Poetry Series

Chinedu Dike
- poems -

Publication Date:
2020

Publisher:
[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive
 Chinedu Dike()

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 1

 Albinos On The Razor-Edge Of Danger

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 victim
into bleeding chunks in a matter of seconds.

Faced with this 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 nevertheless.
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 severed;
genitals, ears, tongues, and breasts cut out;
hearts, kidneys, livers, and eyes gouged out.
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;
Because they're presumed to be cursed individuals
with bad omens who bring ill luck.
Albinos are trapped in a never-ending cycle of persecution.
They're the unfortunate victims of their hereditary traits,

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 2

 coerced into sinister shadows by fiendish gangs.
Theirs is a life on the razor-edge of danger.

Chinedu Dike

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 3

 Anc And The Struggle

January 1912, Mzansi brought forth a child

In a harsh political climate
Destined to free her people
Bound to cruel Fate
Long Live Child Of Necessity!
Viva ANC!

His growth fraught with perils

But nurtured by sons and daughters of the soil
Deprived of dignity and birthright
Whose cardinal offense is not being 'White'
Long Live Son Of The Soil!
Viva ANC!

His clarion call an impetus to the Struggle

Unifying localized forces of Freedom
Into mass-based Liberation Movement
Brought into the realm of Global Awareness
Long Live Symbolic Leader Of The Struggle!
Viva ANC!

Fighting against enormous odds

With hopeful unarmed natives
On spirit he focused Power
Victory assured on Will
Long Live Son Of Hope!
Viva ANC!

Braving the slammer, torture, bullet...

Massacre of his warriors the order of the day
Energized by tears and blood of compatriots
Civil Disobedience intensify with Sabotage
Long Live The Warrior Chief!
Viva ANC!

At long last, victory and jubilation

Forces of Liberty topple forces of Oppression
Embracing 'no winner no loser' notion
He calls for 'Rainbow Nation'

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 4

 Long Live Son Of Liberty!
Viva ANC!

Long Live The Symbol Of Human Dignity!

Viva The Legacies Of The African National Congress!

NOTE: Mzansi is the affectionate name for South Africa.

ANC - African National Congress is the ruling political party currently in South
Africa.

Chinedu Dike

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 5

 Biafran Genocide - A Carnival Of Carnage

A reign of impunity by Northern-led Federation,

the anarchy of 'wild, wild west' in Western Region -
of early to mid 1960s-unrests, had ushered in the military
in a putsch that highlighted ethnic borders in blood.

Deadly reprisal which was the countercoup

triggered a wave of pogrom: a doomsday chaos
that littered the entire 'North' with human debris.
Survivors flee 'East' with death on their heels.

Stuck in the vast abyss of vendetta, a negotiated

truce gave way to hegemonic quest.
Survival pitted against diminished prospects,
The Republic Of Biafra was declared.

Isolated in its secession pursuits;

Menaced by famine in severe refugee crisis;
A carnival of carnage set the sun
in Biafra - 'Land Of Rising Sun.'

'No Victor No Vanquished' sealed their accord;

But the rules of engagement redrafted
in shed torrents of blood.
Nigeria - the uneasy amalgam through coercion holds.

Chinedu Dike

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 6

 Children Of Cruel Fate

In their faces a colourless gaping of life's adversity:

the hopeless grief of their existence;
Malnourished, starving, filth, and olfactory horrors;
Their humiliating nothingness clothed in rags;
Usually barefooted with low self-esteem;
Begging, and searching through refuse
for thrown-away foods to assuage pangs of hunger;
Sleeping or indulging in a cheap concussion of
toxic sedatives at the dark corners of the street.
These dispositions identify them to society as
Children Of The Street: The Roofless And Rootless Kids.

The undesirables eke out a living on the street,

falling prey to all sorts of abusive treatments,
in hostile surroundings where childhood
apparently comes to an end.
They're menaced by extreme weather conditions:
be it scorching summer heat, severe storms,
or sub-zero winter temperatures.
They belong to nowhere:
home is no longer 'home sweet home',
the street provides no comfort, and
the society rejects them with pitiless indifference.

Children Of The Street is a global reality -

a product of the collapse of customary family values;
Death of one parent or both;
Socio-economic, cultural, and other diverse changes
that affect the vulnerable minors negatively.
Left to fend for themselves, they're deprived
of physical, mental, emotional,
and spiritual development.
Without skills and education,
they're entangled in a web of poverty
that only few are lucky to breakaway.
They survive on the fringes of social system.

Surrounded by a never-ending vision of misfortune,

vagrant kids are denied

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 7

 the very essentials of childhood -
for them life is a daily battle to exist.
Unloved, uncared for, and unwanted;
Stomachs plagued with worms,
hairs infested with lice,
always cold and sick;
They're forsaken in their fierce wretchedness.
With no human hands to wipe away tears of bitter pain,
they gnash their teeth in absolute extremities.
Many live and die on the street.

Chinedu Dike

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 8

 Colossal Miscarriage Of Justice

Kind face contorted by torture of severe lashing;

Body a mass of torn bleeding tissue.
Cruelty stretched beyond limits of endurance -
Scourging halted on the brink of death.
Hands freed from post,
He slumped on a stone pavement.

