Sarah Scheenstra
4 July 2009
book review
Well known in Uganda for his poem, "The Rape of the Temple," which was written to commemorate the first State siege of Uganda's High Court by Black Mamba commandoes on December 16, 2005, Justice James Ogoola has recently published his first book of poetry, Songs of Paradise: A Harvest of Poetry and Verse now available in bookstores around Uganda.
In a culture where reading for pleasure is almost alien, Justice Ogoola may be criticised for the length of his poems since some are 20 stanzas; nonetheless, the reading is easy and enjoyable.
Rich with his Ugandan heritage and rooted in his Christian faith, Justice Ogoola's book explores themes of spirituality and humanity, and of paradise and life on earth. But what will attract the most attention is Ogoola's commentary on governance and human rights. His approach is one of no holds barred and he's blunt to a fault. Justice Ogoola told the Saturday Monitor that his starting point in the collection is faith. Throughout the poems, he demonstrates a deep understanding of the Bible and Jesus' life and makes allusions to many biblical characters.
Although permeated with these biblical themes, much of the imagery, places, and events about which Justice Ogoola writes are distinctly African. In "The Panorama of Addis Ababa" for example, Justice Ogoola uses Addis Ababa as a symbol for Ancient Africa and in "The King and the Ninety Nine Clowns," he alludes to the problem of corruption present in so much of Africa.
His legal position in Uganda as the Principle Judge and a judge on both the Comesa and the East African Courts of Justice gives him a unique perspective on issues of justice, governance and human rights, which is in fact the theme of the sixth section in the book.
It is in this section that "Rape of the Temple" appears. Also in this section are "The Cannibals," which presents a blunt commentary on the second State siege of the High Court on March 1, 2007, and "The Cross of Justice; Bloodbath at the Altar," which gives tribute to the casualties of that second siege. Each of these poems, as well as the 49 others in the volume, evoke strong imagery and emotion and effectively communicate the destruction mankind can be capable of.
"The Torture Tyrants," a poem by Justice Ogoola which appeared in the Sunday Monitor, was read as part of the celebration of the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. As I listened to the poem, I was touched by an ugliness and a beauty - the ugliness of the graphic descriptions and the beauty of the lyrical language. Looking back, I realise that it is the beauty in Justice Ogoola's language that enables the reader see the ugliness of torture so clearly in his poems. In a sense, his pen becomes a weapon against injustice.
"The Poets and the Pirates," gives tribute to this very power by comparing the barbarous ways of the pirate with the "cool lyrical acrobatics" of the poet.
While Justice Ogoola's language is primarily eloquent and colourful, there are several places where he uses familiar English clichés (such as "the apple of his father's eyes," "heart of stone," and "buzzing like bees,") where he could have instead used new and original language to evoke an image.
Nonetheless, each poem in the collection is poignant and vivid. As with any piece of art, Songs of Paradise is open to interpretation. However one interprets it, Justice Ogoola's ability to explore the heartache of humanity and the complex issues in governance show an acknowledgement of the depravity of mankind.
His focus on God and the perfection of paradise reveals the solution to that very depravity.
Book: Songs of Paradise: A Harvest of Poetry and Verse
Author: Justice James Ogoola
Reviewed by: Sarah Scheenstra
Price: Shs 25,000
Available at: Major Book stores
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