“Burn, Burn, Burn, Rivers burn”
She screamed while resurrecting from the fire’s smoke
Villages are tattooed on her ashen skin and the children of yesterday are crying, “Burn these rivers, burn them, our fathers have drowned in these waters, we were birthed in these waters and that’s how we died”
They want to inhale war in their lungs to suffocate the trauma of drowning
No more drowning
No more sinking
No more lifeless
This fire is a cleansing
This fire is a renewing
This fire is a Phoenix
This fire is a you
You are the survival of many villages
You carry worlds within you
You are the beginning of a new thing
You are the survivor of water, and a fire bender
You’re here
As an artist, Patience Labane uses poetry and documentary to explore her own complex existence as a
Black, female, spiritual, queer, and depressed individual living within systems of religion and societal
norms. Her work seeks to give voice to the experiences of those who have been historically silenced and
marginalized, challenging the dominant narratives that maintain systemic oppression.
Through her poetry, Patience delves into the nuances of various life experiences, illuminating the
challenges and joys of navigating the intersections of identity. Her documentary through podcasting
work follows the journeys of prominent poets, highlighting their lives and the vital role that poetry plays
in our society.
With the release of her poetry podcast ‘Her Thoughts’, Patience is making her work even more
accessible, reaching a broader audience and creating a platform for more voices to be heard. Her
upcoming production ‘Conversations Between Personalities’ promises to delve even deeper into the
complexities of identity and existence.
Ultimately, Patience strives to create work that is both deeply personal and universally relatable, forging
connections between individuals and communities and fostering compassion and understanding.