BIAFRA (SONNETS ON POST COLONIAL AFRICA'S FIRST GENOCIDE) LXXVI

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"ANNI compassionate MOTHER: let the EUMENIDES. These KINDLY ONES speak of IGBO LANDING where your sons and daughters chose to drown in the ATLANTIC off GEORGIA than enter AMERICA as slaves. Let the EUMENIDES sing their deaths in deep sorrow and joy for on IGBO LANDING, GEORGIA, your glorious sons and daughters redeemed our liberty, ANNI'S SACRED FLAME. HOWL in sorrow at IGBO LANDING O EUMENIDES, call them to this memorial to the dead. NOBLE was their collective suicide off that slave ship into the ATLANTIC - they died singing songs of sorrow, songs of liberty. HAIL their deaths, chaste EUMENIDES: name them; summon them; list them among the ILLUSTRIOUS ONES at this monument to NIGERIA'S dead.













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