Prison World
Trapped in the bars of my mind
Addiction has feasted on my soul, obsession and control of my thoughts
A dark cloud hovers over me, almost demonic
Held captive as a child by the sickness of abuse
The past suffocates me, tormenting my inner being
My thoughts wrapped around the razor wire
It cuts my spirit
Prison world
I gotta break free, plan my escape, release myself from the bondage, ride my emotions
Sound the alarm.
Next stop? Death row.
If I don’t break the chains of oppression, addiction and the depression in my mind.
I’ll never forget the cage beatings
Psychological isolation
Abandoned by society
Keep on depriving me and denying me.
My Remorseful Existence
I have to accept rehabilitation and embrace my recovery
Learn to forgive all, including myself.
How can I find my redemption?
It’s a lifelong spiritual journey, a tall task to endure.
Getting an education has given me a purpose.
Accountability and responsibility is my motto of truth.
I have a heart of remorse.
Therapy Days
Atonement lays at my feet
I’m honestly standing now
And freedom calls my name.
Remorseful Prisoner
I’m called by many names:
Guilty
Murderer
Insane
Inmate
Convict.
I hate all those terms.
What I am is a remorseful prisoner
Because I really am deep in my heart, my mind and my soul.
I’m a redemption dreamer.
I’m accountable and responsible for my actions.
I’m a fantasizer of family restoration,
Higher education.
I’m a faith believer,
Mentor to others.
I’m a freedom seeker,
Past traveler.
What I am is a loser of time
Remorseful prisoner.
What A Day
No one ever knew Art was sick with cancer
Deteriorating into a shell of himself
A man who cared for others as they lay there in their deathbeds while he skirted his own
Court dates promised a chance of redemption
The hope to be with loved ones during his last days
Instead of the barbed wires and concrete
His compassionate release shot down to the ground: victim opposition
while the accomplishments in the cage didn’t matter.
Consequences remain
Skin and bones
Slow, agonizing breathes
Deep remorse in his heart
Tears flowing from his bloodshot eyes
Hopelessness overwhelming the soul
The Great Beyond calls
All the pain
Sickness
And incarceration
Is over for good.
What a day, Art
When you finally took a call.
For my friend Arthur White, who died at SCI Phoenix, 2022
Penitentiary Theater
Plays are my Psalms sung unto god someone once told me
Stories staged to bless the condemned
A portrait of deliverance or chaos, freeing hopelessness for just a few short hours
You see raw actors behind the razor-wire
Moment by moment, one scene at a time
I feel alive portraying these roles
The struggles of the confined
This is where my redemption dwells
A purpose revealed to this mass population
A dedicated legacy to find
Standing ovation
The curtain closes
Penitentiary theater.
These commentaries are recorded by prison radio.
