J.I de la Poésie: "Poetry can enable the poet to defend a cause, to educate a nation", (Florence Meta, former student at Collège Bukasa Nsenda).

In conjunction with International Poetry Day, celebrated on Thursday, March 21, the editorial team of the EPST’s Communications Management Department met with a poet and former student of Bukasa Nsenda Middle School in Mbuji Mayi, in the province of Kasaï-Oriental. Fascinated by lyric poetry, Florence Meta Kabambi began expressing her poetic talents in her first year of secondary school. She is currently a student and the author of a book titled "Flots des Douceurs." She believes that a poet can educate an entire nation through their writing and also contribute to its development. DGC: The world is celebrating World Poetry Day this Thursday. What does poetry mean to you personally? Florence Meta: Poetry is the art of evoking and suggesting the most vivid sensations, impressions, and emotions through the intense union of sounds, rhythms, and harmonies in stanzas and verses. Poetry allows me personally to express my most intimate thoughts and reveal my perspective on things. It is everything to me: a weapon, a light, a hope, a liberation, and a refuge. DGC: What most inspired you to love poetry? Florence Meta: Nothing pushed me to take the path of poetry. I found this path already within me. When I first held a pen, I didn’t even know there were writers in the Congo. For me, at that moment, to my knowledge, there were no role models or references. I began writing intuitively and naturally. It was only later that I discovered other Congolese authors. I write because words have imposed themselves on my life, and I have surrendered to my nature to be who I am meant to be: a writer. I have already published my first book, titled *Flots de douceurs*, and I am delighted to announce my next book, titled *KIN dans la bouteille*, coming soon. DGC: In poetry, which branch interests you the most? Florence Meta: I am fascinated by lyric poetry because it is much more rhythmic, more musical. I love music. And my poems very often resemble songs. DGC: How does poetry become important in a person’s life? Florence Meta: Beyond the fact that it allows the poet to express their opinions, it can also play several roles in that it enables the poet to champion a cause, educate a nation, awaken it, reorient it, realign it, give it hope, and contribute to its development. That is, in fact, the core of my profession: to educate and shape the world through art. I have no time for nonsense; I always write with the goal of bringing about social change. DGC: Have you ever participated in an International Poetry Day event organized in the DRC, and what was your contribution? Florence Meta: Yes, I participated last year at the Wallonia-Brussels Center as a slam poet. Here is an excerpt from the text I recited that day in tribute to poetry: To poetry The one that moves us The one that takes us Into its pack of sensitivity, The one that brings you into complicity, That which reveals a mountain of possibilities to you Beyond vulnerabilities… It is sometimes in an innocent twilight, Sometimes on adjacent walls. Sometimes it is a stranger Who lays you bare… It is important to note that International Poetry Day was established in 1999 by UNESCO. The art of poetry, particularly through the use of rhymes, metaphors, rhythms, and the practice of recitation, helps develop and stimulate children’s memory. A variety of learning activities will also facilitate the memorization process: listening to recordings, watching videos, voice games, role-playing, etc. Poetry is an ideal medium for expressing students’ creativity during a fun, shared activity. It helps bring out each student’s potential, develop their imagination, and foster mastery of spoken language. By combining listening, diction, and writing, poetry is an excellent tool for guiding students toward mastery of French. The benefits of poetry in school are indeed manifold: a shared culture, a sensitive and in-depth approach to language, a boost to self-esteem, and a new perspective on others. Paola Mawete