Fire in her words and verses

Berry Heart uses poetry to highlight social issues

November 20, 2014 10:07 am | Updated 10:07 am IST - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Berry Heart, poet from Botswana, teaching dance steps to her fellow participants at the Kritya poetry festival in Thiruvananthapuram.

Berry Heart, poet from Botswana, teaching dance steps to her fellow participants at the Kritya poetry festival in Thiruvananthapuram.

There was no sudden flash of inspiration that marked Berry Heart’s entrance to the world of literature and art. It is an innate part of her culture, says the young poet from Botswana. In fact, a childhood memory that she holds dear is of her family sitting around the fire, listening to folk songs narrated by her grandmother.

“There was always someone singing or composing a poem, while someone else danced. Going to university and graduating in literature only professionalised what I had been doing since I were a child,” said Ms. Heart, a participant of this year’s Kritya – An International Festival of Poetry which concluded at the Vyloppilly Samskrithi Bhavan on Tuesday.

Oozing energy

Berry Heart is one of those people with incredibly infectious energy that can even overcome the post-lunch drowsiness. On Tuesday, she looked completely at home in the spotlight on stage as she taught a few dance steps to her fellow participants. “People often dismiss me as a little crazy because I have so much energy. All I do is pray every morning and this meditative, spiritual start to the day keeps me positive,” she said.

And it is this confident aura about her that fuels her causes as well. She regards herself as an activist first and most of her poetry revolves around social issues. “I speak for women empowerment, encouraging those who graduate from school to learn skills that make them employable so that they are not dependent on men,” she said. Ms. Heart organises workshops to spread awareness among the youth in Botswana. “Art is also for education. It can also heal,” she said.

This is the young poet’s first visit to India but she says she has always loved the country, going on to prove her affections by singing a couple of Bollywood hit songs. Ms. Heart says she has not heard a language more beautiful and complex than Malayalam. “After listening to the poets here, I feel that it has distinct tones, intonations and stress patterns. I want to learn Malayalam but they tell me it is very difficult,” she said.

She enjoyed the festival but hoped that next time, more university students would attend such a literary event.

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