 

The live band, Summer Breeze gave a fantastic Jazzy backing as Josh serenaded, “thank heavens for little girls For little girls get bigger every day!”; a dubious song indeed that I truly enjoyed. 

Soon after Kristina Jenkins, coupled with a young gentleman Basil did the damn funkiest duel dance I’ve ever seen. It had a very ‘Love the way you lie’ feel as they mock argued as lovers in dance to Adeles’ ‘Turning Tables’. Kristina’s emotion was clear, a combination of her Contemporary Ballet and Basil’s urban Break-dance heated up the stage as they ‘made-up’ to Miguel’s ‘Adorn’. *fans self*

Kristina indicated her versatility and singing talent later as she did a cover of Pink Martini’s ‘Sympathique’; something about not wanting to work and smoking to forget life’s problems (sounds like a plan to me).

A very buxom quartet of ladies called African Voice sang a medley of Congolese traditional music  as well as a cover of ‘In the jungle’ in French(dans la jungle). It was a beautiful harmony if voices that probably needed to practice their coordination a tad bit more. (I enjoyed it all the same especially the fact that they were barefoot!).

I had the pleasure of being audience to Mangoma and Mutsa as they dueled on the Congas (Percussion) and Drums respectively! It was LOUD, Chaotic and a fantastic Rock and Afro beat fusion (Rumba). Restraining myself from standing and displaying my not-so-cool dance moves was an effort indeed.

After the 10minute interval the Convent Girls Junior Choir (cute as buttons) nearly brought me to tears as they did the PG13 version of the ‘Can-Can’ “yes I can…of course you can can!”. The Stripes, an acapella group from Prince Edward taught us in true American style Spirituals to “take a walk in your neighbours shoes”.

Josh (remember the MC with the cute a**), was back with a very well acted out Frank Sinatra song ‘I love Paris’ right after, he started on his vote of thanks and I realized it was nearly time to end the night (to my disappointment). In quick paced pursuit a harem of beautiful young ladies Can-caned gymnastically and gracefully as they displayed their bloomers and under skirts donned in the French flag colours.

Kinkini’s dance out cheered me up as they (all 7of them) did an Indian, Ballet, Pop (Michael Jackson inspired), Hip Hop dance blend! Kethen and his group of dancers were beyond cool as they swayed, split, and flipped all over the stage. Alas the show ended.

The posters promised “kitschy fun…nostalgia…delicious clichés up to your elbows”; and after all was said and done I agreed. Yes one minute I was in a Le Chat Noir, watching Burlesque and listening to Edith Piaf serenade my pants off and the next back home or so haphazardly with Afro beat and locally harnessed talent in song and dance!

That transition is most probably the point of La Francophonie week. Our cultural diversity as a nation (Zimbabwe) highlighted which we often take for granted. A chance to laugh at ourselves and with others, to long for and appreciate an era we not ever lived once. An emotional rollercoaster minus the puke, that was the French Cabaret for me.TSKC

All Rouged up for the Night

Where It all happened.....

Losing My MC-ginity : Book Cafe (Open Mic)

Last night I had the pleasure of Playing hostess to the Book Cafe Stage and audience. This I noted was where the rawest of Zimbabwean talent lurked...and I do mean Raw ! Here are the highs and lows, faves and funnies of the night Videos and ALL! Enjoy :) Share and Comment! ..x.x 

It was a bit of a erm... shaky start but thank GOD! the crowd was a friendly one !

Dimiti & The Scarecrow ROCKED the stage with some Rock...BaShupi couldn't help himself he had to join in and represent the Roots with eh ehe somewhere there! My inner coconut presented itself as I acted a foool! \m/ Definitely one of my most Favourite Performances!

Discord or Iscord (appearantly the D is silent as in Django unchained?! *shrug*) and the songbird Pauline from Mafriq killed it ...they set a high standard for the aspiring artists to follow, with some words of encouragement in tow. I found the reference to abuse in Discord's ad-lib rather...intriguing hmmm... either way its great there was more instrument than CD in this performance. It came up tops for me!

While MCing at the #TheBookCafe's #OpenMic,I got to perform a piece of my Poetry for the first time! It was dead Scary but some guys liked it...something about my number or ''yes baby i'm listening'' LOL. What do you think? Leave your comments below and please do share! #TSKC

Closure

I start with a smile, I wear it,

Not sure why though

It stands there in full pride teeth gleaming, eyes mischievous.

 The very fact that I have imagined it proves that I am both slightly delirious and definitely hilarious…

Mostly to myself

Alas the audience is my own…

The shadow that has grown with me reasons…

Telling me stories of thoughts and fissures in my reality.

 What SHOULD be?

How my emotions in the widened oceans of known speculations

SHOULD be

Anger, maliciousness, even hatred

All these leave a putrid scent in the air

I dare not take it in…

Deep inhalations of Mary J’s finest

Call it uncensored courage for the hours of confrontation

They lie ahead

Sleeplessness

There is no rest for the wicked

 Paces quickened to a place of light…

Arms shifting, bodies speaking subliminally in our opposites

We fought war not with each other but ourselves  

I took a ride…by choice this time I ran in the darkness towards the stories I needed him to tell

Closure

A potion I drank to my fill…

I never want to crave his again

He took me for a ride…

One, two, three were pleasurable the rest were plain miserable so…

 I NEEDED his closure...NO I needed his to be mine

Damn it!

I needed it

I had it

He gave it to me

Closure

Wounds wide open, dirt he threw…

One day it would be infectious, THIS he knew

Another day at the office I assumed

Thanks to his Closure

That night I knew…

That for certain

 I was right

But we were not!

Try as we might

Pigs and unicorns would sooner take flight on the strongest of wishes

But

NOTHING could keep US afloat

Unless passion and ripped clothing sufficed as sole relational currency

His loss seeing as I’m strung on celibacy and it would never be enough for me so I Closed in on the Closure he gave to me

A multitude of give and take was that night

My gratitude is immense

It was the best he could he could give in replacement

The clearest rhapsody of reality that sat across from me

  CLOSURE.  

Listen To Closure HERE