Edutainment Mix: Review of the Coming of Age anthology

Raymond Millagre Langa The power of poetry is something which is deeply engraved in our nature as Africans as it has been a central element that accompanies the traditional rites, rituals and different activities in our everyday lives from time immemorial. Poetry is something that impacts and has an effect on all generations and can make people from all walks of life consider anything from love to loss.

Bulawayo-based writer Patricia Dube is the epitome of a poetess who uses the power of her poetic manifestation to write of the everyday struggles which people face in their reality especially in our context Zimbabwe.

Hailing from Nketa 8 in Bulawayo, Dube has penned two poetry anthologies titled “Queen of Quill” and “Coming of age”. These anthologies relate to themes of edutainment as they address issues affecting young people such as drug abuse, sexual reproductive health and advocacy as well as  issues that relate to depression and mental health.

As a female writer, Dube’s poems tell the story of adolescents, young girls and women who remain obscured by the repressive male dominated society.

“The poet speaks intimately to the reader but an important aspect is that the poet introspects first; that is, poetry speaks to the self. Poetry gives you an insight into the inner workings of the mind. The reader sees the mind, ideas, and the reader loves and hates,” Dube said.

In her anthology “Coming of Age”, Dube debunks the need for people to set straight their way of viewing life.

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This is exemplified in her Poem “Life” where she uses simple language to attach the correlation of nature and the realistic experience of life in different stanzas where she says;

”the wind blows …,

the rivers flow…,

flowers blossom in the spring. …..

Life goes on….

People are born….

People grow old…”

The poem “Life” resonates with how there is a time to blossom and also a time when the tides of life wither away.

It (poem) gives the imagery of life in the likeness of nature which has seasons. Those seasons change just like life which results in death, which is a fate we all embrace.

The mention of the blowing wind and flowing rivers in the poem enhances and creates a metaphor of life. The image of blossoming flowers also creates and stimulates visual imagery on the reader who sees life from a colorful perspective which is beautiful. To the reader, the poem “Life” is a stepping stone to the understanding of the factors that relate to the growth and maturity that relates to the “Coming of Age” as per the anthology’s title.

In another poem “Youth” in the anthology “Coming of age”, it speaks to all generations –the youth and adults. The opening phrase of the poem, “Youth comes but once in a life time…” highlights the reality and the pain of wasted youth.

Dube reminds us that youth is something which has been lost and we have to celebrate it productively in the context of our generation. It is unfortunate that the young generation celebrate it by doing the wrong things all in the name of “enjoying the youth while it still lasts.” This leads them to partake in drugs and risky sexual behaviors and exposing them to HIV/Aids and sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) .

The poem “Youth” uses the imagery of freedom and wasted youth where young people fail to secure their future. In essence many youth drop out of school, which is something that can affect them as they grow old. The poem thus resonates with the anthology title as the coming of age addresses the deeper theme of being a youth with a focus, and one that lives within a safer reality than putting oneself at risk.

Dube seeks to be the voice that stimulates change and awareness to artists, especially the youthful ones. The anthology “Coming of Age” is full of deep imagery which speaks of how many of us seek to mask ourselves in a reality hidden from our pasts and are failing to face the now or the present.

I love her reference to the “Judas kiss” in the titular poem “Coming of Age”, where Dube describes a moment of betrayal as a ‘devil’s embrace’. This is rooted from the biblical allusion of Jesus’ betrayal on the cross.

The Judas Kiss has relevance to many artists as coming of age means being “aware” of who surrounds you. Many artists surround themselves with the wrong individuals and crowds who mislead them into bad and wrong habits. These take the Judas role “kissing” us only at their benefit and profit.

This also reminds us of the arts industry’s opportunists who seek their self-growth and the many individuals who glorify the artists at the moment of their fame and ignore them when they are growing or starting their brand. The coming of age to the artist means being aware of such characters that are self-centered, as they can kill your art.

In the titular poem “Coming of Age”, Dube puts into focus issues that highlight disappointment which is a reality that we face. As artists, we have been disappointed and had many moments when we wanted to give up being in the arts industry because of rejection, lack of finances, and lack of likes and views. For the artists, there are also moments of success when everything flows, which is part of the very reality of life with its ups and downs.

In the anthology “Coming of Age” Dube also addresses the issues that orient to sexual reproductive health, especially that of adolescent girls and young women. An example is the poem “Matinenga” which talks of a young girl who has come of age in relation to puberty.

The poetess uses animification when she says “how can I protect you from these jackals and hyenas”. This is a reference to men who prowl upon young girls.  In this poem she speaks against the precedence of child marriages and other forms of abuse which affect the girl child.

We live in a world where the girl child in her everyday life remains vulnerable to the scourge of abuse and manipulation and is exposed to harmful cultural practices such as early marriages, female genital mutilation, wife inheritance and the lack of access to reproductive health services such as sanitary wear among other challenges. As a poetess, Dube adopts the feminist stance as she takes the role of the advocate for the rights of the girl child.

The anthology is rich in terms of different poems that have a message for everyone regardless of age. But to the youth, the poems enlighten them on the realities of the pain and joys of life. It is of paramount importance that the culture of reading must be stimulated. Poetry remains of central importance and is the voice needed to affirm the processes of our everyday development.

• Raymond Millagre Langa is a musician, poet, orator, writer and founder of Indebo Edutainment Trust.  Follow Raymond Millagre Langa on Facebook, Instagram @Millagre Ray L, and Email: indeboedutainmenttrust@gmail.com and millagrepapaito@gmail.com