Tanaka Tannekha
About me
Some call me a Dark Poet, some a Pain Enthusiast- I say I’m just a girl. My name is Tanaka Tannekha, born in the heart of Mutare, Zimbabwe. My life story is anything but simple, and far from normal. Yet, it is precisely this struggle that forged the resilient voice I wield today.
MY LEADEN ALCHEMY
Becoming an adult prematurely was a necessity imposed by circumstance. To survive, I had to be strong; crying felt like a weakness, pain a needless drag. So I turned to my black pen and paper, and bled on it. From the age of 14 I became isolated, focused on my pen more. The more I bled on paper, the more I detached from the world. The writing became a crucial vessel for an internal battle with mental health, isolation, and substance abuse—a testament to the gravity of my inner world. My early poem, My Leaden Heart, first articulated this sense of exhaustion and the desperate need for emotional rest. This foundation—where feeling is both inspiration and drive has transformed my pain into a story of how I survived through the years.
THE LIGHT UNCONTAINED
Unable to voice the mental attacks I endured, I committed them solely to the page and I strongly believe that these unspoken cries can fundamentally change how others facing mental health crises, addiction, and withdrawal see their own battles. This mission culminates in my debut project, ‘Dear Beloved,’ an outcry from one broken heart to the world. It comprises the raw confessions of battles I fought and nearly lost, even as a Christian.
My hope is to touch lives, let the world see that the light within you can outshine the darkness that surrounds you.
