Malediction by Wole Soyinka

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 MALEDICTION

For her who rejoiced

Unsexed,your lips

have framed a life curse

shouting joy where all

the human world

shared in grief's humility.

May this pattern be your life

preserve;that when hearts

are set alive in joy's communion,

a sky offies in blood-gore

press upon and smear you wholly,

a sky of scab-blacked tears

glut but never slake

those lips

crossed in curse corrugations

thin slit in spittle silting

and bile-blown tongue

pain plagued,a mock man plug wedged in waste womb-ways    a slime slug slewed in sewage

orogbo   egan,gege   leke   arugbo   ...

Giggles fill the water-hole

Ofsprings by you abandoned,

And afterbirth,at crossroads

So  when  the  world  grieves,rejoice

 Call  to  them  in  laughter,beat

Wilted welts on your breasts bata 

To  hyenas  of the  wastes

even    thus

for your children

and  your  children's

children

hat  their  throats  laugh  Amen

on  your  bier,and  carousing  hooves raise  dust  to  desecrated  dust  -Amen

Analysis

"Malediction" by Wole Soyinka is a powerful and evocative poem that explores themes of betrayal, vengeance, and the consequences of rejoicing in others' suffering. Here's an analysis of its key elements:

The poem begins with a condemnation directed towards a woman who has reveled in the suffering of others, describing her lips as having framed a life curse by shouting joy where there should have been grief and humility. This sets the tone for the malediction, or curse, that follows.

The curse itself is articulated in vivid and visceral imagery. The speaker wishes upon the woman that whenever she experiences joy and communion with others, the sky will darken with blood and tears, pressing upon her and smearing her wholly. This imagery conveys a sense of suffocating anguish and punishment, as well as a reversal of fortunes for the woman who once reveled in others' pain.

The curse continues with grotesque and visceral descriptions of the woman's physical degradation, likening her to a mock man plug wedged in waste womb-ways and a slime slug slewed in sewage. These images evoke a sense of disgust and revulsion, emphasizing the depth of the speaker's anger and desire for retribution.

The poem also contains references to abandoned springs, afterbirth, and hyenas of the wastes, further reinforcing the theme of decay and abandonment. These images serve to underscore the woman's isolation and ostracism, as well as the perversion of joy and laughter in the face of suffering.

The final lines of the poem invoke a chilling prophecy, wishing that the woman's descendants will also suffer the consequences of her actions. The speaker imagines a future where the woman's laughter is met with scorn and derision, and where her memory is desecrated and forgotten.

Overall, "Malediction" is a searing indictment of cruelty and schadenfreude, warning of the inevitable consequences for those who take pleasure in the suffering of others. Through vivid imagery and haunting language, the poem explores the depths of human depravity and the enduring power of curses and retribution.