The Voice of the Night Masquerade: PoemsThe author explains his poetic mission thus: 'it is the cultural tradition in my part of the world, that when abominations become unbearable, and the truth must be told with great courage, then the night masquerade appears...in order to set a senseless practice right; sometimes the night masquerade must confront the ruler and point out the nakedness of his utterances...this is the voice of the night masquerade, I am only the medium.' The ensuing collection of poems is divided into three sections: 'Night' - alluding to the night the mother of the spirits walked the length and breadth of the clan, weeping for her murdered son, in 'Things Fall Apart'; 'Night Vigil', and 'Night Passages'. This book was joint winner of the Association of Nigerian Authors' Poetry Prize in 1997. |
Contents
NIGHT | 11 |
The chant is the escort | 38 |
B Songs for the living | 50 |
Copyright | |
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Akataka anthole arena assembled become bird blood break broken carried child comes count dance dance dancer dark dawn dead deaf death deities despair dread drum dusk ears earth eyes faces falling fear feelings fire flowers flows flute fowl funeral future gathered germinate gods goes goes at night ground hands harvest hawk head heart hopes inside jump kills land laughter legs Listen lives look means memories mind move never night masquerade paces pain past planted Poems poetry prize question rain Raise a chant remember Remi Raji rise season seeds seen Sends shrine snake soil song soul sound spirit starts steps sting stones story stream streets takes talk tears teeth tell things thoughts tongue town travelled treasure at home tree truth turn University voice waits walk wealth wind wisdom womb