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Ugandan poets, creatives paving the way to mental and emotional well-being

"One of the best pieces of breakup advice my friend Genna gave me during a tumultuous end to a long-term relationship was to write poetry," says David Allan

Elijah Baguma Bbala, Poet

There are many ventures, interests and hobbies that help in "getting my mind off it" when the task of "dealing with it" becomes overwhelming.

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However, by the time it comes to getting the mind off it, is it possible that the effectiveness of the activity has been compromised by escapism. With the added risk of tainting your favourite activity with the shadow of stress.

Although not an alternative to professional psyche help, poetry is like unfolding the book of life experiences under a warm light and comforting darkness to give heavy and difficult emotions a hearing.

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"I wrote more than two dozen poems in the following weeks. Artistically speaking, they were a very poor showing, but as a tool to process the big emotions of a difficult time, the poems were highly successful. Writing them was cathartic and at times revelatory," Allan continues.

The penetrating eye of scientific study has also finally reconciled poetry with psyche and emotional wellness. Doctors David Haosen Xiang and Alisha Moon Yi of Harvard Medical School and Harvard College, respectively, took a closer look at the effects of reading, writing and listening to poetry.

This was during the pandemic lockdown that confined many to an isolated and lonely experience highlighted by stress and anxiety.

"Whether it is coping with pain, dealing with stressful situations, or coming to terms with uncertainty, poetry can benefit a patient's well-being, confidence, emotional stability, and quality of life," Xiang and Yi wrote.

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They were able to prove that poetry in all mediums is able to combat stress and depression symptoms, as well as reduce pain, both chronic and from surgery, improve mood, work performance and memory.

"All inspiration really is is a peephole into possibility.

There is a wall and then suddenly something shakes it, disrupts it,

And there's a crack that appears

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And you can see something on the other side.

And there is a power to simply being able to say,

"I see it!" says Spoken word poet Sekou Andrews

Poetry is defined as the ability to provide comfort through making meaning out of the randomness of events and unconsciousness of experience, bringing perspective and molding the self throughout life.

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Making headway for the culture of poetry locally are poets like Isabirye Godfrey Mitch Magada Jr., Lus ThePoet, Elijah Baguma Bbala, Mugoda Gordons (Wake The Poet), Hire James (The AA Poet), Zenah ThePoet, Mercy Geno Apachi (The Shy Poet), Bash Fahad Mutumba (Ugandan Poet), among others.

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