Albinos On The Razor-edge Of Danger Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDBEF GHBCICJCK ELMNOPQRSDMTGU VLWXYZXA2E XB2YBBA2C2XD2XBXXE XE2GF2G2XBXA2H2XXXXX XXXI2G2OC2B2J2XEXXC2 X XK2B2XVL2M2N2O2P2Q2X XXXEA2BR2VB EXXBXXS2T2T2U2VX BV2W2X2XBY2EZ2B2XBVQ 2BBXGBX A3G2XXB3GC3GD3J2EOA2 XB BGGXXGXOXT2T2XBBE3 A3BEOOXB2XXXXX GT2OEB2F3G3EEG2OBL2X X XOBA2H3XI3J3B2OXXG2O L2E OOG2BOGXE2T2XXE2BA3O GEBBB OBI2A2XBXXEOEBL2XEXA 2VXBT2V XK3OBOXXXOXOEXVXF3XO BOV XBXL3BOXBEB2XBVVXB2F 2 EEOOBXXOXEOVBB2XL2 L2B2VGM3BBB2XOVOOJ3 BBOBN3XA2OXOBXOOVH2O J2X XGOPXGBOA2XL2O3XXXOV XOXX EA2OB2XOXXOXB2BXOXA2 XO BXOGXXOP3XXB2GXXL2O OBXXEVXOBVXA2B2OXQ3O E2BBL2 XXXVL2OOVOXOXOVOR3XB BOX OGXVXD3XS3H3L2V

At the behest of witch doctors headhunters are on the prowl	A
They're watching waiting stalking and avoiding detection	B
in hope of an ambush with a brutal ferocity	C
Their bowie knives and their gruesome machetes	D
as sharp as a guillotine blade that is poised for execution	B
certain to dismember any unfortunate victim	E
into chunks of bleeding flesh in a matter of seconds	F
	-
Faced with the looming menace many albinistic	G
persons are housebound in their homes	H
swallowed up by anxiety and depression	B
in a sustained state of fear for their own safety	C
and a deep sense of distrust for fellow beings	I
But whenever compelled by a crucial necessity	C
they would nervously venture out nonetheless	J
Such unavoidable runs risky as hell can easily	C
deliver them into the grasps of the cruel fate	K
	-
The horrific butchering of persons with albinism	E
in some parts of Africa with a single purpose	L
of harvesting their blood internal organs	M
and other body parts for sacrificial rituals	N
has left so many of them revoltingly beheaded	O
limps cut off ears breasts and genitals sliced off	P
hearts kidneys livers and eyes gouged out	Q
while victims were still alive in many cases	R
Some albinos are also known to have been	S
buried alive as human offerings to appease	D
blood thirsty deities or spirits Even the ones	M
who are already deceased and interred are not	T
left to rest in peace as their remains are being	G
dug up and robbed of hair teeth and bones	U
	-
Myths have it that the blood organs and other	V
body parts of the albino can be used to harness	L
magical powers that they are known to yield	W
powerful outcomes when used as ingredients	X
in preparing portions charms or amulets that	Y
can bring riches provide fortification against	Z
harm infuse extraordinary powers or exorcise	X
ancestral wrath believed to be the root cause of	A2
the existential anxieties of those who use them	E
	-
In those African societies that seem full of myths	X
and witchcraft the notion that albinistic people	B2
are endowed with mystical powers is one that	Y
is deeply entrenched in the public perception	B
As old as generations this harmful superstition	B
is what in recent years increasing numbers of	A2
sorcerers and criminal charlatans draw on to	C2
trick people into the illusion of human sacrifice	X
To validate the efficacy claims of such a weird	D2
practice these black magicians and con artists	X
who act as both traditional healers and holymen	B
translate the existing legends and folklores	X
on potency of albino in dark magic into terms	X
that make sense to those who consult them	E
	-
Quite keen on making merchandise of persons	X
with albinism the so called witch doctors have	E2
put a price on their heads thus assigning	G
a commercial value to members of the group	F2
in the eyes of predatory individuals who are	G2
lured into the clandestine trade in albinos	X
and their body parts to make quick money	B
The tragic outcome of this bounty on albinos	X
dead or alive adults or children is the rise of	A2
criminal networks that revolve around witch	H2
doctors including scouters body snatchers	X
kidnappers traffickers killers and others	X
who also play their part in sinister schemes	X
set up by the juju men to feather their nests	X
at the expense of their clients' murky motives	X
	-
The ritual murders of albinos in these societies	X
remain largely a crime driven by a boundless	X
quest to gratify out of reach gnawing desires	X
coupled with the widespread beliefs that such	I2
sacrificial rituals work These superstitions are	G2
by no means limited to the chiefly uneducated	O
poor masses since so many of the clients who	C2
patronize the greedy witch doctors are people	B2
of means from many different walks of life	J2
mostly those politicians and entrepreneurs	X
