Talent Showcase - Ann Njoki

• Spoken poetry is such a unique form of expression. How did you get into spoken poetry and what made you want to start?

I got into spoken poetry through my grammar teacher. I fought it at first, oh, strongly did. What made me want to start? The urge to edit my first, dummy piece, which was forced out of me by the same grammar teacher. Re-doing it into something better felt home. 

• What usually inspires your poetry? How do you decide what to write about? 

My inspiration for my poetry varies. Observing, experiencing, relating, reading, listening and imagining are among my inspirations to write. 

• When you perform spoken poetry, how do you prepare? 

First, I study my poem/spoken word which allows me to know when the intonation changes, the pace, and the mood to speak the words. Editing also happens here. Second, I imagine the performance, trying to bring it into reality. That allows it to flow, during the actual performance. It's like downloading without buffering. Third, I practice in front of my mirror, or in front of a friend who is also a poet. Finally, performing. 

• Do you have a favourite poem you've written? Why is it special to you? 

Its title is S-HEROE. It is special to me because it is the most visual piece I have done, from real life experience. 

• You mentioned writing for KQ. Can you share a memorable experience or article you've written? 

Below is a Thanksgiving spoken piece. 

Grateful- for the Thanksgiving Day 

1, 2,3 ,4 ,5, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions. That's you and I counting our reasons to give thanks, and you and I both know we ran out of count. First off, you and I and him and her and them woke up, therefore we are grateful. We can breathe, and therefore tell the difference between a lily stinking and a rose scenting, we can walk, and therefore slay and sway alongside the wind, we drove to work in full stomachs and therefore instead of our stomachs rumbling, we scrambled for duties, we can smell and therefore experience the petrichor as the brown grounds grow all green and thank the rains for refilling the springs, we can see and therefore watch our birds take off and touch the same grounds. 

We are grateful because the other day a mere flu grounded our birds on the same grounds, but here we are now, reclaiming the pride. We are grateful for we remain the pride of Africa, East, West, North, South and Central, even though sometimes messy. We are grateful for our color red, which sends a message of life, vigor and love. We are grateful for the noise pollution of our birds taking off or landing, because that spells several words including business, money and success. We are grateful for the excellent development opportunities, and lively working conditions. We are grateful for all of the seasons starting with spring where we grow new skills as trees grow new leaves, we are grateful for the  extremely hot  summer that teaches us to appreciate the extremely cold winter, we are grateful for fall so we can fly to Boston and walk on the pink, purple and yellow  leaves fallen, we are grateful for winter so we can fly to London and write our names on the snow, instead of the Mombasa beach sand. 

 
We are grateful, and therefore we give thanks. Give thanks for the great and the small, give thanks for your legs, they are two but can move a vehicle with four or more, give thanks for family and friends because just like colors, they make life beautiful, give thanks for the hot after work shower, I mean, is there a better feeling? Give thanks for that coffee that you sip when sleepy and pray that it never meets your white shirt, give thanks when all the traffic lights turn green for the breakthrough and, ifff they turn red, give thanks for the new updated challenge. Give thanks for the extreme sun that taught us to appreciate the rains. Give thanks for things we have and give thanks for things we don't have, for they form the basis of our purpose. We Giiive thanks. 

Creative professionals often have rituals or sources of inspiration. Do you have any daily routines or habits that fuel your creativity? 
I have two habits that fuel my creativity. One, listening to silence. Total silence. Oh, this is a holy grail. Two, reading books/stories/novels/comics. I’m currently reading ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne. 

• What are some of the poetry clubs/societies you belong to locally or regionally? 

Yes, I am familiar with Poetry Slam Africa. A virtual member, haha, but I belong to the society. 

• Is there a poet you look up to and would like to meet/work with in the future? 

Locally, I love Mufasa’s work, and Teardrops inspires me. Internationally, I look up to Mukoma wa Thiong’o, Jackie Hill Perry and Clayton Jennings. 

• What would you like to tell aspiring poets? 

Just put it on paper however blurred it seems at first. Clarity sometimes establishes as you write. 

• Where can our readers view your performances/work? 

www.youtube.com/@njokipoetry1447