Albinos On The Razor-Edge Of Danger Poem by Chinedu Dike

At the behest of witchdoctors headhunters are on the prowl.
They're watching, waiting, stalking, and avoiding detection;  
in the hope of an ambush with a brutal ferocity.
Their gruesome machetes as sharp as
a guillotine blade poised for execution,  
certain to dismember the of body any victims
into bleeding chunks in a matter of seconds.

Faced with this dreadful menace albinos are confined
to their homes swallowed up by boredom,  
in a perpetual state of fear and insecurity.
But compelled by absolute necessity sometimes,  
they'd venture out nonetheless.
Such mandatory runs - risky as hell!  
Could easily turn into a date with cruel fate.

The horrific butchering of East African Albinos
has left many beheaded;  
limps, genitals, ears, tongues, and breasts cut out;  
hearts, kidneys, livers, and eyes gouged out —
while victims were still alive in many cases.
Even deceased albinos are not left out,  
as graves are exhumed and desecrated.

Myths have it that their body parts possess magical powers,
very potent when used as ingredients in ritual sacrifices.
A primitive superstition validated by witchdoctors,  
which drives the illicit trade in albinos' body parts.
The macabre enterprise is patronized by subhumans seeking,  
to appease some blood thirsty gods to ward off misfortunes,
those looking for supernatural powers and wealth,
and all sorts of ambitions pursuing gratification.

Ironically, this vulnerable group is also maltreated
and maimed for exactly the reverse reason:
in some of these societies, they're presumed
to be cursed individuals with an evil omen
who bring a fatal misfortune.
Albinos are trapped in a never-ending cycle of persecution.
They're the unfortunate victims of their hereditary trait,  
coerced into a sinister shadow by fiendish gangs.
Theirs is a life on the razor-edge of danger.