Poet highlights impacts of climate change

AS the world is grappling with ill-effects of climate change owing to human error, a creative advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Keith Ndlovu has emerged from Bulawayo’s cultural corridors, penning a poem titled “Climate Catastrophe”.

In 2015, the United Nations (UN) adopted 17 SDGs to mobilise global efforts around a common set of goals and targets, something that Ndlovu subscribes to.

He told Chronicle Showbiz that the idea of penning, “Climate Catastrophe” was to conscientise people on the ill effects of climate change caused by reckless human behaviour.

The poem is supposed to make people more aware of the big polluters and help them understand the significant impacts of climate change that have never been seen before. Climate change is caused by mistakes made by people. These mistakes include burning coal, oil, and gas, which release gases like carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide into the air.

“People also cut down forests, which normally help control the climate by taking in carbon dioxide from the air. Lastly, people release gases called fluorinated gases, which make the earth warmer.

All of these things are making the world a place where it will be hard for people and animals to live,” he said. The poet, inspired by the likes of Amanda Gorman, Albert Nyathi and Onesimo Mpofu has previously co-authored an anthology titled, “Snow on Roses” with Hlelolwenkosi Ndebele. It has 56 poems.

Khumalo has posted poetry videos on YouTube and one of these is, “In the Vicinity of Royalty” which is mainly about the prestige and eloquence of Bulawayo.

With most of his poems with an inclination to the English language, Khumalo has been able to pen one chivalrous poem in IsiNdebele titled, “Ndoni yamanzi”.

He described his poetic form as free verse, but his versatility shone with, “Climate Catastrophe”.

“My poetic form is mainly aligned with free verse, but when I wrote ‘Climate Catastrophe’, I used similes to describe the depth of danger we are in as a world regarding climate change. I also used a sad tone when describing the severity of the matter at hand,” he said. He usually performs at weddings and functions but conceded to being exploited sometimes.

An excerpt from the poem reads:
“A world which burns with scorching heat,As inhabitants continue to perforate the ozone layer.
A planet far from being putrid and finished,
While we hope for a world without infestations of Carbon, And emissions which shall torture our future.” — @MbuleloMpofu.