who believe that lucky talismans made from	E
albino body parts can make them win elections	X
or usher in an era of boom in their business	X
ventures by bewitching voters or prospects into	C2
favouring their candidacies goods or services	X
	-
This belief that people with albinism possess	X
special powers that can bring success in just	K2
about everything is nothing short of lethal	B2
In the rural areas of some African countries	X
where everything that happens whether	V
good or bad is directly associated with the	L2
intervention of the spirits vicious onslaught	M2
on albinistic persons appears to be rampant	N2
They are being hunted down and slaughtered	O2
like animals by ritualistic criminals who are all	P2
linked to the trafficking networks contracted	Q2
or established by the traditional spirit healers	X
themselves to procure these 'commodities'	X
Usually based on the wishes of their clients	X
the juju men will determine the body parts	X
needed to make a given type of potion charm	E
amulet or talisman Through the networks of	A2
their criminal contacts they will set in motion	B
a train of clandestine events which would	R2
wind up either in severe maiming or murder	V
of ill fated albino with an astonishing cruelty	B
	-
Homeless albinistic people who used to roam	E
the streets and pathways of cities and villages	X
as beggers bear the brunt of the brazen assaults	X
With many of these exposed targets already	B
sent to their early graves armed with knives	X
machetes and guns at times human hunters	X
are now raiding secluded homes after sunset	S2
While at it they would forcefully abduct or	T2
kill and dismember their albino victims before	T2
the eyes of their frequently injured and subdued	U2
family members who helplessly watch in horror	V
as human poachers make away with their trophies	X
	-
Most of these brutal attacks are against children	B
not only because they are easier to abduct	V2
but also due to a higher ritual value assigned	W2
to their innocence which is generally believed	X2
to enhance the potency of ritual products	X
In broad daylight albinistic kids are preyed on	B
while on their way to and from school	Y2
Infants and toddlers are snatched away from	E
their mothers who oftentimes have sustained	Z2
serous injuries in their brave but mostly futile	B2
attempts to rescue crying babes from kidnappers	X
Several cases have been recorded in which albino	B
mothers carrying their albino babies were	V
hacked to death and their bodies mutilated	Q2
alongside those of their murdered children	B
Due to the misconception that albinistic women	B
and girls inhibit a cure for terminal diseases	X
including HIV and AIDS they are as well being	G
targeted for ritual rape that sometimes result in	B
unwanted pregnancies or death of victims	X
	-
In those sub Saharan African countries where	A3
albinos amount to big money their lives are	G2
constant battles to evade bounty hunters	X
Many of them have disappeared without a trace	X
the remains of the ones who were later found	B3
were recovered with some body parts missing	G
depending on the kind of spell desired to be cast	C3
Some of the victims who by a miraculous stroke	G
of luck survived from the almost certain death	D3
are left terribly disfigured and disabled for life	J2
In the most heartbreaking cases of hate crime	E
against albinos they have often been abducted	O
and sold to trafficking networks by members of	A2
their families such as fathers uncles partners	X
or other relatives out of desperation for money	B
	-
In the East Central and some parts of Southern	B
Africa where black market exits for albinistic	G
persons and their body parts they are being	G
trafficked within and across the porous borders	X
of countries of these neighbouring regions	X
by the commercial trafficking networks hoping	G
that by selling a 'full set' of albino body parts	X
they can make money as high as USD	O
an immense fortune in these poor countries	X
A living albino is said to be worth much more	T2
while single body parts such as arm heart or	T2
head can fetch several thousands of dollars	X
These values make the underground trade in	B
albinos one of the most profitable and grisly	B
forms of human trafficking around the globe	E3
	-
Ironically in these improvished societies where	A3
individuals with albinism are believed to be	B
a source of good fortune they are at the same	E
time being demonized and also being targeted	O
for violent attacks because they are presumed	O
