Hezakiel Thobela (27), stage name ‘Poetic Soul’, is determined to share love through poetry all over Nkomazi and Mpumalanga.

He is a poet, the author of a book of poetry titled Orphan with Big Dreams, and a creative arts enthusiast who revamps T-shirts and sneakers.

“I want to give people hope for a better future and help them see the light in whatever challenges they face,” he said.

Thobela started writing poems in 2009 when he was in Grade Seven. “Over time, my poems became mostly about love, from what I experienced in relationships and stories I heard from the people around me. I gained the confidence to recite my poems in 2015, which has afforded me many opportunities to start a career as a creative.”

He said his favourite poems are “Nomathemba” and “The Perfect Two”. He said these are his best poems he performs mostly when he is booked at weddings, lobola ceremonies and other events where love is celebrated.

He said it is the best feeling ever to be booked to perform at local events around his home in KwaMhlushwa.

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Thobela said he is a multilingual poet, and recites in Siswati, IsiZulu, Sepedi, English and a little bit of Xitsonga.

In 2021, Thobela released Orphan with Big Dreams with 82 poems, with the aim to motivate orphans and children raised by single parents.

“The book contains poems I wrote since primary school. Some of the poems are about love and some are about the challenges I faced being raised by a single mother. This was to encourage people like me to work hard to achieve their dreams, as they are valid, regardless of their background.”

While continuing to build a name in the creative industry, he hopes to pursue a career as an attorney. He is doing his third year as an LLB student at Unisa.

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“My goals include owning a law firm to create job opportunities and establish a creative incubation hub for poets to help them publish their work and receive bookings for gigs,” Thobela said.