The Altruist - An Autobiography: De Profundis | Ballads of Ayer

The Altruist - An Autobiography: De Profundis Ballads of Ayer is a collection of poems and reflections based on the author's personal experience in a prison camp during a seven-month incarceration. The sixty poems written during this period include reflections on each, revealing the author's thoughts, struggles, and emotional states. The author, a physician, instead of focusing on the circumstances of the unfavorable trial outcome, shares what he learned about suffering in a prison environment, the frailties of humanity, what guards the will to survive, and how to find meaning during moments of hardship.
Filled with valuable insights, the poems and accompanying reflections explore aspects of imprisonment, offering an insider’s view of the pain and suffering that accompany the loss of liberty. Examining details such as isolation, despair, betrayal, bitterness, and injustice, both the poem and reflections take the reader beyond just the effects of imprisonment on the individual, highlighting its collateral damage on families. Recognizing the importance of the affected individual and their families surviving the difficult experience, the author emphasizes strategies that helped him cope with the hardships of his ordeal.