'Crucify Him! Crucify Him! ... ' Jarred the volatile mob:
Paroxysms of rage that pulled down The Fortress Of Justice.
Roughly, they roused Him back to awareness.
Wrenching pain sent features quivering in humiliation,
As smitten Crown Of Thorns pierced His scalp.
The mocking crowd ridicule: 'Hail, King Of The Jews! '

Tired of demeaning mimicry in midday heat,

The Cross Of Shame they hoisted on sagged shoulders.
In loneliness of anguish, The Staggering Courage
Acquiesced to the summon by looming Fate.
In their rain of spit and spittle, He tottered away.
A trail of His blood led to Golgotha.

Nailed to the Cross on Mount Calvary,

Loin cloth He wore flanked by bandits.
Parched with thirst - sour blend they offered.
Looking down at the horde, He prays:
'Father, forgive them they don't know what they're doing.'
'He is calling for Elijah...' They amused.

Human brutality too much to bear, with last gasp of breath

He wails: 'Eloi! Eloi! Sabachthan? '
A shriek of the doomed that rent the skies.
'It is finished! ' Then gently came the words:
'Father, into Thy hands I place my spirit.'
Head bowed, in bitterest agony He expired.

His Prosecution: A Blatant Perversion Of Legal Rules -

In hasty nocturnal trial that snubbed Burden Of Proof,
Which granted no room to witnesses of the accused.
A criminal proceeding conducted by partakers

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 9

 In His arrest, who allowed use of violence
Where no resistance was offered nor expected.

Declared righteous by the one that betrayed Him;

And pronounced innocent by The Umpire:
A de jure arbiter overshadowed by de facto mob -
Who rendered guilt verdict with no evidence.
Travesty that passed on a villain's ignominy to the Nazarene,
While freedom of the damned became lot of the acquitted.

He robbed no one. He cheated no one.

An upright gentleman with lifetime of clean record,
Who became the victim of savagery at the hands of
A vicious pack - orchestrated by jealous leaders weary of
His charisma, and public acclaim via mesmerizing miracles.
The Execution Of Christ: A Colossal Miscarriage Of Justice.

Chinedu Dike

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 10

 Mandela - The Immortal Icon

The Peace Warrior Of Mzansi, among heroes - a colossus!

Sun Of The Nation; A rare gift of Providence.
Once, entangled in the web of racist succubus;
Unruffled he declares before High Justice:
'[I]t is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.' Silence -
Pregnant with dreadful menace in court ensued.
A beast of burden consequent of unshakeable stance.
In the slammer, Symbol Of The Struggle he attained;
But Apartheid demon persisted in its Treachery.
'Coalition Of Conscience' inspired outcry for Liberty;
Plagues of sanctions shatter manacles of Slavery.
Looming on the horizon - a sight of Equality.
From abyss of darkness emerged The Institution;
The Immortal Icon and Mastermind of Rainbow Nation.

NOTE: A Tribute To Nelson Mandela.

The story is about Mandela's journey from The Rivonia Trial (where he was
charged with TREASON - an offence carrying the death penalty by HANGING)to
Freedom and Democracy.
He was after much... sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour. It is a
story of the Cosmopolitan Juggernaut that epitomizes agape kind of love - the
unadulterated love for humanity.
A tale of a great leader who went from prison (for 27 years) to become the first
democratically elected President of South Africa.
May his wonderful and gentle soul continue to rest in the Bosom Of Almighty
God.

MZANSI is another name for South Africa - an affectionate name.

Chinedu Dike

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 11

 Mzansi And The Ballot Box

Millions queued in lines before Arbiter Of Disputes.

Hopes were high,
Duty and resolve holding firm.
Hearts dance with spirit of Emancipation,
Each with ammo stronger than bullet,
Ready to dislodge a fiendish cabal out of Power.
All conscious of long night of tribulation.
Singly, the weapons were discharged
Into The Receptacle Of Liberty;
Upon which they received baptisms of Freedom.
Inside the altar tugs of war ensued:
Invisible fibres bound and aligned aspirations.
Popular Will prevailed.
Bearing the scars of Apartheid,
Indigenous people celebrate the birth of Democracy.
Ballot box had come at a great expense;
At all costs its sacredness shall be preserved.
Those were the surviving heroes and heroines of Mzansi.

N.B.- Mzansi is the affectionate name for SOUTH AFRICA. The story is about her
first democratic elections of 1994.

The Arbiter Of Disputes, The Receptacle Of Liberty, the altar, all refer to THE
BALLOT BOX.

ammo, weapons, refers to ballot paper and ballot papers respectively.

fiendish cabal refers to The White Minority Rule - The Apartheid Regime.

Chinedu Dike

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 12

 Nightmares Of Slumbering Africa

Colonialism in its last moments is pushed to the centre stage -

the recoiling phenomenon intensely illuminated
by The Flame Of Liberty.
Roused by the prospect of emancipatory freedom,
from the shadows of Servitude, nations rise.
Their demand for a dawn long on hold
brings an end to the colonial yoke.

Her soul refreshed with a breath of new life,

Africa thrills at the sight of the expanding horizons -
an euphoria feelings that veiled 'Danger Signs'.
She's been bequeathed dreadful webs of intrigue:
Uneasy amalgams of multicultural colonial territories,
hitherto upheld through coercive mechanisms.

With price tags of 'patriots' hanging on won Liberty,

they bicker over the vacated Seat Of Power.
In their snobbery of honour in favour of greed,
strategic realignments of comrades produce
The Strongman: A tyrant - backed by 'jackals'
and supported by gullible public.

