Her charming portrayal of the world around her, through poetry, undoubtedly bears witness that this down-to-earth and gorgeous girl possesses a very splendid talent.
With a unique artistry, Ntaoleng Ramalitse, 21, can recite an unbearably moving poetry which is hugely shaped and influenced by her background and social environment.
Initially, Ramalitse began writing her own poetry while in Standard seven in 1995, at the National University of Lesotho International School (NULIS). Her earlier work was also, to a larger extent, an inspiration of her British English teacher, Mr. Evans, who introduced her to Poetry, Creative, and Essay writing.
"I started writing poetry at a very young age…actually I long had that burning love of writing poetry and what happened is that, Mr. Evans, my English teacher, deepened it," she happily recalled.
Amazingly at that time, during a contest on Public speaking, she managed to obtain a second position after her speech regarding Chris Hani's death and the nature of politics in South Africa at that time; that also gave her audacity to articulate her ideas.
Additionally, her poetry takes shape from what she reads, particularly works that are of motivation to her as a woman. Notably, she felt blessed after reading "I Dream a World - Portraits of Black Woman who changed America", which depicts remarkable black women of America, whose efforts emancipated many minds globally.
"I am a woman and certainly I am motivated by women too. This book feature Black-American women such as Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey, and Rosa Parks, just to name a few…It revealed to me a woman's strength and bravery," she expressed strongly.
According to Ramalitse, poetry is a genre of great importance because it is a form of self-expression through which people's inner feelings and ambitions are recognized.
Poets act as social commentators; they table burning issues, that people are reluctant to confront, and are absolutely sensitive in our societies.
She added that people should pay attention to what poets articulate because they addresses strongly issues such as rape, gender inequality, HIV/AIDS and many others.
And to Ramalitse, it functions as an outlet through which she exposes her perspectives.
"To me poetry acts as a vent that I use to put into words my views, it exhibits my dreams, hopes, pains and joys. You know, it narrates who I am," she said.
Broadly, her poetry focuses on issues that involve women and what surrounds them, for instance, their strengths and perils that they face. Her touching poem titled "War Songs", which recounts the pain felt by a raped young girl, reveals its excruciating rhythms as follows:
"She captured moments while singing with images of pain wrenched past /Scars of war tugged deep in her soul /She cried tears of acidic pain, felt each trickle of blood burn as it oozed down her delicate thigh…Her tiny vagina devoured by gun-clamped savage beasts /Her screams drowned by soiled, sweaty lusts…"
At the moment, Ramalitse is patiently looking forward to her admission at Rhodes University, South Africa, to pursue Journalism after she obtained a Diploma in Mass Communication with a Distinction at the National University of Lesotho (NUL).
She is also determined to focus on her talent while studying. Compellingly, her elegant depiction in poetry bears out that she indeed has a "Poetic soul."
