Description

We Are Still in the Fort is a curated selection of about seventy poems by Muyaka bin Haji al-Ghassaniy, divided into three sections spanning the quotidian, the amorous, and the political. The first part, "'I Swipe Their String of Fish' Poems of Mombasan Society," features his often satirical commentary on daily life in Mombasa. The second part, "'Take Your Misery With You' Poems of Love and Marriage," focuses on his psychologically sensitive observations on the volatility of love, marriage, and illicit affairs. The last part, "'We Are Still in the Fort' Poems of War and State," includes epigrammatic critiques of local political leaders and a series of anti-imperialist poems defending Mombasa's independence against the invading Omani Empire. The volume also features contextual materials on Muyaka and the context of Swahili poetry, a translator's note, and introductions for each of the three sections.