In a cruel twist of fate, hopeful assertion of self-rule

soon becomes the anticipation of a gaudy illusion.
The exit of Foreign Powers has delivered the people
into the grasps of Democratic Mobs:
Cabals fueled by putrid sludge of Kleptocracy,
devoid of political visions to transform into realities.

With no intent of restructuring imposed alien models,

cabals pursue joint criminal enterprises:
Good citizens are sieved out of the system,
party loyalists take over their place.
Key positions go to ruthless operators,
who translate decisions into actions.

Vast network of political jobbers across tribes

are bought;
Political parties become private estates;

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 13

 Police remains agent of The State;
Legislative bodies are subdued;
With the Judiciary effectively hijacked,
the oppressed has no where to seek redress.
Ultimately The Liberators Turn Into Oppressors.

Haven subverted Power Of The People

which has raised them to unfair dominion;
In frenzied torrents of greed without care,
Opportunistic Banditry is institutionalized.
In a matter of months raging economic crises follow.
And attempts to curb budget deficits upset lives,
sending an already violated citizenry
on a sad voyage into poverty.

In their scheme for hegemony, struggle credentials with

membership of the ruling party, are made the
prerequisites for political and economic ascendancy.
Their capitalist tendency reinvents imperialism.
With nepotism and sectionalism proclivity, parochial
appointments skewed towards specific groups are made.

Ethnic rivalry is promoted as one tribe is favoured above others.

Serious conflicts are provoked with diverse interest groups.
The Freedom Party once the pride of the nation
has turned public enemy number one.
With the powder keg too close to the naked flames,
BANG! It explodes. And the fire burns with a vengeance.

Turmoils of Democratic Anarchy usher in The Military:

Demagogues with perfect sets of iron teeth -
Whose stern miens wore the semblance of an undertaker.
They bait on sentiments of the masses to legitimize regime;
They promise to steer The Ship Of State
to berth on a safe harbour;
They pay lip service to their anti-corruption crusade.
They're the raiders of public treasuries!
They're the violators of Integrity Of The State!
They're the embodiments of rot!

Strategic alliance is built with oligarchs of crafty pretense.

The marriage of convenience symbiotic in its nature:

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 14

 'You Rub My Back I'll Rub Yours.'
The wooed spiders, with a keen knowledge of the web
assume an oversight for the junta - reinforcing its hold
on power. Their administrative tasks keep the wheels
of government-owned enterprises turning,
thereby maintaining brazen squandering of resources.

In the quest for total control,

with the delusions that match their effronteries;
They unleash an assemblage of horrors:
Prison cells are packed with innocent citizens
picked on the flimsiest of excuses;
Rendition of dissidents tagged 'terrorists' becomes normal.
Curfews are enforced; Checkpoints are mounted;
Visible policing is achieved; With free speech punished,
displeasures are carefully altered in whispers; And
brutality is sold as pragmatic response to increased crime.

The cowardly populace petrified in its sullen expression,

in degrading submission blindly accepts Slavery.
Assets of nations are then plundered with impunity;
Ill-gotten moneys are laundered to different offshore heavens;
Treacherously, patrimonies are secretly being transferred
abroad, and governments turn around to ask for loans
on the very funds illicitly moved.

Post-colonial Africa is a continent marred with endemic conflicts;

Human Rights abuses of monumental proportions;
The entrenched lack of accountability within governments;
Shameful history of nationalized thefts by those in high places;
Quests for power at all costs - with Heads of States
holding on to power even when circumstances dictate otherwise.

Since Independence Africa has continued to stagnate

while the rest of the world have forged ahead.
But she ought to be thriving well!

She has an unrivaled wild life conducive to tourism;

Pristine ecosystem with endless stretches of fertile lands;
Rare incidences of natural disasters;
Resilient hardworking population;
Her prospects for hydroelectric supply is second to none.

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 15

 She is hugely blessed with diverse mineral resources.
No other continent is endowed with as much!
Yet notoriously, Africa with such fortunes and potentials
relentlessly wallows in the throes of economic woes.

Chinedu Dike

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 16

 Pastorpreneurs

Those days are long past when crosses

were the signposts of churches.
The trend nowadays is for assemblies
to bear flashy pictures of pastors in charge,
often with their wives beside them.
As the rightful owners of ministries,
'Pastorpreneurs'
are the heads of trustees.
With family members as co-trustees,
there are no marked differences between
assets of churches and those of the pastors.

The shameful abuse of gospel grace

by these men of crafty pretense
in religious ropes,
has brought a stigma of infamy
to the venerated image of God's church —
diminishing its moral voice.
Driven by putrid stench of materialism,
they peddle The Holy Word for profit
at the expense of worshippers,
whose genuine concerns
they exploit to feather their nests.

By spiritualising mundane matters,

they delimit terms of success known to man.
Unthinkable to question the motives of a true
'man of God', these demagogues turn
human judgments into divine commands —
dishing out spiritual orders
with more focus on the collections.
The out of context tithing doctrines,
the stage-managed testimonies,
and the miracle faking sprees;
are the heartbeats of their vanity empires.

