Malaria Empire

By Uduma Kalu

(Dr. Baike’s story as told by Dr. James McCune to Dr. Nathaniel King)

HE that fears is a coward.
A coward hides his fears in a cover.
When the cover is blown, the coward cowers,
Like the racist.
Racism is cover for fear.
Racism is malaria.
If you don’t know, you call it Covid-19.
Malaria is Covid-19’s fear hiding as racism.
So, when Baike came upon the Niger,
He built a barracks in Malaria Empire
And set his arsenals upon the sea
For the heart of Malaria Empire.
Aboard his ship, Baike brought his armoury
Of tablets and injections
And talks of hygiene. And trade.
Translations and treaties,
And set sail upon the Niger till his ship sank.
Till his men, safe and sound, survived Malaria Empire.
They remembered home.
They sang to Baike. When will we see home?
Malaria Empire is White man’s Grave.
When will we see home? they sang to Baike
We will never forget England, they sang to Baike
Home, sweet home. England, white and wide.
Ala Beke, the land of Baike, they sang to Baike.
The men set sail, out of Malaria Empire.
They spread the story of Malaria Empire
Her army a billion, billion more
Of mosquitoes that kill at nights of your sleep.
The men spread the story of Malaria Empire,
And how Malaria Empire is the White Man’s Grave.
The men set sail, never to return.
They set sail, the story set sail.
The sail of deaths spread. The story of fear spread.
The fear of Malaria Empire
Coming to England, Ala Beke, land of Dr. Baike.
And fear came. Fear is the cover for racism.
Which is Malaria Empire in England, the White Man’s Grave
And his billion billion soldiers.
Racism is fear of Malaria Empire covering fear in England,
Ala Beke, land of Dr. Baike.
If I joke about Malaria Empire in England,
Ala Beke, Dr. Bailey’s land,
I’m jailed – oh, isolated. And tested.
Injected. Scrutinized, up and down.
In England, Ala Beke, land of Dr. Baike.
But Baike set upon the Niger
To Malaria Empire. His arsenals set for heart of darkness
Which is fear.

* ‘Malaria Empire’ is from Uduma Kalu’s forthcoming collection, The Merchants of Virgins: Poems of Fires