Zong! attempts to not-tell the story that must be told yet can’t be told – the story of the Zong massacre in 1781 in which the captain of the eponymous slave ship throws overboard some 150 enslaved Africans in order to collect payment of insurance monies. Through fragments of words and phrases a contrapuntal rhythm of word and silence is created as the story untells itself.
Multilingual, multiethnic and multiracial, the globalised universe of the slave ship is a space of extreme contraction and restriction, it is rule-bound and closely girded and guarded by the law and religion. It is essentially a space of terror.
Zong! #19
drowned the law
their thirst &
the evidence
obliged the frenzy
in themselves
in the sea
ground the justify
in the necessity of
when
who &
which
Gbolade Ololade Mapfumo Ngunda Dayo
there is no evidence
in the against of winds
the consequence of currents
or
the apprehension of rains
the certain of value
or
the value in certain
against the rest in preservation
the save in residue
negroes exist
for the throwing
Musa Baba Olufemi Muata Iyabo Noxolo
Zong! #20
this necessity of loss
this quantity of not
perils underwriters
insurers
of
the throw in circumstance
the instance in attempt
the attempt in voyage
the may in become
in
the between of day
a sea of negroes
drowned
live
in the thirst
Oriyome Fasuyi Olaifa Ekua Bobo Kobie
for
otherwise
the sure of verdict
in the want of action
preserve the soon in afterwards
the time in africa
to jamaica
now the question
falls
upon
enemies
Kusoro Moleye Namono Ufa Bilal
Zong! #21
is being is
or
should
is is
is
be
being
or
been
is was
is
should be
or
have been
is there
Ayodele Oluwa Oje Olayinka Motayo Babatunde
was
should
was not
should be
or
have been
is there is
or
being
there
is was
is is
should
and
have been
there is
was
there
Ogunade Omotayo Yewande Abibola Sonubi Abeke
Zong! #22
lives own their facts
of spent lives
murder
market
misfortunes
&
policy
lying dead
under seas
facts own their lives
in circumstance
&
happening
in trial &
declaration
in the absolute
of rule
&
lord
in the absolute
of water
Muru Kakra Kolawole Kibibi Olabisi Usi
Zong! #23
was
the weight in being
the same in rains
the ration in loss
the proved in fact
the within in is
the sufficient in indictment
the might have in existed
is
the evidence in negroes
Moleye Maideyi Ibeyemi Nobini Olonade Bunmi
Zong! #24
evidence
is
sustenance
is
support
is
the law
the ship
is
the captain
is
the crew
perils
is
the trial
is
the rains
is
the seas
is
the currents
jamaica
is
tobago
is
islands
the case
is
murder
Kenyatta Mesi Nayo Yooku Ngena
is
justice
africa
is
the ground
is
negroes
evidence is
sustenance is
support is
the law is
the ship is
the captain is
the crew is
perils is
the trial is
the rains is
the seas is
currents is
jamaica is
tobago is
islands is
the case is
murder is
justice is
the ground is
africa is
negroes
was
Oluyemi Esugbayi Adubifa Ogunlesi Akua
Zong!#25
justify the could
the captain &
the crew
the authorize
in captain
crew &
could
could authorize justify
captain
&
crew
the
could
or justify authorize
could
captain & crew
authorize
Bomani Yahya Modupe Jibowu Fayola
the crew
the captain &
the could
the justify
in
captain
the could &
crew
in authorize
justify
the could
the captain &
the crew
justify the authorize
the could
Mulogo Tiwalade Onifade Solanke Wamukota Nsomba
BLACKOUT ((poetry & politics)) 