Poetry has a daughter


Mandi Vundla Poetry, I think that sound nice (laughs). Really, what brought you into poetry?
As a teenager, I always had a closed chest, and writing was cathartic. It’s the one place that enabled me to explore the self and to understand it better. Through poetry, I could face a myriad of challenges without losing my center.
What does poetry mean to you?
Healing; confrontation; deconstruction; self-preservation and
creative intellect.
Do you think high percentage of people place high value on poetry?
Yes, a high percentage of those who are exposed to the art know exactly how nourishing it can be for humanity as a whole and as a platform to probe the human condition in all its complexities, especially the matters that human-beings find difficult to navigate.
How useful is poetry to our nations and the world?
I think poetry has become a ‘Break-through language’, when someone opposes your ideology, no matter how sensible the messages is, people shut down, and refuse to listen. Poetry is a creative language on its own that when written floorlessly, it commands attention. It says listen to me, even if you disapprove, hear me out.
It is the gateway to exploring difficult conversations. Universally, it is important for the preservation of our humanity on a global scale, it allows empathy to seep in from the coldest hearts. The art is humanizing in a world that continues to dehumanize people.
As a poet, do you see yourself as an activist, because most poets pursue the role of an activist?
I’m currently conflicted by this. I don’t know if I have done enough ground- work to call myself an activist. My poems however have been labeled as a form of activism and as a result I have inherited the ‘activist’ label. I’m still defining this for myself because labels can make you stagnant sometimes. They put you in a box and say: “this is who you are”, and I don’t want to write from a box. Will I be called an activist when I decide to write only about sunsets and flowers?
How many people have you inspired that have followed your footstep as poets?
HAHAHA! I haven’t been counting.
How has poetry changed your life?
Oh my. It has validated my voice and all my lived experiences.
I have a super power and it’s real.
I know I exist because I write. I know my thoughts are valid and there’s a place that is created especially for them. All the poetry platforms I have been on even the ones I am yet to encounter were created for people like me. That is magical.
Since you have started as a poet, what has been your greatest challenge?
I’ve been accused of being too modest about my work.
That prevents me from putting a price tag to my skill. I end up
under-quoting.
What work would you say changed you as a poet and also the way people see you?
My poem ‘Mother’ that was me coming into myself. I never knew that I harbored such profound ideas about religion and how the black man relates to it. I was quite overwhelmed by its power and all the magic I created in that poem. I wouldn’t say it changed the way people saw me but rather, it validated what most people had been thinking.
How many books have you written?
None yet. I just co-edited an Anthology ‘Home is where the mic is”
What can make you stop poetry?
Nothing, not even death because I think my work will continue to live long after I am gone.
What should your fans be expecting from you?
A Poetical (Poetry-Play). The script is already underway and I’ll be collaborating across a different art discipline.
Who would you like to thank for all the encouragement since you have started?
No one man In particular. My mother for the validation; the people who have kept poetry alive even when the industry had collapsed here at home. Those poets who kept the fire burning for us to find our way here, where we
are. Shout out to WordNSound, iam not the same person I was when I first put my feet on that stage and it is largely because of them.
We wish you the best Mandi.
Thank You

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