Ephraim
16 years old
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Biography by Angela Bizera
Photo by Luanda Bauma Primo

Ephraim Mpona is a young man living in the Dzaleka refugee camp. He was born in 2007 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He arrived in Malawi in the year of 2016, and currently is a student.

He likes poetry because he can say everything he wants. He can express anything, all his feelings, and there is no discrimination. There is just peace. He started doing poetry through a friend from school. The performances together encouraged him and he started writing on his own as a result. To him, poetry means the world.

One of his poems, “Stairs to Your Heart” talks and reflects on how we try to get ourselves into a relationship. In his poem, he writes about someone who is trying to be in a relationship with a girl, and the stages he goes through to be able to reach that girl. The poem, “My Emotions and Feelings,” has a similar theme. A guy tells and expresses his feelings directly to a girl.

His words to the readers of this book and website are that poetry is in Ephraim’s nature.

MY EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS

My emotions and feelings are true
I will explain it to you till the skies are blue
Can’t complain about the love I have for you
Cause I remember, they knew
Before the butterfly flew
From my heart to you

My emotions and feelings
En fin suis maintenant amoureux
En fin suis maintenant amoureux
When you are gone, my life will turn twice
Ju es ce que mon coeur desire
Without you, ine ndafa

My emotions and my feelings
I wish I had wings
I could fly that high in the sky
And try to spy
How to simplify how high my love for you is

My emotions and my feelings
By passion and willing
It’s real, I got love for you
Till now, the sky isn’t blue
But really soon I’ll tell the truth