With sensibilities of congregants erased by

the sugar frivolities of these charlatans —
who promise quick and easy solutions

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 17

 to existential challenges, they are lured
to donate handsomely till it hurts.
Many forgo basic necessities,
default on credit instalments,
and some even go borrowing;
to meet the demands of worldly churches.
As anticipated miracles become gaudy illusions,
those blacklisted helplessly watch
as their properties: furniture, cars, houses...
are repossessed or auctioned.

The mere mention of certain televangelists

brings to mind scandals
that have caused ripples of oddities.
With vast business interests funded
from donations by followers,
the celebrity pastors are having fun.
Their ungodly opulence a testament
to the lucrative nature
of translating The Holy Word.
In an era of material excesses,
'Pastorpreneurs'
are the raiders of the Lord's Vineyard.

Chinedu Dike

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 18

 Pmb - The Emperor Of Tribalism

As most Nigerians remain ruefully lukewarm

about President Buhari's second term bid;
An ever-increasing multitude of potential
voters across ethnic divides, seem to be
enthralled by Atiku-Obi presidential ticket;
On the duo's restructuring manifesto, and
remarkable track records of achievements.

It's as if the masses with full intent or

otherwise, have at last come to
the realization that Nigeria's
incumbent Head Of State:
President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) -
who had risen to power on the crest
of integrity, was a bad call
made in an infatuated impulse.

With PMB's popularity ratings plummeting

headlong from its previous pre-election
heights, gullible and stout-hearted defenders
of his Presidency are faced with a number
of awkward issues, as they contemplate
the President's pathetic twist of fate.

Well, it remains beyond doubt,

that an individual's mindset
impacts how the person visualizes
and adapts to existential realities.

Careful scrutiny of the intricacies of PMB's

worldview suggests, a rigid
Muslim with a fixed mindset.
It is this uncharitable frame of mind
that deprives him of the flexibility
and adaptability, that are crucially
needed to form an all-inclusive and
progressive national government.

The core-Northerner with an inherent

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 19

 pugnacity is a wholehearted believer
in Hausa/Fulani hegemony: A clannish
head of state who sees our fatherland
through a parochial and ethnic prism.

This almost primitive sense of kinship

has caused President Buhari to flood
his government, its parastatals and
agencies, etcetera, with his kinsmen;
Especially in the presidency and
in the affairs of national security.

A factual assertion of this unfair tribalism

and sectionalism is backed by
a sackful of evidence and statistics.
For example, in the 2016 Department of
State Services (DSS) recruitments;
A total of 479 candidates were recruited
into the elite security unit from the 36
States of the Federation, plus
the Federal Capital (Abuja) .
Out of this number,
Katsina - the home state of the President,
grabbed a lion share of 51 slots;
Followed by Kano 25, Bauchi 23, Zamfara 20.
By far these four states from the 'North'
have more slots than the four southern states
of Akwa Ibom 5, Edo 6, Lagos 7, Ebonyi 7.

The figures for Nigeria's six geographical

zones are:
South-south 42
South-east 44
South-west 57
North-central 66
North-east 100
North-west 165 (PMB's region of origin) .

Utterly unashamed of his unfair favouritism,

the President has loaded the agency with
by far more people from 'North' than 'South'.
Katsina State(51) alone has more slots than

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 20

 the six states of South-south(42) ,
the five states of South-east(44) ,
with the six states of South-west(57)
slightly higher by 6 slots.

A cursory glance at the overall high profile

appointments made in defense and security
departments within PMB's first year in office,
is yet another example that points to a
President who writes his principles with
pencil, while he's got an eraser handy.
Embarrassingly lacking in political savviness,
the President has created national security
outfits more Hausa/Fulani than Nigerian.

The Minister of Defense is an Hausa man;

The Inspector General Of Police;
The Internal Affairs Minister;
The Chief of Army Staff;
The Chief of Air Staff;
The Chief Security Adviser;
Director General of the Department of State
Security Service (DSS) :
Director General of the National Intelligence
Agency (NIA) :
Director General of National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) :
Acting Chairman of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) :
Comptroller General of the Nigerian
Custom Service;
Comptroller General of the Nigerian
Immigration Service;
Comptroller General of Prisons;
The Chairman Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) :
To mention but only the most strategic
portfolios - all from Hausa/Fulani extraction.

Granted, for his peace of mind regarding

personal security, all his bodyguards and
the Brigadier Of Guards may be his own

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 21

 people, but tribalizing the entire military
and security units in a Nation of over a
hundred peoples is nothing short of a call
for interethnic tensions and bellicosities.

These lopsided selections are a snobbery

of the level playing field provided by
The Principles Of Federal Character -
which enshrines equity, justice, and fairness.
They were hiring exercises conducted
in bad faith. In a blatant display
of his ethical inconsistency, the self-acclaimed
anti-corruption crusader has changed
our Federal Character to Northern Character.

To a grave disservice to other ethnic groups

and religions, more than 90 percent of
top security personnel in the country
are from the Muslim North.
In tribal or religious clashes with members
of other groups, they have been known to be
inhumane law enforcers with a warped sense
of justice, who treated others like outsiders.

The figures above which are verifiable via

the internet is just the tip of the iceberg,
for there is undoubtedly much more of
this kind of miserable stories to tell
in all spheres of the President's influence.
PMB's pro-North and pro-Islamic leanings
appear to be quite opposed to his much
paraded political ideology that lays claim
to moral and ethical superiority.

Anyone with a rudimentary understanding

of economics knows that the Nigerian
Foreign Exchange has been unfairly slanted,
to favour the Hausa/Fulani who own
most bureaus de change in the country.

