We all living like jailbird

Nov 05, 2025 Dem Boys Seh, Features / Columnists

(Kaieteur News) – These days, we all living like jailbird, even though we never see inside a prison. Every man, woman and child deh pun remand inside dem own house. When yuh leff home, yuh does lock de gate, padlock de grill, and double-bolt de door like yuh hiding from bandits or vampires. De whole country turn security guard.

Every fence gat barbed wire, razor wire, and even electric wire. Dem CCTV cameras blinking red light like Christmas tree bulbs. Alarm system in every corner, motion sensor pun every wall, and still, people sleeping with one eye open and one hand pun de cell phone. Is like we waiting fuh somebody come break in before we even close we eyes.

And when night come, we does lock we self in so tight, not even fresh breeze could pass through. Some people living in air-condition coffin. Imagine if fire ketch, half ah dem can’t even get out. Dem does burn before dem could even find de key. Remember that famous Indian dancer who used to live in Kitty? Poor lady get roast alive because she couldn’t open de grill. De same grill she put up to protect she, end up killing she.

We all talking bout freedom, but we living like caged parrot. Yuh can’t even walk down de road without watching over yuh shoulder. De same crime we trying to stop got we trapping we self. We build we own prison and call it “home sweet home.”

And when yuh go to de market and see price climb like skyscraper, remember is crime causing dat too. Every businessman does add a “bandit fee.” Supermarket gat to pay for camera, alarm, and guard. Dem taxi driver gat to tint dem car and still trembling when night fall. De farmer plant, another man reap. So, he raise he price too—he seh he got to charge fuh de thiefman tax.

So, when yuh see dem big iron grill pun yuh window, don’t laugh at de prisoners downtown. You just living in a fancier cell. De only difference is dem get three meals, and we got to pay VAT pun we own food.

Dem boys seh, we ain’t free no more. We jail up we self to feel safe, but we ain’t safe, and we ain’t free.

Talk half. Leff half.

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CCTV cameras, Dem Boys Seh, jailbird, living

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