Thoughts on The Gathering of Bastards by Romeo Oriogun

This is largely a book of northwest Africa. Oriogun is from Nigeria and this book is a reckoning with his country and that region's history and his place in it--and outside of it since he chose to leave. But it is also a book of longing for resolution so that he can feel at home again in the first place he thought of as home, as well as a self-examination of why he continues to choose living elsewhere despite the toll it takes on his sense of belonging and acceptance, both of which are basic human needs. People who have a love-hate relationship with their homeland will be able to relate to the recurring attraction and retraction expressed within this book.

In the first part of the book, we start from the west coast of North Africa and travel into the Sahara. This is a fascinating journey through a part of Africa through the eyes of an African. But it is not a tour. Oriogun is thinking his way through this territory and what it means to him, its history and its present. As someone who lives in the U.S. and has never traveled to Africa, Africa equals animal life to me. I have a National Geographic view of it. The view Oriogun provides largely omits animals. His themes are water and earth, that which moves through and that which stays. Water, especially, is a strong theme throughout the book. 

Oriogun writes beautifully and that is what kept me reading. 

Here are a few examples of poems in this book that were available on the internet. They're not my favorites but they give you a feel for his writing.

https://theaccountmagazine.com/article/oriogun-20/

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/157939/flyway

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/157938/walking-along-harvard-square

The book is in three parts: Departure, Remembrance, and Wanderer. I would recommend reading Departure as a whole in sequence because it does have a traveling narrative arc. However, Remembrance and Wanderer can be dipped into and out of. Remembrance looks at the political history of the area as well as Oriogun's personal history. Wanderer is about trying to make a home elsewhere. Oriogun doesn't always center himself in his poems. Many are for or about or in relation to others.

I am made aware of how lucky I am to have been raised in an English speaking country, which, because of its economic power, encourages others to learn English. I get to read the poetry of people with very different experiences from around the world expressed in non-translated English. This book is part of a project of Kwame Dawes and the University of Nebraska Press. It publishes the poetry of African poets, some in translation but many of them in English. What a rich treasure (over 30 books) for stepping into the lived experience of Africans and African immigrants.

Though knowledge of some of the African words in this book is not necessary to enjoy it, having a notes section or a simple glossary would have been nice for those who do get stuck on words they're unfamiliar with. Though it's extremely unusual in books of poetry, it also would have been cool to have a map.

Though this book is very centered in the experience of a Nigerian native who has left home and hasn't truly settled, I feel that many people born in and still living in the U.S. can relate to this feeling of being alienated from where we've grown up and trying to find a sense of belonging in a new place since we are such a mobile society. Even without the added challenges of language and skill barriers, a sense of rootlessness and a lack of belonging can become a nagging undercurrent in our lives.