Black Gypsy trades in accounting degree for verses
Thato Kala | Friday August 1, 2014 14:04
Mosekima vows she wants to be the Maya Angelou of Botswana and sees going back to accounting as something that will choke her dream of emulating the late African-American author, poet, dancer, singer and actress.
While she may not have all the skills Angelou possessed throughout her colourful life, Mosekima definitely showed her poetic prowess during the 2014 Africa Youth Games in Gaborone.
Interestingly, she singles out the call to perform for athletes at the games as the best bit of her life as a budding poetess.
According to Mosekima, that call reassured her that art appreciation in the country was coming up strong. The former Lobatse Senior Secondary School student was one of the two poets invited to perform alongside an array of local musicians. “It was awesome,” she says.
For her, it all started at school courtesy of a teacher who was passionate about poetry.
She and her colleagues would recite poems during assembly. But it all stopped when that particular teacher left the school. Like any other young girl, she kept her journal and diary and continued writing. However, poetry became a dormant talent until a few years later when she decided to give it the kiss of life.
“As I started reciting my poetry for people I realised it had an impact on them and I continued writing,” she says, adding that she is overly content she made that decision.
“People are starting to recognise me, so it is beautiful. They are appreciating what I do,” Mosekima says. But the little recognition she is getting locally is not enough for her as she yearns to take her poetry to international platforms like her role models, Angelou and South Africa’s Lebo Mashile. She considers Mashile’s poetry closer to home.
“She has the same flow, her poetry is not too English,” she says. While Mosekima has written several poems, she has three, which she says really thrill her and those closest to her.
“I would say the poem Give Me A Chance and Beating The Cinderella Complex really did it for me,” she says. The Cinderella Complex is about a girl who fell pregnant and was left thinking she is worthless. She later decides she will stand up for herself and make her life better.
“This has not necessarily affected me, but I see so many people go through that in our society,” she explains. Give Me A Chance addresses those that have dreams and feel undermined by those around them. She tells people to look out for potentials and not magnify negatives.
She vividly remembers how the atmosphere changed at SOS in Tlokweng when she performed the poem Lamentation Of An Orphan.
“People were sad and they cried. It was an awesome response. I loved that I could motivate people through my poetry,” she says.
But, just how does the Black Gypsy, as she prefers to be called, get inspired to write these poems?
“I can be washing dishes and something comes to mind then I put the words together,” she says. She adds that she is inspired by everything around her.
She is presently working on a poetry book she hopes to publish in the near future.
She and a fellow poet from neighbouring Zimbabwe, Tapiwa ‘Taps’ Munya, are working on a poetry compilation CD. Harare-based Munya will record poets from his country, while Mosekima does the same in Botswana for a compilation dubbed WOM (Word Of Mouth). Her pastime is spent on writing poems while she also kicks back with her other passions, theatre and chess. The University of Botswana graduate rules out any chance of working as an accountant.
“It is not easy to get a job as an accountant, besides arts is working for me. Accounting is my second choice, it is just something to fall back on,” she says. Her advice to anyone who intends to do poetry is “keep writing, recite – even if it is for your friends or family”. Mosekima is the last born in a family of five. She is the only member of her family involved in the arts.
She reveals the only person close to taking up art is her niece, who is passionate about singing. She says she will ensure her kinswoman lives her dream, as she now knows the joy that comes with it.