to be cursed beyond their 'ghostly' appearance	X
Widely perceived as a haunted group of people	B2
who are bearers of badlucks albinistic persons	X
as often as not are being blamed for the outbreaks	X
of epidemic diseases locust invasions droughts	X
floods hurricanes and other natural hazards	X
whose occurances are due to climatic factors	X
	-
It is this dehumanisation of the people living	G
with albinism that provides the rationale for	T2
their stigmatization making it all too easy to	O
justify all manner of prosecution against them	E
Albinos are the objects of emotional verbal	B2
and psychological abuse often followed up	F3
with the physical assaults they have to endure	G3
in societies that would rather be without them	E
This irrational hatred for people with albinism	E
implies that even the heinous crimes that are	G2
being committed against them are largely met	O
by the callous indifference of their community	B
members and not in any way deterred by the	L2
erring inaction of the law enforcement officials	X
many of who feel the same disdain for albinos	X
	-
Perhaps the worst act of betrayal many albinos	X
have to contend with is that from their blood	O
relatives who look at them as cosmic retribution	B
Almost always the initial reaction to the birth of	A2
a baby with a pale skin is one of shock disbelief	H3
and humiliation from parents and close relatives	X
Parents feel ashamed of their babies and fear	I3
the social impacts of the unexpected birth	J3
Because such infants are believed to be potential	B2
sources of calamities they are at times banished	O
abandoned or killed after birth by their families	X
in an effort to root out the imagined threats	X
In some places even when close relatives are	G2
fond of their albinistic baby they can be forced	O
by their community members to give up the	L2
infant for ritualistic killing as impelled by custom	E
	-
Because of widespread misapprehensions about	O
albinism and the patriarchal nature of most	O
African societies as is the custom women are	G2
the ones being blamed for giving birth to albino	B
The accusation gets worse in families who	O
before the unusual birth had no albinistic	G
individuals in their traceable ancestries	X
Cases abound of female spouses who have	E2
been subjected to domestic violence jilted or	T2
chased away by their husbands and in laws	X
who are convinced that such 'miscreant wives'	X
were accosted or had been unfaithful to have	E2
delivered for them a baby with a pale skin	B
Sometimes though there were accounts where	A3
men accepted their baby and offered support	O
This rejection of mothers and their albinistic	G
babies due to cultural taboos leaves them	E
exposed to increased levels of poverty isolation	B
and abuse in their communities since no men	B
are there to protect them as their very own	B
	-
Historically people with albinism seldom find	O
suitable pigmented partners to date or marry	B
Notwithstanding family objections against such	I2
an 'unholy union' some out of genuine love	A2
still go ahead to marry their albino sweethearts	X
By defiling the odds to tie the knots the albino	B
female spouses in particular often come face	X
to face with malicious whispering campaigns	X
or direct accusation of witchcraft against them	E
Because albinos are believed to be inhabited	O
by evil spirits that enable them to cause harm	E
to people and things often their kit and kin	B
would blame them for having a hand in the	L2
illness untimely death or any other forms	X
of misfortunes that may have befallen them	E
Both as mothers of albinistic kids and mothers	X
who themselves have albinism these sets of	A2
women who are badly impacted by the disorder	V
often face such baseless but serious allegations	X
in many communities where a claim that one	B
has bewitched another is usually enough for	T2
banishment or lynching of the accused to occur	V
	-
Being the common pariah of the African societies	X
albinos are on the receiving end of social snub	K3
On daily basis they face deprecating stares and	O
harassment from the public wherever they go	B
Quite often they are denied entry or kicked out	O
of shops restaurants taverns hotels saloons	X
and other such public places by the owners	X
As one would expect under these dire circumstances	X
businesses set up by albinos hardly ever succeed	O
For the same reason of albinos being bad omens	X
families who have such a member struggle to	O
find housing to rent and tenants who welcome	E
