Sundry Free State poets

(Lechesa is author of the following books, to mention but a few, Evolution of Free State Black Literature, Four Free State Authors, and The Legacy we leave behind…)

A proliferating number of people - and I have in mind, essentially, people from the grass root; from the townships - love poetry. This elementary fact is easily confirmed by considering the incredible amount of people we know who read and write poetry, be in the mother tongue, or other mainstream languages (including English).

In this article I should like us to zero in essentially on those who have carved a niche for themselves as poets in the Free State. The late multi-faceted Gilbert Modise was an excellent poet, many believed. What made him a household name in the Free State was the bombastic and grandiloquent language he employs in his writings. He combined the literary creativity with political craftsmanship, which is a rare talent. His major work of poetry is entitled, An Eye Sore.

It has become something of a cliché to mention that when it comes to written literature Mr Omoseye Bolaji belongs to a class of his own and astonishingly has his finger in almost all the pies. He is respected for being the “self-less creative maestro that excels in all the trades he is in.” He also has a unique power to unlock the creativity in any writer that he comes across. What do we think of him as a poet, or “occasional poet” as he prefers to be called? Too often than not, he has been asked by people who love his writings: “Why don’t you write poetry, Bolaji?” It is understandable because he has published lots of books of fiction. To mention but a few - Impossible love, The ghostly adversary, Tebogo Investigates, Tebogo’s spot of bother, people of the townships, The Guillotine, etc.
“Most readers would assume I am not into poetry. But I do like poetry, and have actually published two different collections of poems, titled Snippets and Reverie.” commented Omoseye Bolaji on his poetic artistry.

But one has to admit that even though he does not see himself as one of the “specialist poets” people whose very essence seems to be synonymous with poetry itself, he is to many of us poetry lovers an excellent poet. One of the well known critics Peter Moroe once wrote: “Bolaji’s poems are not of quick fame easily understood variety; they are often condensed, distilled from African proverbs and a philosophical mind remarkably expressive in English.” I will now quote some lines from one of his much anthologised poems, THE ROAD:
“A heart rending noiseReminiscent of grating ululationsRedolent of abrasions. LesionsBanshee screechings and screamsInterspersed with persistent metallic shriekingInvoluntarily jerking the car to a halt…”
When you talk of ‘specialist poets’ the name that immediately springs to mind from Mangaung is Job Mzamo - he writes fresh poetry virtually daily, with effortless rhymes! Incidentally Mzamo’s poetic artistry is dominated by frequent outcry against the societal injustices or rather anything that frustrate him.
“Frustration got me started … I decided there and then that I will vent out my frustration on paper.” says Mzamo.
Teboho Mohanoe is one of those outstanding young poets. Mohanoe’s book is titled “Enter the night.” The literary pundits (like Omoseye Bolaji in his book, Thoughts on Free State writings) generally claim that Mohanoe is a polished versifier, reminiscent of the great Dambuzo Marechera.

This is what Job Mzamo had to write in his introductory note to Mohanoe’s poetry: “Mohanoe’s poetry is lyrically compelling… his use of metaphors, similes, comparisons, and contrasts is out of this world.. his poems bubble with imagery and fresh ideas.. pricking the imagination.. (this is) a tapestry of colourful words woven into sweet sounding poetry…”
Lebohang Thaisi used to be hailed as the whiz kid of black writing in the Mangaung townships. He started writing the poems since his school days. He got fortunate to publish his first book, Voice from Mangaung at the age of 22. One can see that when he wrote these poems Thaisi was still poetically developing at that stage and with limited confidence. This poem entitled “Thank you” reveals this lack of confidence:
I am not a poet (yet)But I love poetryI am not a poetBut I love playing with wordsI enjoy the rhythm and vibrations
Worth noting about Thaisi is his love of literature - he loves reading avidly. He is to me far and away one of the great literary activists in the province. Thaisi’s book of poems is A Voice From Mangaung. Tanki Phafoli was also lucky to get published at a very early age … but like I have said before the flip side of publishing young is immaturity, which is crystal clear in Tanki’s book. For example, so many established writers like E’skia Mphahlele when looking back at their first books they feel ashamed of themselves as they detect immaturity. Yet Phafoli’s debut poetry book, TAKE A LOOK INSIDE is promising. It is said that Leslie Sello Tlhabane is one of the outstanding poets in the Province. He has in fact published a book of poems, called RESPONSIBILITY -lyrical poems of simplicity.

