STEPHEN MUNYASYA
House of Osprey: Challenge 3 winner
1. Artist Statement (Who are you/ How would you describe yourself?)
I am Stephen Munyasya, stage name Stephen KE Poet. I am big believer of poetry, I believe it helps me travel in different realms thereby connecting freely with my audience. I believe poetry to be a lifestyle possessing power to set free minds since our words have ability to build and create awareness on everything on our surroundings. Am a dedicated poet focused on bringing out the things we are afraid of facing and through that I give assurance that there’s always light at the end of a dark tunnel.
2. Why Poetry?
Like I said above, am a believer of poetry. Poetry as a lifestyle has that room and freedom that allows me to pour out my thoughts to my audience. Through poetry I get to connect and bring out thoughtful reflections, fears, emotions and every feeling that I feel would be provocative to my audience, creating enthusiasm and self esteem among them.
3. What's your target audience, and what age?
I don’t quite have an age bracket, but on the latter I focus majorly on the youth, 18-30. I feel the need to connect with them, challenge them because I consider this age bracket to be the forerunner and the background of the coming old grey days.
4. What themes do you pursue
Love, Life, Desire, Beauty, Spirituality, Mental health, Resentment
5. What's your inspiration as a poet?
My feelings are the key inspiration. Poetry being a lifestyle then it entails everything that we see around, everything that we feel whether pain or joy, love or hate or any kind of feeling and those are what inspires me as a poet.
6. Which poet inspires your style/Who are your biggest influencers?
William Shakespeare, Elizabeth Barnet, Lisel Mueller, Maggie Smith. They have this commonality that they infuse in their work, great personality and not only their work being sincere but quality at personal best.
7. How would you describe your poetry & What does your work aim to say? (In 100 words)
My poetry is a tourist trip, taking mind in a trip over different realms and letting the body feel. My poetry helps my audience to dissociate from a multitude point of view and brings focus to an individual level. Here it helps the individual to reflect on the words and weigh on where to put focus for the betterment of himself/herself. Aims at provoking and invoking feelings to my audience where they get to re-look on their choices, where to improve, how to get through and how to build self esteem among themselves. Basically it helps in reflecting and focusing.
8. What do you like about your work?
It’s free, no much of rules, I just have to pour my thoughts with no fear of breaking required rules. I like my work because it creates connection and attachment to my audience. It invokes feeling and thus translating reflection to them. My work also creates a bond that leaves my audience yearning for more.
9. Tea or coffee? And Why?
Both. Though I pin coffee on the top of the list, tea keeps me awake but coffee helps me sleep thus helping in relaxation of my mind.
10. A message for your readers?
Poetry doesn’t only entail scribbled words just for you to read and be happy. It has a lot, the sequence arrangement of the words depict some message, pay attention as you go through the work. Poetry is a game of words with hidden meaning beneath them, it has some truth in the words and feelings of the poet therefore it could be indirectly passing out an important message, pay attention. Poetry is just lifestyle dressed on.
About the Author
