Noise has become a comfort blanket for the masses.
Introduction by Terry-Jo Thorne (Researcher & Writer)
Poems selected by Alex Gwaze (Curator) & Terry-Jo Thorne
In life, we constantly navigate the pull between the world’s distractions and the quiet within. The hum of social media, obligations, and expectations tests our ability to simply be, or drives us to yearn for the overstimulation of the party. The silent passage of growth clashes with the noise of past actions, amplifying the friction between who we are and who we are becoming. Meditating on the fickle nature of our personal boundaries, in the clear light of daytime sunshine, often becomes the first step toward reclaiming ourselves in a world that never stops screaming.
Do you find comfort in the noise?
BY VUYO MTHETHO
South African multidisciplinary artist, who founded Witnessing by Vu, a creative wellness brand that explores the interplay between observer and observed. Through visual art, photography, and poetry, Vuyo creates spaces for gentle self-reflection and collective witnessing, without judgement.The artist knows no other way to live.
Do you find comfort in the noise?
Eleven hours screen time, sorry I missed your message,
I didn’t want to see it, I was scrolling
Avoiding, hoping my feelings would not catch me acting coy again, and toy with me.
I can’t remember the last time I was alone in my own mind, what do you mean embrace who I am, I haven’t known myself in a long time
The space grows thin between what is me and what is not mine, ideas, thoughts, jealousy
Consuming their chapter 12 just so I can sit in my room and compare it to my first try.
Pacify, numb, keep telling them it’s all part of the grind
Cause that’s the only time it’s acceptable not paying attention to the lives we’re passing by
And that is why I must ask
Do we find comfort in the noise?
Seems to me we’ve grown to hate having the choice,
So we beg the algorithm, please give me one more,
I don’t care I just want to hear someone else’s voice
And let it fill this void
Instant, gratify me
So I can pretend I’m connecting, this city offers no community.
Really I haven’t been taught how to adult, function, have my own views
Are we embarrassed by silence?
Maybe its the one reminder that when we were meant to be taught how to live,
School became all rules, obey the man, put your CV first, become a stranger to nature
Live alone, climb up the ladder, then realise it was all for you to live a life through a lens online
Are you comfortable saying you don’t have time?
Yes it’s easy filling your days so you won’t have to be in them.
When was the last time you looked at the dying sun in the sky without asking it to pose for you?
Up to the Signal Hill all so I can grab a pic for you to click through.
The gram’s gotta be fed
Even if its just a story or two
I need you to know I’m living, maybe a little better than you
So I’ll let you picture what I’ve been up to.
When was the last time you turned off the noise and gave yourself permission to be uncomfortable?
I hope you understand why I need to ask
Do you find comfort in the noise?
Stay In Your Lane
BY MCDENNIAS MOYO
Zimbabwean poet, writer, and political operator known for his poetry collections My Everyday Valentine and My Prickly Heart, with the former once rated the best new release on Amazon in the “Poetry About Love” category. His work explores themes of love, mental health, and social issues, blending emotional depth with honest reflections on the human experience. In addition, he cultivates literary communities as an administrator of multiple African social-media writing groups.
I have always stayed in my lane;
ignored the noises of a broken chain;
banging against floor seeking to be set correctly,
and I didn’t know you were the one yanking the chain abruptly!
Life is all about choices,
it’s all about trusting your inner voices,
meaning noone can therefore be complicit in your mistakes,
and it’s on you to brave the tremors when everything quakes!
Self-sabotage is your default setting,
noone can hold your hand and continue abetting,
never blame others for your nostalgia,
and if you can’t move forward just try to deal with you abasia!
I will create my own happiness outside of you,
and I will always try to rebuild myself anew;
thus trying to destroy what I’m building is lame,
so do you and please stay in your lane!
Shadows Within
BY SILAS AMOI MUSERA
Kenyan poet, educator, and literature enthusiast with a Bachelor of Education (Arts) from the University of Eldoret. His “dreamscape poetry” explores life, love, and the human experience through a reflective, expressive poetic voice.
In the depths of my soul, a darkness dwells
In the silence, a story unfolds
In the shadows, a truth resides
In the stillness, a heart beats fiercely.
Softly spoken words, a whispered truth
Slowly unfolding moments, a life revealed
Savoring each breath, a sense of self
Searching for solace, a heart that’s weary.
Flickering flames, a warm, golden glow
Fragile fragments, a life reassembled
Fears and doubts, a familiar refrain
Fading light, a darkness that looms.
Gently falling tears, a river of pain
Gently rising hope, a new dawn breaks
Grasping for connection, a hand reaches out
Giving in to the moment, a sense of calm.
In the quiet, I find my voice
A whispered truth, a heart that beats
A soul that’s searching to be free from the noise
To be myself, to find my way.
Cover image is a photograph titled Ba Nte Nte 2 from the series Madia ya Bwala (Congo delicacies) by the renowned Congolese photographer Robert Nzaou-Kissolo. It can be found at www.robertnzaou.com.
MUD Journal 