Martyrdom and Other Freedom Poems

This poetry collection, appropriately dedicated in derision of all the cloned dictators in Africa, is marked by the acerbic irony of the macabre poet on various themes emphasizing Africas dilemma past and present. The titles tell the whole story, from the confusion and contradictions of The Rabble, idiots called leaders claiming to liberate the people from mental slavery when they, pseudoleaders, are begging for a re-colonization, to Predators and Dogs of War with people being their own worst enemies. In the midst of such tragedy, the poet finds consolation in the action of a few Unsung Heroes standing up to the messengers of national deconstruction and destruction. Such Martyrdom, avers the poet, will need to be replicated many times over if Cameroon, his besieged country, and its macrocosmic representation, Africa, are to stand a chance of escaping from Apocalypse. The style here is innovative, as the poet weaves languages, colonial and national, into historical analysis in mocking patriotic robbers hailing the superstitious and omnipresent pre de la nation.

Femi Ojo-Ade, Professor Emeritus, St. Marys College of Maryland, USA