an albinistic baby face eviction by their landlords	X
Denial of access to public transport adds another	V
layer of challenge for albinos in some places	X
many buses and taxis do not stop to pick them up	F3
Even in places of worship like shrines mosques	X
temples and churches where one would expect	O
to find comfort in the midst of prosecution	B
and isolation albinos are as well being treated	O
as outcasts on the basis of their skin colour	V
	-
Surprisingly the ugly stereotyping and prejudice	X
against albinistic individuals are also common	B
in the healthcare setting Because numerous	X
healthcare providers are biologically naive	L3
about the natural causes of albinism day in	B
day out they blatantly violate albinos' right	O
to life and dignity Even in hospitals or clinics	X
where the medical personnel are reasonably	B
informed about the true nature of albinism	E
this knowledge runs parallel with the harmful	B2
superstitions that border on witchcraft since	X
these health workers are products of society	B
Their negative attitudes towards albinos are	V
clearly visible in their verbal abuses and their	V
reluctance to attend to albinistic patients	X
not to mention their often unjustified denial	B2
of medical treatment to members of the group	F2
	-
Because of the ill founded belief that albinism	E
can be transmitted to a foetus in the womb	E
if a pregnant woman and an albino came into	O
a close proximity to each other expectant	O
mothers who have the disorder are often	B
prevented from integrating at maternity homes	X
Due to the fear induced by cultural taboos	X
surrounding albinism medical assistants and	O
nurses often refuse to touch weigh dress	X
or carry albinistic babies in the delivery room	E
thus abandoning their weak and exhausted	O
mothers to manage on their own after labour	V
In no small measure this systematic exclusion	B
of albinistic individuals from proper medical	B2
attention contributes to a very high incidence	X
of skin cancer among albinos living in Africa	L2
	-
The legends associated with albinism in africa	L2
have a negative impact on the lives of people	B2
with the birth defect from the moment of their	V
birth until their death They grow up feeling	G
bad about themselves and constantly they	M3
walk on eggshells always struggling to fit in	B
and be accepted in societies that are very	B
hostile towards them Due to the high level	B2
of illiteracy on the continent most albinos	X
do not know why they were 'born too light'	O
neither do their mothers who had either	V
given birth to them at home or in a maternity	O
clinic where they had been hastily discharged	O
with no form of counselling received after birth	J3
	-
Scientifically proven to be of genetic origin	B
albinism is a partial or total lack of melanin	B
pigment responsible for tanning the skin and	O
for giving the eyes and hair their colouration	B
For a child to be born with the condition both	N3
parents must carry the gene that transmits	X
albinism for it to be passed on regardless of	A2
whether they themselves are albinos or not	O
Albinism is found in all ethnicities and races	X
around the globe and within the animal world	O
The absence or insufficient supply of melanin	B
a substance that also protects the skin cells	X
against harmful ultraviolet rays implies that	O
those living with the disorder are prone to	O
developing sunburn blisters and skin cancer	V
Due to an elevated sensitivity to glare which	H2
reduces their range of sight albinos have a blurry	O
vision of things around them and experience life	J2
in a state of 'partial blindness' without glasses	X
	-
People with the congenital oddity experience	X
various forms of bias against them in differing	G
degrees of harshness by nations worldwide	O
In the western world where they are better off	P
and often go unnoticed due to their close	X
outward form with that of the general public	G
discrimination against them is mostly based on	B
their poor eyesight A typical example would	O
be the refusal of driving licence to members of	A2
the group in some of these advanced nations	X
Discounting that individuals living with the	L2
condition in these deveoped countries are well	O3
integrated into the main stream societies	X
where state support systems are in place	X
to assist them in those aspects of their lives	X
that pose challenges to their lifelong disability	O
As a result albinos in the western world are	V
able to go after their dreams and aspirations	X
Being as healthy as everyone else they lead	O
