A Pot of Poetry speaks to the soul

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Dr Rhulani Maringa, a medical doctor, has done exceptionally well with his début poetry collection, entitled A Pot of Poetry - a solid publication that contains 101 poems. The poems are laden with messages and worth reading, even though some are overly long. The book could probably have been published in two stand-alone publications, since it seems an extremely comprehensive collection of poetry.

Maringa could also have considered using any of the poems for the book’s title rather than using A Pot of Poetry, which sounds more like a cliché. The poems that the author could have used for the title include, among others, Run, coward, Time of life, Open the tap, More than words and In the line.

Despite the criticism, this a robust collection of poetry written by someone who possesses a pair of razor-sharp eyes and an inquisitive mind that always seeks answers to many of life's questions; once he has found those answers, he shares them with his readers.

“There was no clear timeline in writing and finishing the book, since I started a long time ago with no intention to publish,” Maringa said. “It was meant for my children and friends who read them, and they encouraged me to publish them. When I approached my publisher, I had about 50 poems and he advised me to make them 100. From that moment on, I was swamped with a lot of creative energy. I would stop driving alongside the road and write. Sometimes, I would wake up at night and just pour myself onto the paper.”

Maringa never considered himself a writer, but he recalled that he had always been a reader from a very young age. “I just wrote down some words that were very inspiring for myself,” he said. “I had an Irish English teacher in high school who was very passionate about poetry. So, instead of reading Macbeth, we did poetry and she would make those poems come alive. That passion rubbed off on me.”

He stated that, to him, poetry was the use of words to express oneself in an entertaining manner. “Poetry can be used to inspire and ignite thinking in another direction and hence enrich our lives,” he said. “Most people think poetry should be some big words that ordinary people can’t understand. I believe it should be relevant to the ordinary man.”

To be relevant to the ordinary person is also what Maringa's poetry is: it carries the message straightforward in lucid language. “It must inspire people or jog their minds to think differently,” he said.

Maringa's book will be available in bookstores soon. However, those who need the book at this stage can call 061 426 8725.

By: Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.