Massacre, October '66 by Wole Soyinka

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 MASSACRE,OCTOBER    ’66

Writen in Tegel

Shards of sunlight touch me here

Shredded  in  willows.

Through  stained-glass Fragments on the lake I sought to reach

A mind at silt-bed

The lake stayed cold

I swam in an October Hush of dying leaves

The gardener's labour Hew in scasoned scrolls

 Lettering  the  wind

Swept from painted craf

A mockery of waves remarked this idyll sham

 I  trod  on  acorns;each  shell's  detonation

Aped the skull's uniqucness.

Came   sharper   reckoning-

This favoured food of hogs cannot number high 

As heads still harshly crop to whirlwinds

I  have  bricfly  fed

The oak rains a hundred more

A kind confusion to arithmetics of death: 

Time to watch autumn the removal man

Dust down rare canvases

To let a loud resolve of passion

Fly  to  a  squirrel,burnished  light  and  copper  fur  

 A  distant  stance  without the  lake's  churchwindows 

And  for  a   stranger,love.

A  host  of  acorns  fell,silent

As they are  silenced  all,whose laughter

Rosc  from  such  indifferent  paths,oh  God 

They  are  not  strangers  all

Whose desccration mocks the word

Of peace  -salaam  aleikun  -not  strangers  any

Brain  of thousands pressed  asleep  to  pig  fodder  -

 Shun  pork   the  unholy   -cries  the  priest.

I borrow  scasons  of an  alicn  land

In  brotherhood  of  ill,pride   of  race  around  me

Strewn  in  sunlit  shards.

I  borrow  alien  lands

To  stay  the  season  of a  mind.

 

Analysis 

"Massacre, October '66" by Wole Soyinka is a powerful and haunting poem that reflects on the brutality and devastation of the Nigerian Civil War, specifically the massacres that occurred in October 1966. Here's an analysis of its key elements:

The poem opens with the speaker reflecting on their surroundings, describing how sunlight touches them amidst shredded willows and stained-glass fragments on a lake. This imagery suggests a sense of fragmentation and disarray, mirroring the shattered state of the speaker's mind as they grapple with the horrors of war.

The lake, described as cold and surrounded by dying leaves, becomes a metaphor for the bleakness and desolation of the war-torn landscape. The image of the gardener's labor carving lettering into the wind conveys a sense of futility and meaninglessness in the face of senseless violence.

As the speaker walks on acorns, each shell's detonation echoes the uniqueness of each individual life lost in the massacre. This imagery emphasizes the tragic and irreplaceable nature of the lives taken.

The poem then shifts to a sharper reckoning, as the speaker confronts the harsh reality of death and destruction. The oak raining a hundred more acorns symbolizes the relentless cycle of violence and loss, while also highlighting the arbitrary nature of death.

Amidst the devastation, the speaker finds solace in moments of beauty and connection, such as watching autumn's arrival and observing a squirrel in its natural habitat. These moments of respite offer a brief escape from the horrors of war, but also serve as reminders of the humanity that persists amidst the chaos.

The poem concludes with a powerful indictment of the perpetrators of violence and desecration, who mock the word of peace and betray the bonds of brotherhood. The reference to the priest's admonition to shun pork highlights the religious and cultural divisions that fueled the conflict.

Ultimately, "Massacre, October '66" is a deeply moving exploration of the human cost of war and the enduring resilience of the human spirit. Through vivid imagery and poignant language, the poem bears witness to the atrocities of history while also affirming the importance of empathy, compassion, and solidarity in the face of adversity.