Review: “Roofs Of War” By Emny Circuit

Emmy circuit is a young poet from Jos who always enjoys writing and performing poetry. Most of his poems (which I have listened to) are directed towards serious issues but with a sense of humor.

Roofs of war is a poem that was written at a time when there was incessant attacks and clashes between Fulani herders and farmers. In the lines “my neighbor become known mystery”, he tells of how overnight neighbors became foes. The poet felt betrayed also as he laments; “we exchanged hand shakes for slaps, we turned the other cheek, we held vipers tails, we cuddled lions…” and he questioned God if he was seeing all that was going on and also the inability of the government, media and soldiers to do anything about the killings of his people.

Personally I feel that the poem should have made clear the reasons for the clashes and attacks. But all together the poem had good use of language and similes “like dew at noon they’re gone”, metaphors and onomatopoeia.

YOUNGLAN