Homeland & Other PoemsIfowodo was a frontline student leader in the early eighties and is a lawyer and civil rights activist. In 1996 he was a writer-in-residence at the Heinrich Boell Foundation. He was imprisoned between 1997 and 1998 and was subsequently adopted by PEN. This is his first collection of poetry which won the 1993 Association of Nigerian Authors Poetry Prize. Many of the poems are responses to politics; or spring from the tensions between writing political poetry, or art for art's sake, and other competing subjects of poetry, such as romantic love. The poet, quoting Neruda, first asks the reader expecting a poetic celebration of his natural world to 'come see the blood in the streets'. In the section section he writes tributes to Tracey Chapman, Winnie and Nelson Mandela and Margeret Thatcher ('the butcher'). The subject of the third section is the rediscovery of romantic love, amidst and beyond turmoil and oppression. |
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Page 15
... flesh from their race to shore and grave . But he sailed the current his windblown belly sailcloth of one craft whose journey had no more need for destination and disembarkment . His eyes were now big enough to find the right path , big ...
... flesh from their race to shore and grave . But he sailed the current his windblown belly sailcloth of one craft whose journey had no more need for destination and disembarkment . His eyes were now big enough to find the right path , big ...
Page 24
... flesh ? Without the preacher's faith I count miracles daily : the streets still sprout life as grave - diggers break their backs , overworked and if daily our eyes are born again to sorrows wider than the world may our blood too boil ...
... flesh ? Without the preacher's faith I count miracles daily : the streets still sprout life as grave - diggers break their backs , overworked and if daily our eyes are born again to sorrows wider than the world may our blood too boil ...
Page 67
... decades of rot and ravage but perhaps , this is tribute to your mystery of flesh in a valley of bones ? A prophecy of life after this death is belled to your full hips . III What we long for lies in shores far removed 67.
... decades of rot and ravage but perhaps , this is tribute to your mystery of flesh in a valley of bones ? A prophecy of life after this death is belled to your full hips . III What we long for lies in shores far removed 67.
Contents
For arts sake | 11 |
Poem to the child of my time | 32 |
Mandelas mantle | 41 |
Copyright | |
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anger anguish arms asked August battle bear beast beneath bitter bleeding blood bones break breath broken brows carved cast child close colours count crocodiles cross daily dance death December deep dust dying earth evil eyes face fading faith fear feet fire flesh flowing forest gathered graves grow guns hand harvest head hear heart heat hope horns January kill laughter lay dying leaves light living marched mark memory mouth muscle needing night pain past paths plead pledged POEMS poetry poison prize rain rising rivers roads sadness sand season seek serve shadow soldier song Soon sorrows soul space stars stone streets surer taste tears teeth terror things thirst tongue tree truth turn voice walk walls wear weeping whip wider winds wondered wounds