First of all, did you know that ‘Page Poetry’ is a thing?
It is poetry that is specifically read off a page/s on performance, as opposed to a recital. I did not know that until this past Africa Day, and I call myself a part-time poet! Well… one never stops learning. This past Africa Day was also the first day of a two-day event hosted by Page Poetry Alive. Yes, there is an association for it. Founded in March 2017 for the purpose of keeping the dying art-form alive and having experienced it for myself, I was already looking to join this movement.
The programme started with ‘Master Class’, a workshop session overseen by Mercy Dhliwayo AKA Xtreme Sanity hosted at the British Council in Harare. The workshop was a fun affair with experienced, and less so, Poets’ alike discussing different aspects of the art as well as sharpening their skills. I hadn’t realised how useful such a workshop would be until it was underway, reminding me about literary devices, terms and forms that I last studied way back in A-level literature. I learnt some new things too, the details of which I won’t bore you with now but suffice it to say, there are levels to it!
That evening was the Master Class for the Page Poetry Alive held in the newly renovated British Council Library, a breaking in of the building which will now have added functions beyond housing books and computers. The show started late but nobody seemed to mind at all, the vibe was pretty cool with the poets and poetry lovers mingling.
The night’s MC, Aurra Nicole, started the show by announcing a last-minute addition to the performance roster: me!! Griffin Makwiramiti. It was a surprise to be asked to open the show, despite my request to be squeezed in if time allowed. That was perfectly fine with me though, I got to enjoy the rest of the show absent the pre-performance nerves. I was somewhat unprepared but the audience was kind, and the show was only getting better.
Following me was Keen Marshall with his guitar, a mellow happy vibes set that gave us an impressive glimpse into his repertoire and guitar skills. He, in turn, was followed by Tom Brickhill (Zim/UK rep), another surprise for me because I only knew him as a filmmaker, sharing a touching and amusing personal piece about unrequited love. During the short Q & A session that followed, he dropped a quote that he said he knows to be untrue but is still comforting: “the best kind of love is unrequited”
Aurra Nicole took over once again and proceeded to show off her own poetry skills with a set that left me wanting to camp out at “the corner of memory lane and revolution avenue” (inside joke !) Shortly after veteran poet Momo Size (Harare rep), delivered poems of striking content delivered in tender tones. After her Q & A session followed another surprise, A Spanish rep called Marissa who recited a poem by a legendary Spanish poet, Gloria Fuertes, and also spoke about the centenary of her death. Umind?! then read the English translation of what was a beautiful short piece titled ‘Now.’
The show reached its climax when the visiting guest poet Xtreme Sanity (BYO/SA rep) took to the stage and wowed us all with her fast-paced, highly conscious poetry. The Q & A session with her took the longest of them all with a request for a repeat of her last poem as well as an encore holding it up. Thankfully, she obliged us and thus left a lasting impression on everyone and not least of all those of us who were experiencing her work for the first time. It was hard to believe there was more, after all, today was only the first day of two.
The following day was a change of pace, it was all about the kids. We went to S.O.S Children’s Village in Waterfalls with some books to donate and an agenda: show the kids a good time with poetry, play some games and encourage them to read and write creatively. It’s always a humbling and awe-inspiring time when you go to a children’s home and this time was no different. We had a great time with the kids a later got a tour of the orphanage. The S.O.S is part of a worldwide organization founded by Austrian Philanthropist Hermann Gmeiner after WWII.
The whole Page Poetry Alive experience has left a definite positive mark on me. I got to meet some truly (ignore the cliche) beautiful people and got to soak up some knowledge, all whilst having fun too!
When spoken word which speaks to the soul leads up to feeding the soul by touching some souls, it’s worth taking notice. A big shout out to everyone involved, I am already looking forward to the next time.
