Bio
Robert Priest, is the author of fourteen books of poetry, 3 plays, 4
novels, lots of musical CDS, and one hit song. His words have been
debated in the legislature, posted in the Transit system, quoted in the
Farmer's Almanac, and sung on Sesame street. His book: Reading
the Bible Backwards peaked at number two on the Canadian poetry
charts. He is the winner of the People's Poetry Award and The
Moonbeam Award for Children's Poetry. "He is certainly one of the
most imaginatively inventive poets in the country." – the Pacific Rim Review of Books.
His website: robertpriest.org
Robert Priest
Beasts of Burden
The elephant who's tied beside the trees
Could snap her bond and run away with ease
She's held by just a piece of slender string
But she believes her cruel conditioning
And so she waits in thirst and heat of sun
Her will asleep, a sullen megaton
Of life on hold of dreams held down denied
While strength undreamed of fulminates inside
And while she waits to bear what must be born
Her rider stops to haggle and to feed
He's lower caste — he bears the Brahmin's scorn
A life from which he knows he can't be freed
Both victims of belief — of states of mind
Both slaves to habit and to man unkind