The Lonely Prison

 - by

Pratyush Parashar Das 

They say that a man may jailed in many prisons, and yet be free,

But in the wide world out there, there exists a prison both beautiful and terrible,

From which there is escape impossible, like the knotted roots of a bamboo tree

It is a wondrous thing, this prison, for it represents something that once was, pristine and pure,

Yet lonely in its setting, like the island of Alcatraz, of that you can be sure

This prison I speak of, has many names, though emotion it ignites only one,

A flame so bright, like the corona of our very own Sun

And so are some people made to pass their sentence in this prison to purge themselves and grow anew,

Though escape not many, and sadly the numbers are few.