Pathways of Inspiration
My Pathways of Inspiration will take you through life inspired poetry of joy, sadness, hurt, grief, inspiration, love and so much more, also showing us that as long as we have hope we are able to conquer the many battles life throws our way.
My name is Laverne Schwimmbacher and I live in Cape Town. I have randomly written poetry for most of my life but It took the loss of my husband and then my dad, both to cancer and both in 2010, 9 months apart, for my real passion of and for poetry to change my life totally. I wrote during my grieving process and shared with friends and family close to me.
In June 2014 while listening to a late night radio programme (Smile 90.4FM) I was in awe at the inspiration being shared by both the presenter Mehboob Bawa and the listeners.
At 11.30pm I speedily typed out a poem very relevant to me at that time and shared it via the sms line direct to the radio station and at 11.55pm Mehboob Bawa read my poem out on air, with the most beautiful music as a background. I was moved and brought to tears by my very own poem. Reactions were wonderful and I wrote more often and shared many of my poems of inspiration in this way. I was invited September 2014 to write a poem for Kids with Cancer and to share it on stage to an audience of 250 at a concert held by singer Roeshdien Jazz. This was my very first time on stage, with a microphone and an audience. I was petrified having always been scared of my own voice, but I did it.
I continued to write and in May 2015 Roeshdien held another concert which he asked me to contribute to, which I did. Thereafter I took part in the Fringe event and open mic at The McGregor Poetry Festival in August 2015 as well as a few open mic evenings held weekly in Cape Town. I am delighted to be taking part in this wonderful and inspiring Festival again this year. I have 2 grandchildren aged 9 and 7 and still work full time in an office /factory in Lansdowne Cape Town. I have successfully self-published a book titled “PATHWAYS of INSPIRATION” and before going to print mid-April 2016 already had orders for 100 books.
