IMPRISONED by Randall Butisingh (1 Dec 1912 to 9 Dec 2012)

Like a song bird in a cage
that longs for the freedom
of field and sky and air,
So doth the soul trapped by the senses
yearn to soar to infinite freedom.
And like the song bird
that beats its wings
against prison bars of cage
and sings not,
but seeks escape to the world beyond,
So doth my soul strive
to break the bond of senses
and find the freedom of eternity.

Randall Butisingh was highly influenced not only by Eastern thought but also by the Guyanese novelist, Edgar Mittelholzer.  This poem contains echoes of the esoteric Jen (Jinnee in the bottle) narrative that runs subtextually through Mittelholzer's work and speaks to the desire of his spirit to break free from the material dross of his body/the world.

For further information about the poet, click on the following link: Randall Butisingh's Blog