BY NELIWE NGUBANE (INTERN)
MANZINI– Eswatini based poet and storyteller Bless LePoet is preparing to release a deeply emotional spoken-word piece titled “Bengisemngcwabeni Wami”, a poem that explores death, grief, love, and hidden truths through a haunting funeral experience.
Born Sibusiso Shongwe and hailing from Phonjwane in the Siphofaneni constituency, Bless LePoet has built a reputation as one of the country’s most creative spoken-word artists. Known for blending poetry with music and storytelling, the creative describes himself as a “Person Of Extraordinary Thinking” who turns real-life experiences into powerful art.
The upcoming poem is inspired by what he describes as a painful and heartfelt true story, imagining himself attending his own funeral while lying lifeless inside a casket.
“Bengisemngcwabeni Wami is a painful and heartfelt poem which is based on a true story, as like being there while I’m dead inside the casket,” he said.
He further explained that the poem reflects on the words people speak after one’s death and the emotions hidden behind mourning.
“My heart was pounding at my funeral. I was standing right there watching and listening but they couldn’t see me,” he said.
Part of the poem reads: “Ngibabonile bahlangene ngami kuyi get together ngoba ngingasekho… Basho ngemahhubo batsi bayangitsandza kepha mine angilwati lutsandvo lwabo.”
The emotional piece paints vivid scenes of mourners whispering around his coffin, strangers delivering speeches, and the fear of secrets being revealed at his funeral. Through the poem, Bless LePoet challenges listeners to reflect on genuine love, human hypocrisy, and the reality of death.
The instrumental beat for the project was produced by NineFourBeats at NineFourBeats Records, while White Flame will handle mixing and mastering at Hit Flick Records in Brema.
Apart from poetry, Bless LePoet is also the founder and host of the Hip-Hop Bars2Bars Cypher, a platform dedicated to promoting local artists and encouraging collaboration across the music industry.
Once completed, the project will be available on Facebook, digital streaming platforms, and Eswatini Hit.
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(Courtesy Pic)
