The Sunday Mail
Andrew Moyo —
POETRY lovers are in for a treat this festive season with Catharine Magodo-Mutukwa set to release a poetry anthology “Rendition of the Soul”, next week.
I had the privilege of having a peek at the book before the release and I was amazed with the way she managed to put together such an extraordinary piece of work. Edited by veteran writer, David Mungoshi, these poems display a certain level of maturity as the writer seems to have turned it up a notch comparing with his previous offering, “Life”.
While the book she released last year in collaboration with Awande Ngwenya was exploring the different aspects of life, this time around she has taken a different approach, weaving together poems that speak to the soul. Comprising of 40 poems, this text is not only captivating but also has a soothing effect with verses that are laden with emotion. This might be a new voice on the literary scene, but it is loud enough to warrant close attention.
Her creativity and ability to play around with words cannot be doubted with the way these poems flow. When I read this book, I thought the flames characteristic of the first few pieces would be doused at some point but I was proven wrong as Mogodo-Mutukwa manages to retain consistency up to the last piece.
The poems do not fall under a particular theme but they are all reflective of the writer’s soulful thoughts.
“A Page for my Soul”, which is the first poem in the book might as well be the perfect introduction to this exceptional piece of work. In this poem the writer tries to shed light on how she transfers her emotion into text, shutting out her thoughts and rather depending on her heart.
“It starts like something not nothing, like a lump lodged somewhere, like knots woven out of a longing in search of, haunting peace just to be understood, inking little pieces of me so they can be read, then it comes to me in flash-backs or flash-forwards, from another time, in an instant to be written down or to be, forgotten, such is the burden of a wordsmith, to record, everything before it dissipates,” goes part of the poem describing how the poems come to life.
Another interesting piece is “Why”, a response to David Mungoshi’s “Nobody Knows Why She Weeps”. The way the wording is strung together in this poem is amazing, with the verses flowing smoothly, showcasing the writer’s vast abilities with the pen.
“Will you look away and think of her as ancient, and dull and uninteresting?
“Her words are not her own, they’re the whispers, of those in the wind this generation refuses to, acknowledge, and when she stops . . . and weeps, will you understand then that in moments of retrospect, the soul speaks a language too esoteric, for the mind to grasp?”
I have read many poetry books that have been released this year and I can safely say this is among the best. These poems stray away from the serious issues of life, a refreshing aspect, which takes the mind off stressful situations. Catharine Magodo-Mutukwa has published other books that include “Reflections”, “Back to the Hills”, “Black Stars-The Beginning” and “Life”.