The legendary Flaxman Qoopane cherishes his reputation as a poet, though he has published general books. Omoseye Bolaji refers to Flaxman as a poet “ Internationally recognized, known for his simple and moving poetry.” Bolaji’s statement is partially true, but the anthologies containing Flaxman’s poems are not easily accesible, and few know about his poems. Also worth mentioning is kgosietsile Dintlhoane who is a respected poet and former literary columnist in the Free State news. His poetry has been anthologised in national and international publications. For example, in THE HOMELESS, he empathisised with the poor of the earth. Note such lines as:
We see them- we pass themin our every day lifeLike they were monumentsThese lonely hungry ones-We see themCoughing-We pass themDyingAnd still find time to laugh-
This reminds me of one Thaisi’s poem that is written in this vein. It is entitled, Abandoned 1:
They are abandonedThrown to the streetCorners of big cities…When the nights come tous it means warmthWhen it comes itbrings anguish to them

Raselebeli “Magic” Khotseng is famous in Mangaung for his prolific poems. He is liberally
published in the local newspapers, magazines, and journals. He intends to publish a book of poems soon, having warmed his way into thousands’ hearts with poems like “The warp and weft of Celtic supporters” . Looking at the picture nationally, most lovers of poetry are familiar with Mongane Serote, Mzwake Mbuli Jeremy Cronin, new sensation Kgafela oa Magagoli and Es’kia Mphahlele etc Let us look at the accomplished African poets briefly too. Wole Soyinka, Dambudzo Marechera, Lenrie Peters-these are polished, world-class poets.There are many others Kofi Awoonori, Niyi Osundare, Ben Okri (a great, great novelist too) Jack Mapanje… these masters have influenced our local poets a great deal. On a global level, we have heard about the all-time greats-Shakespeare, Tennyson, Woodsworth, Blake, T.S Elliot, and H Lawrence. Most of Eurocentric poets are prolific that we wonder how humans could produce such tomes. And this is a lesson for we Africans, pertinently African writers. Too often we become satisfied, contended after producing certain works. We preen ourselves, reveling in at best, partial exposition of our talents. Yet, as Wole Soyinka first black African to win the Nobel Award for literature points out:
“Complacency is a dangerous thing… there is the eloquent shrug of the shoulder…. Which prevents us from reaching anywhere near our potential.’’
On the face of it many African poets have allowed complacency to ensnare them. They are still basking in the glory of their first previous, tentative poetic attempts. The advent of spoken word or slam poetry as it is commonly known has made us witness the mushrooming of poets in every society. Which is somehow good as poetry is no longer seen as a boring classroom subject. Poets are writing in a simple language that people can identify with. If you are into serious poetry you might be disappointed when listening to these poets. As we have seen, in Free State there are burgeoning poets, to mention but a few, Charmaine Kolwane, Gama Mdluli, Mosili Mohlakela, Alice Makhulu, Tikoe Moshoeshoe, Mpho Ranoha and Pulane Moiloa the granddaughter of the late seSotho literary legend J.J Moiloa. They should look forward to a long, fulfilling, accreting “Career” in writing poetry, because it is a veritable passion for them. Poetry is, without any shadow of doubt, an integral part of their beings.

They are the type of bards with the compulsion to grab a pen and paper, and start scribbling away, with gusto. I should also mention Tiisetso Makhele whose debut book of poetry has just been published by Phoenix Press- Ladybrand. Makhele is a skilful poet who started writing striking verses when he was only 16, in 1996. It was then as a teen-ager, that he made waves after garnering a CNA award for poetry. Yet for many years afterwards, he seemed to go off the boil. His book entitled , Writing on Fig Tree, illustrates the rare talent that set him apart as an erstwhile literary whizzkid. It is incongruous and extraordinary that this is his ever-published book of poetry. As he says: “Many literary pundits were quick to write me off, but this collection will answer those who might believe these are the last kicks of a dying horse!” We hope to see more of this talented poet. In this article, I have tried to outline the contribution of Free State writers at the grassroots level to mainstream poetry. Lovers of poetry across the board are welcome to send their comments!

REFERENCES
1 Thoughts on Free State writings. (Book) By Omoseye Bolaji
2 The Poetry of Lebohang Thaisi. (Article) By O Tshabalala
3 The poetry of O. Bolaji. (Article) By Peter Moroe
4 Freshness in Mohanoe’s poetry. (Article) By Omoseye Bolaji