39021-007
By LC
39021-007
That is my number till I pass away to heaven
It belongs to me
the thirty-nine thousand twenty-first man
to be sentenced and sent away from D.C.
Never mind my name
I now go by that number
Lost in a dreamless federal slumber
And even when I wake
and walk back through those penitentiary gates
that number will remain
never to be given to another man again
It belongs to me
and as long as I wear it I’ll never be free
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The poets featured here are currently incarcerated, and many of them are in federal prisons far from home. Your feedback is a valuable source of motivation and connection to the outside community. Post your comments, feedback, and encouragement in the space below the poem. Messages will be passed on directly to the author. Comments may not appear immediately on the site, as our team processes them to mail to the poets.
LC, thank you for your poem. It reminds me of the story Les Miserables and the protagonist, Jean Valjean. As an incarcerated man, he’s known by his number, and he has a hard time shaking that once he’s served his time and gotten released. I hope you’ll find the same redemption story when you’re released.
LC, it is such a tradegy that you have lost your identity and have been stripped of who you are. Thank you for taking the time to write such an incredible poem. Please keep writing and finding solace in your poems. -Pat
This is very cleverly written and seems from the heart. I am sure it’s hard to forget about that number, but we should remember that we each have a name too, and a heart and a soul. I hope people will see those instead of that number when they look at LC.
Dear LC,
I really enjoyed reading this poem. I like your use of contrast, how having a number strips you of individuality, but yet, no one else will have that number, it is uniquely yours. I also like your use of rhyme throughout this poem, it’s very clever. The way I interpreted this is that your number is like your new identity, and this saddens me. I hope that your slumbers are not dreamless forever and I thank you for your honesty and vulnerability for sharing this.
Dear LC,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts through this poem. It also shows the harsh reality that even once people are freed from jail that they are still haunted by their time there. Keep your head up and you’re an amazing writer!
LC,
This poem is so strong in emotions. I’m sorry you’ve lost who you are only see yourself as a number. Stay strong and positive. Thank you for sharing these emotions.
LC, thank you so much for writing this poem, it speaks a lot on how the prison system strips away at one’s identity. Your words are extremely powerful and while you may feel as though your identity is being taken from you from an oppressive system, your words and literature that you write are yours, from your mind, heart, and soul, not a numbers.
This poem gave me chills; truly powerful and beautifully written, and I thank you for sharing your story with us. I loved how you called your circumstance “a dreamless federal slumber;” such a beautifully written statement yet holds so much weight behind it. I have never read anything from the point of view of those on the inside, so reading this was truly enlightening and I thank you for sharing.
It’s hard to lock up a human, but easier to lock up a crime, and still easier to lock up a number. While I don’t know your name, I can say that this poem does a much better job of identifying *you* than any number ever could.
LC I feel bad that your identity and life have been taken from you but I hope you stay strong and don’t quit even with the position you’re in. I know things may seem bleak but you are more than just a number.
This is a very beautifully written poem, LC. It is especially poignant when you describe how you will carry the number with you even after being incarcerated. The rhyme scheme is great and you do an excellent job telling your story. Please remember that even if you feel this loss of identity, you can find in outlet in the incredible work you are doing. Sometimes finding a way to express yourself can be liberating.
LC,
I am absolutely moved by your incredible writing. I hope that you will be able to find your reality and comfort zone through continuing to express your thoughts, emotions, feelings on paper. You are an incredibly talented writer and I wish you nothing but peace in your future.
LC,
39021-007 might be your number. But we see you as LC. Don’t let jail bring you down. Sometimes in life if we’re positive we can see the message behind everything and use it to benefit our future. Don’t look down, keep your head up. Good times will come if you bring it.
LC,
Your words are piercing. It is a tragedy to be defined by our mistakes and have our virtue discredited. Never listen to those that reduce you to a number. Continue to speak out on injustice.
Keep writing!
Thank you for this poem LC,
My father and Uncle were imprisoned for decade(s) combined. I can never understand your pain but something created you and no matter what forgets you, the creator will not. Your writing is unique and I hope you continue to share that with an audience. Thank you!
Thank you for finding the courage to share your story. I’m sure it’s not easy to feel that your identity is tied to a number, and maybe, in some much lesser way, we’ve all felt our identities been tied to a certain attribute or label we don’t like. Although you might feel like you are stripped of who you are and only a number, I hope you come to realize that is not true; you are a heart, and a soul, a feeling human being who is of infinite and inherent value. Thank you so much for sharing this vulnerable poem.
Dear LC,
What a moving poem, you write from the heart and your words make an lasting impact. Know you are more than a number, you are a beautiful human that is worthy of love, acceptance, and a name. We are more than our worst sins, we are humans all 7 billion of us, all of us are more than a number. But I appreciate the pain you share, the importance of our name and our identity. The words you write can change lives, you have an impact on the world. Thank you for sharing this moving poem. Continue to write, you have a talent for it.
Best,
M
Hi LC, my name is Emily and I go to college in Detroit. One of my English classes incorporates service and community into its course work and that is how I stumbled upon this website. Your poem drew me in right away just by the title. A number is what you go by now. That to me just seems heartless of the system. You are much more than just a number and should not let that define who you are. Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing what that number is to you and how it has affected you. I believe that you are more than a number and hope that you can believe in that too. A number is not you. You still have a name and a purpose and I hope that you are able to see it. It is a shame to be marked by your mistakes forever and not given a chance to be free from your number. Please trust in him who created you because he believes you are more than a number. You have a right to make your life your own. I hope that you keep writing and come to realize that you are more than just a number.
Hi LC, my name is Emily and I attend college in Detroit. As part of one of my English classes, we are adding community and service into our class work and that is how I found this website. I found your poem to be interesting. I am sorry for the fact that you live your life by a number. You are so much more than this and deserve your name to be said and heard. You feel as if you are chained down by this number, but you can be so much more if you want to. Remember who you are before the number. That is the person that you still are and will always be. Someone with a name, someone with an opportunity, someone with a life to live. Thank you for sharing your poem. They may have given you a number, but they can’t take away who you are. Keep pushing through!
LC,
Your message sent here is such a powerful one. The idea that one’s life can be controlled and defined by a single number baffles me. This shouldn’t be allowed in a country that is defined as free and I’m sorry that you have been reduced to that number until you’re gone. But remember you are still a person. You still have a name and you still have the personality of who you were, who you are, and who you are going to be. You are so much more than a number. Never forget that. Keep on writing down your feelings, there are so many people out here that are open to your message.