meaning full lives with the normal live spans	X
having adapted quite well to their disabilities	X
	-
On the contrary in Africa where anti albinism	E
runs deep the stripping of albinistic people of	A2
their humanity virtually affects every aspect	O
of their lives So many of them for example	B2
have been denied access to education because	X
they are generally thought to be dullards and	O
inept beings who cannot cope in school or in jobs	X
hence a waste of their families' merge resources	X
This false impression stems from their usually	O
poor academic records and high dropout rates	X
Far from being unintelligent group of people	B2
African albinos can be as talented as everyone	B
else their dismal scholastic achievement is	X
mainly due to the various barriers that militate	O
against their educational progress such as	X
ill suited learning environment the dearth of	A2
teaching provisions and their inability to access	X
optical aids for the enhancement of their eyesight	O
	-
On top of everything stake holders in education	B
sector including policy makers administrators	X
school authorities and teachers who are largely	O
uninitiated about the learning needs of albinistic	G
pupils pay no attention to the visual problems	X
the learners face in class without contact lenses	X
by not offering to them extra help nor support	O
Because most albinistic children are afflicted with	P3
rapid eye movements that make letters of texts	X
appear shaky the unavailability of textbooks	X
with enlarged prints means that they are unable	B2
to see clearly what they are reading or writing	G
In addition to that the fact that such learners	X
are not given the privilege of sitting in positions	X
where they can see best in classrooms puts a	L2
further strain on their vision of the chalkboard	O
	-
The school experience of albinos are worsened	O
by stigma which paves way for their isolation	B
ridicule and bullying that come from teachers	X
schoolmates and especially their classmates	X
many of who do not want sit next to them	E
With only a few willing to befriend them or	V
shoulder the burden of being their teachers	X
albinistic learners are left feeling inadequate	O
lonely and alienated in school This situation	B
not only frustrates them it also affects their	V
self confidence and academic performance	X
These dif culties along with the problem of	A2
albinos being abducted from schools for ritual	B2
purposes are mainly the reasons why most	O
of them end up as primary school dropouts	X
This lack of education means that a massive	Q3
majority of people with albinism are qualified	O
only for menial jobs in which they often have	E2
to work outdoors without sufficient protection	B
against cancer causing rays of the scorching sun	B
their 'silent' and number one killer in Africa	L2
	-
Through a brutal discrimination that deprives	X
them of the economic tools and social skills	X
that are needed to live productives lives	X
the albinistic people already restricted in their	V
job choices due to a low tolerance for the	L2
sun s harmful radiation are left hopelessly	O
jobless and miserably consigned to poverty	O
with no means of sustenance whatsoever	V
Only a negligible fraction of them living mostly	O
in the cities are able to access health checks	X
with countless number of others unable to afford	O
simple remedies like sun protective garments	X
sunscreen creams sunglasses wide brimmed	O
hats and umbrellas all collectively vital for	V
them to live healthy lives in the sunny continent	O
With these life saving means out of the reach	R3
of most and the fact that little or no guidelines	X
exist about skin cancer risks and prevention	B
an overwhelming majority of albinos living in	B
Africa die prematurely before the age of forty	O
due to skin cancer according to estimates	X
	-
While people with albinism once had to only	O
avoid the blazing African sun and the bullying	G
they have to stomach in their communities	X
they have in recent times withdrawn into their	V
homes in the face of more frightening threats	X
of sexual violence abduction horrifying death	D3
and mutilation of their bodies by ritualistic killers	X
But even there in their homes they aren t safe	S3
Clearly trapped in the dark side of magical belief	H3
albinos pay a hefty price for superstition in Africa	L2
Theirs is a life on the razor edge of danger	V

Chinedu Dike
(C) All Rights Reserved. Poem Submitted on 02/12/2026

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