SATIRICAL: "THE UNDERTAKERS" BY GODSON OSARENREN

The hunting pack,

Follows the scent of scandal,

Like wolves follow blood.

Sniffing through private grief,

Scratching at sealed wounds,

Circling reputations,

Until all is carcass.

Through a tunnel of flashing cameras,

Where lenses became headlights

And curiosity became pursuit.

England's rose finally fell,

Trampled upon by the undertakers. 

That ancient lie has survived generations,

Never surrendering its appetite.

And so did a skin like mine,

Walk through a door,

That had remained locked for eight centuries.

And history's old hunters

Heard the glass breaking.

They arrived,

Not carrying flowers,

But cameras sharpened,

Like hunting arrows;

Until excellence itself,

Was made to look suspicious.

Ink became ammunition.

A name became a target.

A career became a battlefield.

Headlines became hunting horns.

The hunters found their quarry.

The tabloids found yet another meal.

© Godson Osarenren 

- Nigeria.

"The Undertakers" by Godson Osarenren is a satirical and protest poem that explores media sensationalism, racism, prejudice, and the destructive pursuit of public figures. The poet portrays the media as a pack of hunters that feeds on scandal, invading private grief and turning personal struggles into public entertainment. Through images of wolves, hunters, arrows, and carcasses, the poem presents journalism as a relentless force that destroys reputations.

The poem also addresses the persistence of historical racism and prejudice. The image of “a skin like mine” passing through a door that had remained locked for eight centuries suggests the breaking of a long-standing racial barrier. However, instead of celebrating this achievement, the media and society respond with suspicion and hostility, attempting to undermine the individual’s excellence and reputation.

Overall, the poem condemns the destructive relationship between prejudice and sensationalist media. It shows how headlines, ink, cameras, and public attention can become weapons used to turn a person’s name and career into targets, ultimately exposing the human cost of relentless public scrutiny.