Certainly, there's a sense of crafty pretense

about the Chief Executive of our Republic.

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 22

 The Crown Of Tribalism has proclaimed
President Muhammadu Buhari its Emperor.

It was obvious during his earlier days in office

that PMB had failed before he even started.
After dawdling with doubt for the better part
of his first year in office, in a blind exercise of
power of appointments, he comes up with
the most tribally and religiously tilted Federal
Cabinet in the annals of Nigerian politics.

In his virtuous hypocrisy, the ethnic jingoist

and religious bigot continues to politically
and economically empower, more and more
political jobbers from the mainstream 'North'.
These delusional sycophants and Yes men,
hardly would they advance opinions of theirs,
let alone query the validity of their master's.

Power to Buhari is all about asserting his

superiority - the Nigerian military style.
He prefers friends and partners who are
eager to dance to his tunes, instead of
the ones who challenge him to see
things in their proper perspectives.
Consequently, he continues to build
mediocre teams devoid of innovative
minds, that are essentially needed to
compensate for presidential ignorance.

It may also be worth noting that Buhari

was the foremost beneficiary of the 31st
December 1983 coup de tat largesse:
He became the C-in-C and Head Of State
haven masterminded the abortion
of Nigeria's 2nd Republic.
Not only did Major General Buhari (rtd)
desecrate the Presidency of a good man,
Alhaji Shehu Shagari, of blessed memory;
But also his thoughtless and forceful
hijacking of the peoples' mandate,
in no small measure aggravated

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 23

 Nigeria's descent into stagnation.

That abominable act of sacrilege against

the Sacred Will The People and
the revered institution of Democracy,
has since clothed his sincerity
and integrity in rags.

The ex-military ruler should consider himself

undeservedly fortunate. Why Nigerians
have returned the known dictator to power
through the ballot box in 2015, still beats
the imagination of any sober society.

Under PMB's watch, Nigerians carry on

mourning the socio-economic,
political and security situations in
their country as they turn from bad
to potentially disastrous:
The rating of Nigeria as the world's poverty
capital;
The steady increase in our national debt;
The seeming ostracisation of North Central
Nigeria (The Middle Belt) by the core North;
The unceasing and gruesome killings of hard
working rural farmers by the fiendish and
trigger-happy Fulani herdsmen;
The government's authorized maiming
of demonstrating Shiites Muslims;
The Massacre of the unarmed, nonviolent
and defenseless IPOB members by
security operatives;
The manhandling of dissidents by security
agents of The State - an invariable portent
of their unlawful arrests;
The unceasing snobbery of the Judiciary,
which ought to be the firmest pillar
of any people's oriented government;
And the Executive's bitterest antagonism
with the Legislature is surely not helping
matters - with no record of any bill yet
to be passed via peaceful grace.

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 24

 The list goes on and on.

I couldn't help wondering what had

transpired between PMB and Trump,
that had prompted The US President
to poetically refer to him as 'lifeless'.
As if the derogatory remark wasn't enough,
the ebullient American further added
insult to injury by declaring before
his aides, that he wouldn't want to
meet his Nigerian counterpart again.

The bareness of Trump's sentiments,

to be honest, it's an eye-opener.
And the definite implication is that
our out-of-date President,
whose body is not healthy enough
to sustain the vicissitudes of his office,
is too great a burden for us to bear.

PMB is a lingering emblem of Despotism.

An absentee head of state,
whose zeal to rule us is only exceeded
by his total disregard for us.
The echoes of his incompetency
is reverberating across the nation
and beyond our shores,
as his presidency serves to spotlight
the cold vacancy of leadership
during his promptly aborted military regime.

Here is an emotionally distant President

whose silent miens during periods of
national tribulations often wore
the semblance of an undertaker:
Never calling up enough empathy
as a doleful sympathizer will do,
by rendering heartfelt speeches on
such pitiful occasions, to assuage
the pains of those affected.
Such basic responsibilities he readily
delegates to any one of his aides.

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 25

 Equipped with perfect sets of iron teeth,
there is no kind of trauma that President
Muhammadu Buhari may not impose on
his political adversaries with impunity.
The case of Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd)
readily comes to mind.
Under the guise of national interest,
PMB who has a grievance with the former
National Security Adviser (NSA) ,
in his relentless quest for a damaging
retribution continues to keep him
incarcerated against the rule of law.

The recent intimidation of Atiku Abubakar

by irate security agents of the state, and
the subsequent ransacking of his private jet
at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport,
Abuja, was an unjustified exercise of power
to hold his main political opponent in check.

By freezing Peter Obi's account with that

of his wife in a ploy designed to cast his
spotless reputation in a bad light, PMB
indeed has inflicted a wanton insult on
the feelings a most respectable Nigerian.

Peter Obi, affectionately referred to in some

quarters as 'Obi The Great', is a politician
of well-known and approved public opinion.
Undoubtedly above and beyond the errors
of his colleagues and contemporaries,
the well-groomed administrator with a
quiet fortitude enjoys enormous goodwill
nationally. A political fortune that is hinged
on his sagacity and unimpeachable integrity.

The Harvard trained former Governor

of Anambra State, whose stewardship
in the face of substantial economic,
fiscal and structural challenges in his
State, was nothing short of excellent;

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 26

 Not only does his success serve as an
eloquent reminder of the value of hard work
and dignity in labour, it also reinforces
the belief that with great skill, an
ingenious composer could make music
from even the most discordant tunes.

