Kenya Got Talent as Poet Beatrice Mwenda confidently dances unto african -golden reed-mats of literary stardom,

I am reading through somewhat exclusive rich-militant green pastures of versatile poetry by prolific Kenyan writer , Beatrice Mwenda. Her heart-thumping verses and ribcage - crushing verbiage is an artistic jam festival mix of word , dance and song, reverberating our mental meadowlands with African djembe sweet tunes , the danceable rhythm of ancient mother song that kinda- colorful exhibition of boils of truth / cough for justice through her unrestrained poetic fist. Mwenda remains a rare -breed of Kenyan African poetry. This poetic expose is dipped in ingenuity , prowess and wonderment - by Mbizo Chirasha.

International Cameroonian Creative Geraldine Sinyuy (PhD) gives the Writing Ukraine Prize final verdict.

When I first received an email stipulating that I was going to be one of the judges for the Writing Ukraine International Poetry Competition, I was thrown off balance for it was the first time in my life that I had been nominated to carry on such an assignment at an international level. So many questions raced through my mind as to whether I was actually going to do that job, and YES, I was going to do it and I did it. Every examination has its guiding principles, and so was the Writing Ukraine International Poetry Competition. The criteria for evaluation was there to act as a lamp on my path of the journey as a judge. I wouldn’t say that the exercise went smoothly without anxiety, for there were moments I found out that the entries were like a million bees, battling their way to the nectar of a single blossom of a flower. I was eager to get to the end of the exercise and see who the winner would be because the wave of the competition was tight, and its impetus was one of its kind. The competitors all had the conviction that they would win, even though the drive to win wasn’t the primary motivation, rather, what urged them onto writing was that deep- rooted desire that is found in almost every committed writer, to pick up their pens for a just cause. There were moments I shed silent tears because the poems gave vivid pictures of the destruction that was going on in Kiev and the rest of Ukraine. I found myself in Ukraine, walking through the torn streets, shoving earth to conceal the souls slashed by the monstrous missiles—the bullets, the bombs, the fires. I followed the displaced people of Ukraine as they walked through the rough and rocky paths in search of a safe land that would embrace them. I identified with the people in Ukraine because in my part of the country there has been war and it’s still raging on. Many have been rendered homeless, thousands killed and untold numbers rendered orphans, widows, widowers, childless etc. That notwithstanding, I want to congratulate those who made it to the top, but they shouldn’t relax for success is a journey and not a destination. For those who happened not to make it to the top, I want to encourage them to keep working for failure to reach the finishing line doesn’t mean that they didn’t produce great work, rather, it was because the degree of the competition was high. The gap between the winners and most of those who did not make it is very close- Finalist Jury Member  Geraldine Sinyuy(PhD)

Heroic African Poet Ruvimbo Jeche pens a poetic blockbuster on womanity – a pre-critical book review by Mbizo Chirasha

The vivid imagery is a perception -shifting but a dirty mopping detergent bleaching lives lived in bleak sin and utter ignorance into sanity- the bravery displayed in your message , the stead gloved in your reason and then that depth exhibited by the simplicity in the dictionary edifies the literary flavour , powerful /requisite poetry ingredients suitable for such an artistic exhibition . I wanted to bring a praise song But I was with so many sad words in my heart. I was too tired to shout Too hurt to remove the chains that hold me, My hands too pained to remove the rag on the piano. But when I looked up My heart leaped, I cried, I hope my cry sang. Prowess/Dexterity become Siamese twins of Jeches refined poetic voice- I love the musical rhythm that evokes readers to jive as we always do to the mesmerizing tenor/wonder base of thumb-pianos. When the sun shall lay low and is overtaken by the night, When the night shall stand still and darkness overtakes every deep, When darkness shall scare my shadow and owls hoot all night long, I shall fear not for I know at midnight the moon will wait for me till sunrise. I shall fear not the sound of any for at dawn the birds will sing for me the loudest! Ruvimbo is an amazing rhythmic/poetic Dzimbadzemabwe storyteller, the heroine poet sees rays of freedom through broken dawn of metaphor her past is not a past of harmony of peace and freedom .She gulped tears of rough abuse and bathed in the sweat of tough pain. She is a fighter, an iconic womanity heroine of this red/black earth. She sees peace, freedom and harmony through the broken lights of metaphor, through breaking dawn of poetry and   through disintegrated rays of the imagery of the new sun. She sings that poetry of mothers that painfully walked over the hot sands of deadly violence. She writes bitter –sweet psalms on sandy paper mats wetted by the mucus of long gone sisters thrown in deep dungeons of stagnancy and dark pits of ignorance.

