Shabait.com: Q & A-The Rhymes of a Young Lady

Today we give stage to a young, ambitious girl, who has dreams for poetry. Lidya Yemane is a teenage lady who is passionate about poetry who instigates others to her way of life. Q&A presents to you the rhymes of this young lady.

• -About yourself…..

My name is Lidia Yemane, I was born in 1997 in Asmara. . I went to ‘Michelangelo Buonarotti’ Italian Elementary School and currently, I am an eleventh grader at ‘Alessandro Volta’ Italian Secondary School in Business department.

• -Since when did you start writing poems?

It has been four years now, I started writing poems when I was in eighth grade. The first poem I wrote was about Independence Day. It was a class assignment to be presented at the celebration of the Independence Day, at my school. It was titled ‘perfetta armonia per dignita nazionale’ translated as ‘Perfect harmony for national dignity’. Although I regularly write in English, I wrote that particular poem in both Tigrigna and Italian at the occasion. Ever since I haven’t stopped writing, now around ten poetries are ready to be compiled in a book.

• -Poetry and you…

It is the way I express myself. It allowed me to penetrate my feelings far better than I could have. When it comes to my overall perspectives about poetry, it is far more than rhyming or any lyric that can be put in a song with integration of music. I can say it is a unique way of communicating with people of common perspective, even the people who don’t have any idea about poetry seem to find some sort of emotional link. On the other hand it makes one read in between lines and notice things from different perspectives. I can say it influenced me positively, it changed the way I describe and see things in my life. I became more observing than quickly reacting one. Especially when it comes to listening other people’s views and deciding for myself.  From the little experience I have in poetry, I started to be more coherent in life and appreciate everything in my environment as a teenager.

• -About the hidden talents of Eritrea….

I feel that there are many young generations who kept their talents because of fear. They don’t really assess their talents and don’t bother to work hard on it. I was one of them. One of the many reasons for such dilemma is under valuing yourself. Some youngster may feel that their talents are not important when it comes to national development or even in multi-layered self-development. What they can’t see is that their talents could turn to change the life of a society let alone one self.

Other reasons brought by young ones with such issue is ethnical environment and lack of support from families who want them to focus on nothing but their studies. These hidden talents can provide a growing mind, far greater enhancements alongside of their educational opportunities. As so, among many other reasons youngsters hide their talents while still acquiring various potential. In addition talents are gifts and they make a human more gentle and less arrogant. Since I am a human being, part of a specific society, I am massively effected by its positive outcome of the talents of different people.

• -About your hobbies……

Although I am dedicated to poetry I also love to read. Especially books about psychology. Other than that I am not far than the common interests on listing the music, sports like basketball and other social activities.

• -Poetry and study….

Since it involves and asks reading more, therefore I know more obviously. It has been a great help in enhancing my awareness in history, literature, general knowledge and in taking famous writers as role models in the road of my future education. It also helped me in managing my time of study and spending quality time with myself and kept me away from things that can intervene in my school life.

• -Yet to come…..

I am sure that this is not the end of the road for me. My plans are to keep writing in the three languages that I master: the Italian, English and Tigrigna. Hopefully I wish to publish a poem book in those languages for the world to see what can come out of young Eritrean individuals. Hand to hand with my plans I have a vision in upgrading my writing skills in poetry along with my education. Poetry has become the main push factor for me in adding to my studies, as an additional skill, and by raising the will of learning literature in the future I believe I am able in securing it in reality. For now my short term plan is to keep on writing various poems until I reach my dream.

• -Last words

Talents are not meant to be hidden, as long as our nation depends on its youngster’s abilities in taking it far more than where it stands today then, those hidden talents waiting to be uncovered may be the reason of further growth, international recognition and permanent dwelling changes in our lives as Eritreans.

-Thanks Lidia! And good luck on your wonderful journey of writing. 

• What looms inside...

I have been trying to leave my foot prints behind
Feeling my feet beneath the surface strained
Strenuous as it is am pushing too hard to reach the top
As I see ahead through the mist I know I can’t stop
Every once in a while I look to what lies inside
Feeling invincible with the talents I strive
But what lies behind devours my hope to stay in the fight
Chains pulling me back from making my best shot
Nobody know what I can become only I know what to shine
For what is worth I am fighting to express what lies inside
That makes it okay, if I fail my effort did not blew to a thin air
And what lies ahead cautions me stumble comes as flair
But I put myself together and make a step forward
All along as I walk my path I make a glance to what lies inside
It delights me to see the light I can shine
Mark my words now am about to strike
What lies behind and what lies out side
Are tiny matter compared to what looms inside.

By Lidia Yemane


One of Lidia’s poems…