Inmate uses poetry to cope with frustration

Jun 15, 2008 News

– Hopes to have work used in schools

A convicted prisoner serving a 16 year sentence is using poetry to cope with his long lonely years behind bars.

The man, 50-year-old Frank Cole, hopes to get out of prison in time for CARIFESTA X for the opportunity to showcase his poetry to others.

However, he noted that his sole intention is to publish his work as literature to be used in schools like a book of narrative verses. He calls them ‘Barracuda verses.’

Cole pointed out that he always wanted to do something for his country.

Having already served seven years in prison, Cole said that he started writing in April last year and has completed 125 poems to date.

According to him, the loss of his mother provided the inspiration for his writing. He said that he tried his hand at writing and put it into music form as a tribute to her since he had not seen her for five years prior to her death.

Cole noted that being in prison, he has seen and experienced much suffering, not only his, but others as well.

According to him, his first set of poems reflect a bitterness of what he has been through as he tries get to get across that he has been wrongfully accused of a crime.
As time went by, he noted, he started lightening up and began to view things from other perspectives.
Cole says that when he feels down he deals with it by picking up a pen and writing.
The man also said that he uses his writing to help him eliminate some of his desperation and frustration at not having his appeal heard for seven years.
Some of his poems are ‘The Pragmatist’, ‘An Infinite Crush’, ‘Of Curses and Blessings’, ‘Repairing Trust’, ‘The Way It Is’, ‘Casting Shadows’, ‘For Posterity’, and ‘Drawn Battle Lines’.
Cole, who hails from Melanie Damishana, filed a constitutional motion in the High Court on April 14, 2008, through his Attorney-at-Law, Donald Trotman, seeking redress for the alleged violation of his constitutional rights.
The respondents named in the motion are the Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Carl Singh, the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Guyana, Sita Ramlall, the Attorney General, Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar Ali-Hack and the Director of Prisons Dale Erskine. The matter came up for hearing in the High Court before Justice William Ramlall on April 21, 2008, when the respondents were given leave to file answers.
Cole is becoming more and despairing of his appeal ever being heard before his 16 year sentence ends, and meanwhile, two judges of the High Court have declined to hear an application to secure bail for Cole.
In his affidavit in support of the motion, Cole says that he has been incarcerated in prison since May, 2001, pending trial in the High Court which ended in April, 2003, and from then until now, pending the hearing of his appeal.
Cole was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment by Justice Yonette Cummings on April 7, 2003, after being found guilty by a jury for the offence of carnally knowing a girl under the age of 12 years.
Cole’s affidavit discloses that he and his counsel have made several applications for the hearing of his appeal by the Court of Appeal and for his release on bail pending appeal, but to no avail.
Consequently, Cole claims that this undue, inordinate and exceptional delay in the hearing of his appeal and his not being granted bail constitutes a gross violation of his human rights and fundamental rights and freedoms under the Constitution of Guyana, and his unreasonable and unjust suffering of imprisonment without his appeal being heard amounts to torture and inhumane and degrading punishment and treatment.

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Inmate uses poetry to cope with frustration

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