In this work, you will find a collection of poems that relates to us as people and mirrors the lives we experience in our little niches around the world. Through these poems, we become aware that our perceptions, at times, seem unaffected by time or place. Articulating through verse what is deep within us, helps to strengthen our understanding of ourselves and that of others, breaking down the barriers and misconceptions. The main themes are those that concern us all despite our geographical location or age: love, death, work and fear. Written from diverse point of views, the poems seek to affirm, question or simply state what is or can be.
About the Author: Tholiwe Ndebele was born in Matabeleland North in Zimbabwe. She first started school in 1977 at Mzinyathi Primary School in Esibomvu before transferring late in 1977 to Matshayiskova Primary School in Bulawayo. After a brief period there she then transferred in 1979 to Henry Low Community School where she developed a love for creative writing. For high school, she went to Eveline High School and then went on to the University of Zimbabwe for her first degree, a Bachelor of Art in English and Economic History. She has since obtained two Masters degrees. An avid story teller, Tholiwe Ndebele has always been interested in writing short stories and poems. This is her first collection of poems. To date, she has co-authored an English grammar book A Fresh Start (using Tholiwe Ndebele Dube) which is currently the prescribed Form 2 textbook in Botswana government schools. She draws most of her writing from experiencing life, observing many different races and nationals in her formative years, travels and her global experience as an educator. She says 'For me, poetry is best written when the words, like magic, come whispering to my conscious and compel me to write something. It is often surprising that at times, I don't even know what the subject is until the very last line, as ideas start and then give way to others which are at times very different from what the original was. That to me, is what makes poems metaphorical and perhaps thought provoking. I just never know when the voices within from the deep deep blue, will surface and then I want to write.' Tholiwe Ndebele currently lives in Istanbul, Turkey.