Khanya Mtamzeli

“If I were you…” A piece in progress. I haven’t finished this one yet, but I thought I’d share it anyway. Sometimes a poem finds its meaning while you’re still writing it. This is me, still translating the parts of myself I’m learning to understand. Thank you for listening.

For My Final Act of Love is a reflection on self-love, grief, faith, healing, and the life we choose to build with ourselves. In this piece, I explore what it means to return to yourself after years of surviving, to honour the people you’ve loved, the losses you’ve carried, and the person you’re still becoming. It is a poem about choosing yourself without guilt, speaking your truth, and leaving ro...

If I Had Two Lives is a poem about choosing someone fully, gently, and intentionally in every version of life. Through love, prayer, longing, and devotion, this piece reflects on what it means to care for someone so deeply that one lifetime no longer feels enough. It explores the beauty of being seen, heard, reassured, and loved in ways that feel both soft and lasting. At its core, this is a poem...

“Loving me feels like…” A poem about love that stays human. Not perfect love. Not easy love. Just the kind that chooses to stay soft, honest, accountable, and real. I think sometimes we talk about being loved like it should feel cinematic all the time, but maybe real love is quieter than that. Maybe it’s being understood, even in your unfinished moments. Here’s one of my most personal pieces yet.

This piece sits in the quiet moment of truly seeing someone. Not just how they look, but what they awaken in you. Through a blend of English and isiXhosa, I explore beauty, presence, and the kind of love that brings you back to yourself. The kind that reminds you to slow down, to speak gently, and to choose life again. Some people search for this feeling. Sometimes, you find it.

A soft beginning: In this first piece, I reflect on love as something we don’t always arrive at fully formed, but something we learn, piece by piece, through ourselves and through others. Blending English and isiXhosa, this poem moves through self-love, connection, and the quiet hope of choosing someone, and being chosen in return. If love has ever felt like a journey rather than a destination, th...