Rant and Rave: Maya Angelou – A teacher, a friend and an inspiration

 Love is a condition so powerful; it may be that which pulls the stars in the firmament. It may be that which pushes and urges the blood in the veins. Courage: you have to have courage to love somebody because you risk everything – everything.” 

Maya Angelou 

The sadness that filled my heart yesterday when I found out about Dr. Maya Angelou’s passing, I cried so hard my colleagues thought I was going to have a panic attack. I’m at a loss for words, I feel as though I have lost a mother, a teacher, a confidant, a source of inspiration and a whole lot more.
Mama Maya’s words saw me through some crippling moments of confusion, embarrassment and self-doubt, but they also propelled me forth into self-love, passion and the pursuit of happiness.

This is my word of thanks to God, for her life and her work. I may not have known her personally, but I am glad to have lived in the same time as her and I am glad I got to experience her sparkle.

Rest in Peace Mama Maya, I still hope that one day our souls will collide. 

 

Rant & Rave: RIP Amiri Baraka

Yet another great loss for the literary world, Playwright, poet and author Amiri Baraka died Thursday, 9 January 2014. RIP, love forever!

Death Is Not As Natural As You Fags Seem to Think – Amiri Baraka

I hunt
the black puritan.
                            (Half-screamer
in dull tones
of another forest.

Respecter of power. That it transform, and enlarge  
Hierarchy crawls over earth (change exalting space  

Dried mud to mountain, cape and whip, swirled  
Walkers, and riders and flyers.
Language spread into darkness. Be Vowel
                                                            and value  
                                                            Consonant
                                                            and direction.  
Rather the lust of the thing
than across to droop at its energies. In melted snows  
the leather cracks, and pure men claw at their bodies.  
Women laugh delicately, delicately rubbing their thighs.

And the dead king laughs, looking out the hole  
in his tomb. Seeing the poor  
singing his evil songs.

Rant & Rave: RIP Prof Achebe

I posted this on the blog on Friday and was immediately told by a friend that the news of Chinua Achebe's passing was a farce (another twitter death) i therefore went on to delete the post as i thought it would be insensitive, but it was later confirmed that he had really passed on and thus the post is back up. 

Sad to learn of Chinua Achebe’s passing...

My first encounter with this prolific writer was during my early high school days when “Things Fall Apart” made up our prescribed reading list for English class. I think he’s work spoke very profoundly to me and he was one of the many African writers that planted the seed within me and ensured my love affair with literature would be an eternal bond.

May the greatness that was rest in peace and may we never forget him or the contributions he made to not only African but worldwide literature. 

RIP Chinua Achebe and thanks for the countless hours spent lost in worlds you wrote and our imaginations painted and breathed life into.