It thus follows, that these politically

motivated hostilities against the main
opposition in the current presidential race,
are pointers to a PMB who is downright
panicky over Atiku-Obi soaring popularity,
since their emergence as PDP flag bearers
for next month's presidential election.
The glaring injustice is there for all
who are not blinded by prejudice to see.

With the official endorsements of Atiku/Obi

presidential ticket, by the apex socio-cultural
groups of our major ethnic nationalities,
it has become quite safe to declare with
no fear of deviation, that the rest of Buhari's
days as President are numbered.
His desperate attempts to hold on to power
even when events point to the contrary, as
nasty and self-serving as they may be, they're
more or less the last kicks of a dying horse.

FADE OUT

Haven examined in depth our history

as a Nation, our turbulent political
and stagnant economy systems;
The truth is that a radical restructuring
of these systems is needed if we are
to find solutions to the problems of
the 'common man', in a unified Nigeria
that will move from poverty to plenty,
and ultimately into abundance.

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 27

 It is not merely necessary, but vital to
affect a regime change in Nigeria;
Especially when the main opposition party
has restructuring as the focal point of its
agenda for the forth coming election -
A manifesto commitment that rings
with a youthful sincerity.

Atiku's radical transformation manifesto

is a bold and honest exploration of
the most crucial issues in Nigeria -
matters that have involved economic
and political controversies.
It is a statement of belief that is laden
with historical memories, with a view to a
radical restructuring of the stagnating Nation.

Alhaji Abubakar's gospel of change

is a harbinger of hope for a Nation
that has been dulled by a culture
of 'shuffering and shmiling'.
It is a reflection of farsightedness of rare kind,
that isn't visible among the highest echelons
of Nigeria's political class, particularly
those that hail from the core-North.

The Waziri Adamawa is a cosmopolitan

politician who is well acquainted with
public affairs, and sufficiently versed
in all compartments of government.
He's a leader who understands that
the thirst for entitlement cannot be
quenched by an offer of appeasement.

Suitably endowed with a growth mindset,

that creates motivation which conduces
to resourcefulness in the fields of politics
as well as business, Atiku has the passion
for persevering and slugging it out
even when it's not going well.
And this is the progressive mindset

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 28

 that allows him to thrive during some
of the most challenging times in his live.

In choosing former Governor, Peter Obi

as his running mate, Atiku has for sure
delivered the stroke of a genius.
He not only sought the hand of a
brilliant technocrat - well graced
with vital ingredients of knowledge,
as well as economically savvy;
In addition,
he's picked a partner whose visions
and ideas of charting a way forward to
a prosperous Nigeria dovetails with his.

It therefore behoves us as willing partners

in progress, it will do us a world of good
to grasp and hold on to Atiku-Obi lofty
vision of a thriving and a united Nigeria.
Let us vote them into Power:
So that they'll rejuvenate the crawling
'giant of Africa' with a breath of new life;
To afford them the opportunity to further
the self-reliance of our geographical zones,
through remodeling of our Federation,
to get the most from each one of them;
To enable them to enkindle the fire of
patriotism in the heart of Nigeria's citizenry;
And to encourage the formidable duo -
a superb complement of each other,
so that through their people-centred
leadership styles, they will inspire us
to flag our unity under oneness.

It's high time we Nigerians ignore all

parochial interests and appeals to
sentiments of all kinds, and provide
the seasoned captains an opportunity
to manoeuvre our Ship Of State
to berth on a safe harbour.

Our sublime persistence at gullibility has

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 29

 to come to an end: "Our mumu don do! "

Atiku-Obi For All, All For Atiku-Obi, We Stand!

"Today's Decisions Are Tomorrow's Realities."

Let's Get Nigeria Working Again!

Viva The Federal Republic Of Nigeria!

Chinedu Dike

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 30

 Poetic Masterpiece

Poetic Masterpiece — A Childbirth Of Profundity.

Like delivery of Divine Revelations
which favours calmness of wilderness;
It's brought forth in Creative-Glory-Of-Solitude:
An abode of Enlightenment in whose mirror of grace,
purest passions reflect out from shady reality —
To gratify inflamed curiosity of Inward-Eye,
as it wanders around source of enchantment,
seeking in expanded awareness to capture
the essence of a phenomenon shrouded in mystery.

In blessed serene mood with passionate intensity,

mind labours hard to replicate images
unveiled in the exalted realm of thought.
With illuminative wizardry that nudge limits of speech,
the wordsmith graced with breath of poetic creation
gives life to words —
Freeing them from rigid implications.
Soulful words that sway soul of the reader,
leaving the excited spirit with an enigma to ponder.
Such is the sublime nature of every Poetic Masterpiece.

Chinedu Dike

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 31

 The Abyss Of Drug Addiction

In an errant venture in curiosity -

lured from savvy of cooler judgment,
he oversteps the bounds of reality
into a state of altered awareness.

Overwhelmed by a rapid onset of

a buzzing sensation - The Rush;
emanating from deep inside him,
surging along the veins streaming

euphoria thru cells of his entire body:

inside the body, with warm pleasure
waves flushing over the tingling skin -
soughing off all unpleasant feelings.

