Photo Courtesy of Culanth Escape from Blood Diamond "This is dark, but this is survival," he said. He dug deep found the pearl among the swine. But they found him, hidden amongst the thicket, glazed with dust and sprinkled water. Stranger in their eyes, he clasped his jewel in the palm of his hands, held onto it, like “manna” in the desert. Boa, stared right beneath their stare and saw the green look in their eyes. He knew he would be isolated, made into an alien in his own village. He saw the Bullets of war, polished with raw blood, sparkling in the dusty roads. Bruised bodies, emerging from the ground. The ground of riches, the earth of diamonds. Their fingers dripping with blood, diamonds clasped tightly in their arms. The crystal left them with broken arms, plunging faces coated with thin bones edging into their dusty skin. Boa knew he was next, to be hit hard with steel-iron, fired with greed. He swore to them he had nothing, tears curvi