Here is the writing by participants of an online virtual writing group, doing the ‘Me With You’ workshop as part of a project funded by the National Arts Council in June 2020. This group – mentored by Marché Arends – is called ‘The Wordsmiths’. Two other groups participated at the same time: The Dreamers and The Eagles.

Read their great bio-poems here.

Read their ‘Using the senses‘ exercise – describing waking up in the morning – here.

Read their ‘Show don’t tell‘ exercise – all based on the same basic event – here.

Here is the list of their powerful ‘I am’ poems where they played with interesting images:

As Sweet As Sugar  by Simamkele Mbambo
Nature’s Gifts by Bandile Sibuyi
The Pain I Feel by Lungelwa Kulati
The Warmth of a Pillow by Phumula Mkhwanazi
The Crazy Clown by Bulelani Kambula
Freedom by Zanele Dlamini
Those Who’ve Come Before by Somila Mjekula
Resilience by Zukisani Nongogo
A Voice for the Voiceless by Lutho Mankayi
Like a forest fire by Thembeka Mdlalose

Here is the list of their poems describing ‘The place I’m from’

Honey For The Honeyed by Zanele Dlamini
It Is No Paradise by Lungelwa Kulati
Success is Possible by Bandile Sibuyi
The Way It Was  by Lutho Mankayi
Shattered Dreams by Simamkele Mbambo
A Place Filled With Love by Bulelani Kambula
This Place Called Earth by Somila Mjekula
Like Lava From a Volcano by Zukisani Nongogo
Lost Hope by Phumula Mkhwanazi
All peace is lost by Thembeka Mdlalose

And here are their final narrative essays:

An award winning speech by Zanele Dlamini
Bundle of hope by Lungelwa Kulati
I should have known I was wrong about you by Lutho Mankayi
A mother’s wish by Simamkele Mbambo
Wings to soar by Somila Mjekula
Circumnavigating a rupture by Zukisani Nongogo
Turning point by Phumula Mkhwanazi
Prayer lost, cell phone found by Bandile Sibuyi
Mandela 100th celebration turned into tragedy by Bulelani Kambula