- Hurricane May “Poetry Is Just Good Gossip “ We’ve been taught to believe that great writing is the kind of writing that takes us to a mystical place, far away from our everyday experiences. Our Vampire and Harry Potter novels lure us into imagined worlds and we consider this type of writing to be art. Luthando Ncayiyana’s poetry is art in a completely opposite way. Reading his poetry allows one to relive an everyday experience with fresh eyes. It makes you feel as though the words written on the page in front of you have jumped out of your mouth and your life. Surely this artist, with such an ability, must have been building his repertoire for years, digesting poetry books for breakfast and speaking in syllables. In reality Luthando has only recently started writing poetry, not for recreational purposes but to compile a creative portfolio which is required by the tertiary institution where he plans to study copyrighting.
Luthando’s poetry could be described as ‘everyday’ poems but that would be an oversimplification. His poetry is his reaction and the reactions of others to situations and truths on a daily basis. It is a collection of conversational poetry and is personal rather than topical. Presently he writes in English but he promises that he will soon twist his tongue and pen around more languages or “dialects” as he more eloquently put it. All of us are products of our experiences and the way in which we have been raised. Luthando’s family are avid readers and their large collection of books, along with boredom, prompted his interest in reading. He is influenced by poets such as Christopher Abani, who Luthando believes has a willingness to see without being damaged by what he sees and is not restricted by anything. Other South African poets that have influenced him are the likes of Kombuis Moolman and Ingrid Jonker who primarily writes in Afrikaans but whose translated poetry works just as well. Reading Luthando’s poetry allows us to not only take a closer look at ourselves and our circumstances but also to meet the man behind the words. Luthando described it best when he said: “A poet has the ability to create and destroy images in life. Reading poetry should take the reader on a journey, it should have an impact on a person and spread a message.”
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