Melville’s popular spot, Reisi’s Bites, recently came alive with the sound of poetry when the The Word N Sound Live Literature Company and the Department of Arts and Culture presented the AfrWEka Poetry Festival.Poetry might not be for everybody, but it is for me. This is something that I recently discovered after my night out in Melville where I listened to artists who only needed one mic and a mouth full of words to paint a picture for us.

This was the first time I attended a poetry event and I was pleasantly surprised because I did not know what to expect.I began socialising in an attempt to learn what this was all about and was fortunate enough to meet a few friendly people who didn’t mind filling me in on the “need to know” before the performances started.

Music and drinks were the order of the night as some people got into deep conversations that often have to do with the artform. Old friends that haven’t seen one another since the last event  caught up over drinks and  laughter while Dj Kongisto had people bumping their heads to his set before the lights went dim and the evening’s events kicked off.

There were 7 acts, with artists like Sarah Godsell and Thando Buthelezi on the line-up, but I was blown away by Kurt Schroder poem “TIME”. The piece left a lasting impression on me.

I also moved by Modise Sekgothe’s performance. What I really liked about his poetry is that everyone in room could relate to what he was talking about.Like I said, poetry isn’t for everyone, but I am proud to say that it is for me.

Dj Satori held it down on the 1’s and 2’s with an amazing “old-skool-kwaito” set which sent us dancing down memory lane. This is round about the same time that I decided to call it a night.

To keep up with poetry movements and activities, follow WordNSound on Twitter and Instagram or go to their website for more information.

Photography by @PrettiPiktures