Gathering of Bastards

Romeo Oriogun was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and now lives in Iowa. He is the author of Sacrament of Bodies (Nebraska, 2020) and Nomad.

“‘I walk alone, trying to find / the whisper of roads, trying to sieve through water / the haunting’ writes Romeo Oriogun in the book that is a journey, both through place and history, yes, but also the soul. To say that The Gathering of Bastards is an impressive collection is an understatement. It is one of soul-making indeed. Here ‘rain bears witness to bodies / thrown overboard slave ships,’ and the spell of verbal music bears wisdom. Oriogun is a kind of writer whose music will never stop. The kind that will survive the test of time. Bravo.”-Ilya Kaminsky, author of Deaf Republic

• AcknowledgmentsI. DepartureIt Begins with LoveBallet in the ColdA Letter from the Village of TreesNight SongsCotonouThe Wild MysticWishboneOuidahLate December in AbidjanThe World Demands from Us Our ExistenceA Little Cartography of ViolenceNadobaCrossing into TogoThe Sea Dreams of UsWind WhispererA Village LifeThere Is No End HereOn the Road to ParadiseThe Abandoned Church CampWelcomeMigrant by the SeaThe DrownedOn LeavingAt the Bus Park in BamakoThis Way to WaterMigrant at the SaharaSomeday the Desert Will SingAit-Ben-HaddouA Train Stop in the SaharaAt the Edge of the DesertMistThe Gallery at the End of TimeII. RemembranceFrom Darkness into LightIn the Middle of August, I Saw the SkyA Stranger in AbaLast Days of General AbachaRemembranceUnder the Mango TreeHarmattanThe River Is by the DoorFalling DuskAt Midnight I Dreamt of RaptureBefore the Arrival of RainThe Gathering of BastardsWaiting for RainAt Lagos Polo ClubIII. WandererAssimilationAsylee in the Evening of the WorldThe Migrant of PaduaO Blue Waters, O Ships!In the Museum of Fine Arts, I Remembered HomeAll Winter I Had No LoveWalking along Harvard SquareFlywayAtlantic BeachOn BelongingSan JuanA Man of Good FortuneBefore NightfallSolsticeA Phone Call from ExileNomadFull MoonIsla VerdeLamentationOfferingsOde to ShadowsEchoesThe Revolution Is OverReturneeSalute from the Boston Cold