Cover of Darkness: The Deception of Power

I have been searching for the right word that best describes one who feeds off the suffering of others, so I can use it as a suitable title for an anthology I am working on. These “Despicable Ones” have their best moments in the obscure darkness of night where they derive a false sense of security. In the glory of this delusion they say to themselves ‘Can't this night last forever?’, ‘May daytime never come with its burning light’. And yet, light always comes.

Our world has had lots of such moments in its past and even in its present as we are witnessing. “Despicable ones” usually seek loyalty from others, which is given out of fear. This emboldens them in their ill pursuits just as fear emboldens evil. It seems our world never runs out of this stock. Some birthed out of greed, and others out of this fear, as mentioned. Slave dungeons in Ghana serve as one of those terrible reminders of the past, when Africans were kidnapped and sold as slaves destined for the Americas. In turn building the new world at the expense of others. Weak African communities were the most vulnerable, entire communities were wiped off due to the madness of that era. Some indigenes joined this madness assisting the European nations out of greed, others joined out of fear of becoming victims too. Unfortunately we don’t learn from this painful past. Our lives continue to be shaped and affected by this.

Nazis had their day too (or rather night) of madness, thinking that power would last forever. They were wrong. Today most of their descendants mainly see them as a source of disgrace and dent on family name. Warlords of the present day seem to be having their turn as well destroying life – innocent lives of the most vulnerable. In the same cover of darkness, exploitation and corruption thrives, depriving citizens of nations right to a dignified life.

Few days ago, the unfortunate news broke of African migrants killed with dozens more injured in a US airstrike on a Yemen detention centre. The most vulnerable continue to suffer the most in our world. This cannot be normalised. Their lives matter, all lives matter. They say the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable. What does this say about our world? The African Adinkra philosophy teaches us the interconnectedness of human life on earth despite our differences. It can be very useful to also explore knowledge from other indigenous cultures far and near. This can help expand one’s worldview and make us appreciative of the fact that knowledge isn’t a reserve of any singular tradition.

It’s a beautiful world but we’ve made it so ugly for many of its inhabitants. Turn on the news and you won’t need anyone to tell you the world is not headed on the right path. The leaders on all corners of the globe are busy failing us. This is the perfect situation “despicable ones” thrive on. However, may we never lose sight of what is right in a night of madness, because no matter how ugly things get wrong will never replace right, and light always comes in due time.

Sometimes when prose might not suffice one resorts to poetry, I do so now with my concluding text:

There’s an evil in the world
Clothed in gentility disguising it’s hell

Hunters of ancestors
Fresh flesh for material gain
Gasping for breath they gave out in pain
And from blood, fuel of the empire
Quenching thirst of a pregnant vampire
That so cherished above all,
Cub of the beast still yearns my blood,
Young blood, more blood
I want you to know I know
Yes I know where that strength comes from
We know what you are
I look you in the eyes to tell you I know
And to let you know I am not afraid of you.