Mouth numbed, limbs heavy, eyeballs

rolling back from absolute bliss;
he savours the calm explosions of
the pulsating bubbles in his head.

A magical moment of pure orgasmic

sweetness that ends in a dazed stupor,
ushering him into a wellbeing
in a cosy blanket of content.

He falls in love with the narcotic.

And begins to relish its sweet fruition,
in a seemly pattern of use put in
the shade by his best interests.

A stake in normalcy that in no time gives

way to his nightly soaring and drifting,
in an illusionary paradise of forgetting
where nothing hurts anymore.

In a bit by bit build up of tolerance to

the opiate, he grows quite a craving
for it: needing higher doses time and
again to sustain the desired effect.

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 32

 Seemingly oblivious to its lethal effects
on the pleasure centre of his brain -
that is being hijacked and taken captive
by the illicit psychoactive substance.

A hostage position that interferes

with the interior reality of his mind.
All at once he wants to 'use';
he begins to look forward to using.

At times he'd skip work chasing the dragon:

pursuing the unreachable elation levels
of his initial high - in a vicious cycle of
ebbs and flows of mediocre and ecstasy;

ending with the inevitable crash below

baseline - barely able to cater for his
basic needs. The habit, no longer is
the fun that it was intended to be.

The potent drug appears to offer reliefs

not justified by external realities;
the more he indulged, the more
its comfort zone seems to be desired.

Disoriented in the rigours of his vice,

he strays into The Abyss Of Addiction:
a dark weary place where priority disorder
is dictated by events outside his control.

It is this damaged protective instinct that

causes his sick obsession with the opioid,
rendering him unfit to articulate rational
thoughts - a chronic disease of the brain!

In his harmful shift away from reality,

first concern is the mind-altering drug:
ahead of his job, his goals, family, love,
friends, hobbies, personal hygiene.

Strangely enough the foremost essentials

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 33

 of life like water, food, and sleep are not
spared. He could be ill, he won't care.
No other thoughts can cohabit in his world.

Fervidly invested in his fantasy world,

the drug has kindled in him an inner turmoil -
setting off an overriding feeling
of emptiness that aches in his heart.

The habit much harder to lose than it was

to find: his relentless attempts to regain
sobriety are negated by anxiety, and sickly
'comedowns' that intensify with severity.

These horrifying withdrawal symptoms

are a result of the stimulant's induced
changes, in the chemistry of his brain's
system of reward and punishment.

They're the rebound effects of his fixation

with the depressant: Nature's punitive
action against the fleeting euphoria
that is ravished during his opiate highs.

The habit has indeed given him great joy,

but that glee is being overshadowed by
galling side effects - that have arisen to
induce in him a reliance on the sedative.

The mind-blower as dear and painful to

him as an imbecilic child is to its mother,
he continues on the foreboding route
for which he has no power of deviation.

Despairing in the clutches of addiction;

the drugs traumatize him, they
infuse poisons into his spine, and they
dull his inner light day after day.

In a downward spiral that stunned those

acquainted with him; he lost his job,
sold his car, and was evicted from

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 34

 a home that had been stripped bare.

The drug has evoked a storm of rage that's

been destroying everything about him
along the way. A dawning realization that
sends him deeper into sorrowful thoughts,

making him rue his dire ignorance about

the drug that had led to his fall into its
bait. With the best resolve he could muster,
he strives to make his will like stone -

a facade that is soon razed by his urgent

need for the opiate merely to feel 'normal'.
With a huge burden of guilt he wanders
farther into the haze of his own misery.

In his besotting passion for the narcotic,

he'd go to any means to fuel the habit:
he'd cheat, steal, lie or betray even the
ones that care about him to get his 'fix'.

Like spreading of cancer in the body,

his affliction has metastasized way
beyond him - chipping away at the
sense of wellbeing of his whole family.

As frequent targets for theft they have

to watch out for him always, in a
cold relations where they must sleep
with their wallets under the pillows.

The hurting family fairly at the end of its

tether confronts him with an ultimatum:
To accept treatment or be kicked out!
Tearfully, they watch him leave.

Among the ranks of homeless the junkie

would wake up feeling sick, and spend his
day struggling to find ways to relieve the
incessant strain of an insatiable craving.

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 35

 On rare lucky nights he'd sleep on friends'
couches, otherwise, the rough sleeper
crashes wherever there's shelter - never
worrying about waking up the next day.

A hellish existence on the streets that has

led to a string of run-ins with the law.
Nabbed stealing on ill-fated occasions,
he's mobbed in most indecent ways.

Broken, sick, starving; the erstwhile ray

of hope who once had much going for
him, now is a nervous wreck envisaging
life through the lens of opioid stupor.

Far beyond his ability to ask for help,

loved ones proceed to rescue him.
Under the demeaning load of drug
dependence he staggers into a rehab.

But the often slippery climb to recovery

is never easy. He'd have to willingly
submit to a slow and delicate therapy on
a brain - whose structure and functions

are badly impaired due to a long-term use

of the toxic substance. In a gut-wrenching
task, he'd have to learn to care for a
body that now ought to work differently.

Desiring to put their lives back together,

in the guiding light of structured help
many drug addicts have been able to
crawl their ways out of the dark abyss.

Amongst them are 'walking corpses' who

possessed by their 'enough is enough', are
able to find the inner fire vitally needed to
rekindle the cold embers of self-awareness.

