In his prison cell he sits and reads
Makes notes and sketches
Reflecting on his needs
Receives and answers letters
Always stay in touch
Locked away and yet he does so much
He awaits a day of freedom
Prepares to write a book
A witness to oppression
By the stand he took
He could like many have got away
And left his motherland
He chose to stay and suffer
Important to take a stand
It’s a living crucifixion
Nailed there in one place
Internal exile prison
Where no one sees your face
Oh what a freedom we enjoy
Our face fresh to the wind
Remember Ilya Yashin
And others of his kind
Brian Fahy
4 March 2023
+ The Guardian newspaper has been in correspondence with Ilya Yashin, serving a prison sentence in Russia for his opposition to Putin. See article today.
Erris Poetry 