Kisaparwot Gerald

The Ototong and Other Poems Kisaparwot Gerald

The Ototong Poems are archives (Trauma Aesthetic) about war in Northern Uganda that lasted for many years from 'around' 1986 to 2006. It is therefore, a thriller poetic collection. The poet explicates in this collection an omniscient composition. The Ototong Poems are fourteen poetic compositions about the insurgencies and their devastating impacts in Northern Uganda. The Ototong Poems provides nothing but the truth and substantiation to the situation that majorly, the Lango and Acholi people of Northern Uganda experienced. The word Ototong is a Lango noun that literally means cutting of flesh into pieces (massacre and turmoil). Mutilation of human flesh was the day by day activities of the rebels (LRA- Lord's Resistance Army) under the leadership of a warlord Joseph Kony and it is against this background that these rebels and their entire mutiny were given a single noun Ototong by the Lango people. The people of Northern Uganda could quiver, panic and tremble at the time once the word Ototong was alarmed to their hearing. The Ototong gave the Lango and Acholi people the worst experience in their lives and history. Some of their grandfathers, mothers, uncles, sisters, brothers, friends and relatives were killed in cold blood by the Ototong (Rebels). Natives were displaced and their grass thatched houses burnt. Some parts of the neighboring countries such as D. R. C and South Sudan also had far reaching impacts of the Ototong's activities. Other Poems in this collection highlight other aspects of life from the societies within and maybe outside Africa. The Ototong and Other poems have various thematic concerns that are expressed in this inscription. These include; death and trauma (PTSD), tribalism and racism, disillusionment, corruption, religious hypocrisy, love and marriage, cross African culture, woman emancipation, Neo-colonialism, superstitions, politics and African culture. It is suitable for readers of all ages