Here's the fella cast adrift with no positive

him, in a mental disorder for which he's

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 36

 enslaved by withdrawals that are transient -
and would dissipate in the fullness of time.

One couldn't even begin to fathom why

he has no zeal for the healing process -
despite everything that is dear to him and
the very essence of life gravely endangered.

Bereft of any dreams of ever recovering

losses that are manifestly far out of reach,
the drug with a firm grip on him serves
as a buffer to keep his ugly reality at bay.

Even so, he's torn between the sedative

which revolves around his consciousness,
and the horrors of street life that looms
upon him with such menacing aspect.

Savagely trapped with no good choices,

he slips into a mortal dread of relapse.
In anguish withdrawals torment him daily,
and they won't let him be for a second.

Wholly incapable of rising from the ashes

to hold it all together—no hope—
nothing to hope for—everything out
of focus—mind spiraling out of control—

In a fit of extreme anxiety the raging

desire propels him to the brink of
total insanity. And suddenly, his
need for a 'hit' becomes most vital as.

Trembling all over with fear clutching

a pilfered smartphone; forgetful of
future suffering the rehab jumper
hurries along the forbidden path.

All alone with the merciless companion:

Nowhere to go and no one to turn to.
Wretchedly wretched in additive agony,
he fades away into nothingness.

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 37

 NOTE: This poignant rendition applies to all sorts of hard drugs.
Just as their euphoric experiences differ significantly,
so are the withdrawal symptoms.
Despite their seeming surface unrelatedness,
the creation of an illegal and dangerous dependency
in users is a common denominator.

Chinedu Dike

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 38

 The Evil Face Of Religion

Since the dawn of humanity, the annals

of Religion are littered with awful tales.
Sacred scriptures have blessed lives -
and maimed them.

Sophistic doctrine breeds dreadful hostility.

Often where Religion is strong - cruelty
reigns, as fanatics under 'total submission'
commit atrocities through blind devotion.

A close look at religious democides

suggests jamborees of genocides -
bloodlettings from which Atheism
recoils in its state of ungodliness.

On the faith mission to fulfill a divine goal,

Religion is torn between good and evil.
Slaying from age to age in the name of God,
hands of zealots are left defiled with blood.

Chinedu Dike

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 39

 The Obsessive Agony Of Lust

Self lost in obsessive agony,

Your primal curiosity - a burning ferocity,
The raging fire consumes your dignity,
And shame put to slumber.

Seduced by the wayward twin of Love,

Powers of deviation subdued,
On pathway of despair you tread:
A burden too heavy to bear.

Mind drowning in bitter-sweetened sensation,

Onto elusive dream you hold fast -
Which vanishes like mirage in a vast
Desert: a lethal blend of hope and anxiety.

Raving lunatic you've become,

Seeking savage-desire's fulfillment:
An ugly reflection of nature devoid of contentment.
Lust—a nightmare in Infatuation's phoney bed.

Chinedu Dike

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 40

 The Phoenix Strangler

With promise of job,

he lured her into a cane field.
His gentleness a veil of sanity.
Lurking in his mind,
a perversion of sex instinct:
'Bind her! Torture her! Kill her! '

Deep within comfort zone

suddenly brandishing his bludgeon,
countenance wearing mercilessness -
sight of which imported terror into her spine.
Desperate plea for mercy fueling his excitement.
Menacingly, her clothes he demanded.

Hissing in agony like pine tree,

gnashing her teeth before the incubus, she stripped.
Her nudity assaulting his senses,
eyes flaming with lust,
he took stock of the bared flesh:
'Beautiful! Submissive! Horrified! '

Bound and gagged,

fantasy translating into reality,
all hell broke loose...
Urge gratified,
with her undergarment around her neck,
he sealed her fate.

Sixteenth victim of the unhinged mind:

Single mother of two horrendously maimed.
Not quite long,
no sooner had he got home
than long arm of the law tapped his shoulders -
DNA found on victims had matched his.

Karma forced to be lenient,

he lives albeit in confinement.
No Death Penalty In Mzansi.

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 41

 NOTE: Mzansi is the affectionate name for South Africa.

The Phoenix Strangler - Sipho Mandla Agmatir Thwala (born 1968)is a South
African rapist and serial killer. He began his year-long rape and murder spree in
1996. His modus operandi was to lure local women into accompanying him
through the sugarcane field near the town of Phoenix in KwaZulu-Natal
Providence with the promise of employment as domestic servants in hotels. Once
they were deep within the cane field, Thwala would attack the women, bind them
with their undergarments and then rape, strangle and bludgeon them to death.
Afterwards, hoping to destroy any physical evidence of the attack, he would set
fire to the cane fields.

Thwala was arrested in 1997 after South African police matched DNA found on
the victims to DNA taken from Thwala in 1994 when he was arrested and
acquitted for a rape charge.

On March 31,1999, the High Court in Durban found Thwala guilty of 16 murders
and 10 rapes and sentenced him to 506 years in prison.

Thwala is currently being held at CMax penitentiary in Pretoria South Africa.

The picture displayed below is that of Sipho Mandla Agmatir Thwala -

popularly referred to in South Africa as The Phoenix Strangler.

Chinedu Dike

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 42

 Viva United Nations!

Long live The UN!

Providence of The Oppressed;
And nightmare of The Oppressor.

Chinedu Dike

[Link] - The World's Poetry Archive 43