Hospice Behind Bars

This is Larry Stromberg. This is my new poem called “Hospice Behind Bars”.

Hospice Behind Bars

Hospice is one of my jobs, behind bars.
I sit with the dying, those condemned by society,
Riddled by cancer, AIDS, HEP C, heart disease and etc,
Giving them a compassionate hand and conversation.
Each day, the disease slowly fades them
Into a shell of the person they once were,
One by one, carry out in the body bag into the unknown,
A portrait of death by incarceration.
The soul set free from governmental judgment by an angel of mercy. And I realize that could be me one day.
That could be me one day
Dying in prison,
Laying in a firmly hospital bed motionless,
With painful bed sores,
Looking into the supernatural.
That could be me.
That could be any of us.
So, I help the hurting ones,
Praying for them all,
Hoping for another shot of daylight for myself,
A second chance back into society.
Hospice behind bars.
Yes, my four hour shift is tonight
11 o’clock pm at three o’clock am,
That’s where I’ll be, hospice behind bars.

This is Larry Stromberg, SCI Phoenix, and thank you for listening to my poem. God bless you all.

These commentaries are recorded by Prison Radio.