Everyone experiences life differently; today may seem dark, but tomorrow’s skies could be clear blue. However, people with hope and determination are able to go far and reach their dreams and potential, and this, including more of life’s challenges, inspired Esther Uwase, an author and poet, to write a book. “Some days are clear and full of blessings, others are heart-breaking. While many people hurt us, others help us heal. It is, therefore, the beauty of life that I wanted to portray and highlight how everything changes, using rhymes and rhythms,” she says. Her book “A conversation with Dusk” has diverse themes such as the mystery of God, life, love, feelings, blemished souls, and sad lapses of time, and records that can’t be reversed but remembered. The book is a collection of poems that reflect the spattered and fragmented heart of a Rwandan lady, known by her nickname ‘Gia’. The reason the author used poems is because there were some racking clarities she wanted to hide in metaphors. Secondly, she looked forward to tackling diverse themes in one book. Uwase says that the poems are fashioned with profound thinking, intensely agonising humour, and a celebration of nature. She further notes that the poems in this collection provide the reader with insight into many areas of interest in human life. “Like wind chimes blowing, the artist in these poems will hold your attention,” she says. To some people, noting down the events and feelings at the end of the day is a mechanism that relieves them of the pain, as they are able to express themselves through writing, and this doesn’t differ from Gia, notes the writer. “Gia, who is the centre of the book, is a young lady in her 20s whose life was full of ups and downs but mostly a frightening journey. However, she used to tell the dusk (using Caesar’s Calendar) how it all went at the end of the day in the form of meditation which gave her relief,” Uwase says. Caesar’s Calendar, or the Julian Calendar, also known as the Old Style Calendar, was established by Julius Caesar in 46 BC to replace the Roman Calendar which was in use. The author narrates that Gia was simply comfortable with the dusk, pouring her heart out without fear of being used by those who knew her weakness. Writing in a journal is recommended by therapists, this is because it helps you get your feelings down when you have an overwhelming moment, it’s known to boost contemplation and emotional awareness and create space to re-think or re-describe painful thoughts. Uwase loves writing non-fiction stories and topics people can relate to. So far, this is her second book. The first one was titled “License to Thrill” which is a path to the renewal of excitement in life. The 20-year-old is now writing her third book, “Woe to Shine”, that she hopes to have published before the end of the year.
