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interesting view of pre-war and wartime Liberia, 29 May 2008
In this collection, the poet illustrates the tragedies of the Liberian civil war by capturing its terror and also by remembering what life was like before the war. The Liberian war began in 1989 and ended (officially) in 1996, even though peace could be said to have only truly returned to the country with the ouster of Charles Taylor (the former Warlord-President of Liberia) in 2003. 750 000 people are estimated to have died during the war, with 1.2 million people being displaced internally.
The collection is divided into three parts. The poet begins part one with a poignant poem, "I Am Not Dekuah" (Dekuah is a name given to children in the poet's culture who are not expected to live long and it means, "Came to die"). The poet uses this poem to voice the determination of an entire nation to live. Poems following this one dwell on the horrors of the war- the emptying of once thriving towns (Tugbakeh, A Song), the cult of the child soldier (Child Soldier), the countless loss of lives (Find My Family, Have You Been Felled?, What Dirge etc).
In part two, the poet draws images of pre-war Liberia- the customs, traditions and ways of life. She focuses overwhelmingly on the lot of women- especially as victims of marital infidelity (They Say, I'm Still Thinking..., Outside Child). Other features of life examined are motherhood, the respect for elders, even fashion (Monrovia Women). She ends this section with a more sombre poem, "The Rooster Will Come Home"; expressing a desire for a return to life as she had known it.
The collection concludes with part three. This part contains a series of poems mostly capturing the reality of exile as a result of the conflict- exile in the U.S, as well as exile in neighbouring African countries, and the poet's desire for a return to peace and a return home.
Most of the poems are written in free style and are very graphic. A glossary offers explanations of a few obscure cultural terms used, however, not every foreign word used is explained so the reader often has to guess their meaning. In all, this is an intersting view of pre-war and wartime Liberia. It can be easily read in one sitting.
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