The Jury Panel passed their Writing Ukraine Prize Longlist Verdict

Judging the large number of entries we received was for me a rewarding process for several reasons. First, it was fascinating to sift through the tremendous variety, and listen to the many voices that spoke out of the poems. Second, it was gratifying to praise genuinely well-crafted pieces, the very best of which have a touch of brilliance. Lastly, the variety itself confirmed the idea I’ve always entertained that poems can be their very own thing. Of the submitted works, some drew on oral traditions, or holy books and prayers, or on established formal schemes and elements. Some demonstrated courageous experimentation, while others reflected the spirit and determination of rap lyrics. It’s all good, as many of these poems showed me. I’m exceedingly grateful for having had the opportunity to read and learn from them-(Commentary by Writing Ukraine Prize Jury Member Dr. Olga Stein,)

A keynote german- based bookpress Stonybrook editions releases Uhuru ,a mbizo chirasha/andreas weiland bilingual poetic classic

I see the glow of the November moonlight/shine through the release of my newest poetic blockbuster Uhuru- A dedication to the African Povo. Uhuru is a vivid imagery of the African poor suffering under the gag of decadent political establishments , a metaphoric mirror for the enslaved writhing  under grind of archaic colonial and  barbaric neo- colonial imbeciles, aparadoxical literary-keg to free tired voti-zens groaning under the mosquito like crush of pseudo-revolutionary-democratic yet terroristic war-lordistic dissidents of peace .Uhuru - thelatest classic soon to be trendsetting literary letter-bomb  curated/translated from English to German by German born international- prolific arts luminary Andreas Weiland , edited by renowned German - American literary critic Karen Wittstock and as well creatively published by the illustrious ,German based international publisher Stonybrook editions

iam a griot – descendant of rhythm and beat of ancient song.

After their strange overnight long walk to freedom base of Mbirashava – rains ceased fire, war-drums paused and their echoes got trapped into the blankets of early day mist. Then came my birth cry they say like an exclamation engraved on the yellow-disc of the smoke-bruised African sun. Claws of dawn caressed the sorrow-soaked red-hills.  My goddess wriggled in a thick volcano of red-clay mud, ochre-red blood and dead grass. Her womb groaned from labor pangs and suddenly the wind was cold. June dared the earth and everything in it. Cold-winds whined ferociously to disobedient flora and delinquent vultures. Winter, fast clicking a pause button to the jungle’s daily festivals

Ihraf books unleashes a Pan -writivism revolutionary poetic keg.

Voices of Africa collection is a pan-writivism band led by African patriots’ poets with their poetess patriots. Ghana, once the  colonial coast of gold sings her soprano to bones and soul of tata Nkrumah to rise and walk again for another dawn of renaissance ,South Africa handles the alto but Madiba was the shield against whirlwinds of xenophobia, alas the rainbow grand-kindred is no more , Kenya handles the tenor as the election mood gets electrifying until the dust settles down again and Ruto-the hustler president becomes the incumbent -cum- president -elect. The hot seat is both sweet and hot. Please Halla me ,Halla me please, these are sure-times of Second Republics, Second Republics are common like Vuvuzela and Sweet potato, Zimbabwe jives onto the literary revolutionary podium with a reggae like Bob-Marley dance. Zambia is not here; the new king is still roasting Zambezi breams for dinner. Malawi joins the brave -bandwagon reciting heart-pricking verses to the ghosts of Kamuzu and the unrepentant phantoms of Mutharika, grand-daughters of Sarowiwa and grandsons of Soyinka are like red honey bees, their spirits are fizzy pop-popping with pain, war, trouble and politics, they are singing Zangariwa songs. Sing sons and daughters of Achebe and Chimamanda, sing to the land eaten by termites and grazed upon by baboons before the harvest of real freedom.