Essays - Khaya Ronkainen

Personal Essays

WHEN YOU GET TIRED OF YOUR OWN NONSENSE

I distinctly remember the moment I knew I wanted to become a teacher—and also when I realised it wasn’t for me. It all began on my first day of school at six years old, soon to turn seven. When our teacher asked what we aspired to be when we grew up. I confidently declared I wanted to be a teacher. Two reasons shaped my response: first, nearly half of my classmates had already voiced the same aspiration, and second, it was a rare occasion when an adult seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say.

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LEARNING TO BE RIGOROUS WITH COMPASSION

When a troll is someone you know, it’s very difficult to understand the motive behind. Is the person trying to be funny, crave attention, or just being mean? I can’t always tell. What I know is that my little public act of mourning my best friend’s passing, as I announced my break from social media, was quickly shot down by someone I regard as a good acquaintance. The behaviour was both confusing and hurtful. READ MORE @Lit eZine

I. AM. BEAUTIFUL

(3rd winner for the 2022 Body-Positivity Essay Contest) Hosted by Navigating the Change & The Real PeriMo)

I am a plump child afflicted with a skin disease, which doctors cannot diagnose. Only their repetitive advice, “Stay out of the sun!” brings me temporary relief. Regardless, I am beautiful. But I don’t hear much about my beauty from my parents, instead from relatives and strangers. In fact, my beauty often compels strangers to plant kisses on my cheeks without my parents’ permission. As young as I am, I can see a twinkle of pride in my father’s eyes and a hidden smile dancing on my mother’s lips.

Vignettes

The Hot Goddess Blog: What is Happiness?
SAFFER Worldwide: Leaning into the Season
SAFFER Worldwide: Unplugged: Writing in the Time of Covid-19
SAFFER Worldwide: A Close-up of a Winter’s Face

Select Prose Pieces on this Site

Reviews

“A big book both in terms of volume and ideas, which exists to disrupt the conventional order of poetry.” — A review of Kym Gordon Moore’s book, We Are Poetry: Lessons I Didn’t Learn in a Textbook

What comes to mind when you think about poetry? Boring, obscure, high-brow, dead or the new generation of Instapoets destroying the art of poetry. Whatever you think, you are not alone. So many have written obituaries about poetry. Lately, there’s a lament for the demise of the traditional form.