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36 Joyce B. Ashuntantang Ngbokodems* Dawn breaks over your silhouette Ossing village comes in full view Enchanting the morning of days gone by The absence of your arm Tells the story of your rape. The rape of your land The rape of your people But your beauty is legend Your grace a folktale Songs still carry your name Even our children too Bessem, Eyere, Eneke and Efundem Yes the names linger, refusing to die This morning the mist cleared Your right leg was gone too And that pretty face has lost an ear Then my child cried Was it for your pain? ‘‘Man No Rest’’ did not stop So I passed you by quickly But your image remained Clearing with the morning light May be when I return, you will be gone completely But I write you down and here you will stay And I know You will be up again someday When the loot is over, The looting of our lands Ngbokodem, our ngbokodems. * Statues of ‘‘society women’’ made up of princesses and daughters of titled men who belonged to a sacred organization known as ‘‘ndem’’ in Manyu Division, Cameroon. ...

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