Munnya Usuwana — A Poet with the Gift of Words

A chat with most poets and they all agree on one thing — poetry is one of the most underutilized, and underestimated mediums in modern culture.

Yet popular religious belief will tell you that it is the beauty of words that formed the earth and most of its desirable habitats.

Zimbuzz spoke to 28-year-old Poet Munnya Usuwana from his base in the UK and he invited us into this colourful world of words.

When did you start writing and what do you think attracted you to poetry? 

I started writing quite late, to be honest around 20 -21 years old, in fact, I had a habit of talking to myself when someone pointed out that it could be a gift I was harbouring.

A church brother insisted I should try out creative writing in 2012, well he clearly had a point… I wrote my first poem, Andrew.

How do you think you’ve evolved as a writer over the years? 

I’ve become a lot more efficient and mature less apologetic on the topics I choose I now know how to respond and take time out when the gift is calling.

Are there genres in poetry, if so which genre/type do you do?

I’m an open circuit, what comes my way in mind will go, because I’m a drummer I tend to use a lot of rhythms so I sound like I’m rapping a lot of the times.

Take us the through process of creating/writing a poem 

Say a compilation of words like an abstract picture, a scenery, a sea wave, noise, a memory etc.

One may see the above words and think nothing of it but really one word leads to another so I would say…

A picture on a wall may be a capture of a memory in abstract form that provokes a journey to a scenery of a man’s choice and takes a trip to the edge of a cliff and a contrary of dramatic noise of the ocean and the breeze of the sea and decaying seaweed.

What inspires you to write? 

Some say it’s a spiritual a gift to create something from nothing but I tend to pick up a lot from many things.

For instance, 2 dimensions poem that brought us here was influenced by a picture and Kelly Rowland’s song BE GENTLE what I’m trying to say is I pay attention to the whispers of the mind and the art of creation that includes my surroundings… 

Who are you reading now and what type of literature do you consume? 

I barely read I tend to recite a lot subconsciously and immensely my concentration span is very short hence writing is hard for me I tend to visualize what’s in the mind and vocalise it..Before going on paper… 

Debunk for us one myth about poets 

We are such introverts and mysterious in most things we do…it’s because the gift takes charge in all we do every time.. we see society in a totally different way from most people so we are classed as strange weird and peculiar so it’s a price we tend to pay