DIDACTIC: "THE COST OF SILENCE" BY RICHARD OYIBO, MBA.

When will the lines be drawn and reality made clear? 

When will truth be valued more than power is feared? 

Why teach our children what we choose to show, 

And wonder why corruption has speedy growth.  

When will we be ready to loosen up our tongues? 

For truth to salvage the good left within the wrong, 

It is time for the evil deeds to be nipped in the bud, 

We need a transformation, we need a change of blood.    

We claim, all in all, that honesty is what we demand, 

But behind open doors, we bend rules meant to stand. 

The silent deals we do have repercussions in cost, 

How do we show young minds how integrity is lost.   

So how do we end that which the mind still allows? 

When dishonesty is praised in the here and the now. 

If deceit keeps on winning while justice is delayed, 

It becomes a norm and the crooked paths remain laid.   

Until we decide to change what we choose to defend, 

Every warning we teach will remain a message unsent. 

For the next generation will learn from what they see:

Corruption’s survival rests on minds that are set free.

© Richard Oyibo, MBA.

The Passionate Poet

- Nigeria 

The Cost of Silence is a thought-provoking poem that speaks against corruption, dishonesty, and society’s silence toward wrongdoing. The poet questions why truth is often ignored while power and deceit are protected, leading to the moral decline of society. Through reflective and persuasive lines, the poem emphasizes that children learn more from the actions they witness than from the lessons they are taught.

The poem also highlights how hidden compromises and dishonest practices weaken integrity and allow corruption to grow unchecked. It warns that when justice is delayed and deceit is rewarded, immoral behavior gradually becomes accepted as normal.

Ultimately, the poet calls for transformation, courage, and accountability. The poem stresses that real change can only happen when people choose to defend truth and integrity, because the future generation will model the values society openly tolerates and practices.