Perception
By MV
To fully appreciate our progress
I must first walk you through this process
A world where words
take us in a new direction, introspection
equates to, a change in perception
a group of men who
were courageous enough, to see their OWN reflection
what stared back was redemption,
it moved its lips and whispered reminders
of what’s to come, should we keep the past
behind us
But first we learned
to heal the wounds from past abuse
and emotional burns
We began to find, and the separate the “I’m” in,
an impossible, I’m possible
Seeing the opportunity for growth through life’s obstacles
Our tree of change is demonstrated by our fruit
tested, tried, but still true, because our
remorse, our remorse is at the root
We slowly figured out our role, no matter the system,
collective wisdom, helps us to practice what we know
or at least to contemplate, the position, the position
from which we operate
Through this process…what I’ve realized is
Life is never hard, but a struggle
so breakthroughs never come to, the stonefaced,
but to the vulnerable and humble
what is a memorable journey with stories of
a pothole or a stumble? What is an earthquake,
without the testimonies of the ones, who survived
all the weight of the rubble?
And we survived, slowly learning how to thrive
to defy, is the power to continue to RE-define
Life’s tests become testaments
Stumbling blocks turn to stepping stones
Breakdowns become breakthroughs
From broken to brilliant
From resigned to resilient
From searching outside to finding all our answers within
This process,
Has freed us from the chains of shame,
and we’ve been embraces, embraced by the arms of grace
that say, “We are not our worst mistakes.”
Perception-from could have been
to what will be
Ugly falls, turn to rising gracefully
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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.
MV this poem hits upon so many themes that are insightful and powerful to our experience on this earth. With great rhythm, you trace a path through the ups and downs of life. It is a great reminder that much of the mistakes we make and the disasters we encounter are defined by how we triumph over and move past them.
I love the callout to how ‘breakthroughs come to the vulnerable and humble’. This is very on point.
Please keep writing, your talent shines through and your poetry could only help others on their journeys.
You are so wise. Life is not hard, like a stone. It is a flow. Stumbling blocks turn to stepping stones. You are not your worst mistake. You are a part of the beautiful whole that some people call God. There is universal beauty in your words. They are your flow. Continue
This poem talks about transformation through self-reflection, healing, and redemption. You face your past, come to accept it, and learn from those mistakes. You turn any obstacles into opportunities and continue living.
I adored this poem and hope you continue writing. Truly you are gifted and writing is your gift. Never forget how talented you are, poet!
This poem eloquently captures the transformative power of self-reflection and growth. The speaker walks the reader through a process of shifting perceptions, moving from past pain to future possibility. The metaphor of seeing one’s own reflection as redemption is striking, representing the courage to confront one’s past and embrace change. The wordplay with “I’m” in “impossible” becoming “I’m possible” is clever and emphasizes the speaker’s realization of personal potential and resilience. The imagery of a “tree of change” with remorse as its root is profound, illustrating how deep personal growth is nourished by acknowledgment of past mistakes and the desire for redemption.
MV, this is a beautiful and insightful piece of writing. It flows perfectly and words you used were striking. Introspection, redemption, collective wisdom, vulnerable and humble. I also appreciate the lines “But first we learned
to heal the wounds from past abuse
and emotional burns” because that is an important aspect or self discovery and realization. Your poem hit me right in my heart and I can relate to the process of introspection and it’s importance in the healing process because I am a recovering addict and went through a similar experience with introspection and healing. It is crucial to come to the realization that “We are not our worst mistakes.” and those are not the things that define who we are. I absolutely love your poem and I really hope you keep writing!
This poem presents a compelling narrative of personal growth and transformation through self-reflection, healing, and resilience
This poem truly shows what it’s like to “walk in someone else’s shoes”. This is beautiful writing and has a sweet message!
Thank you for sharing this moving piece.
MV, I respect your determination to heal then rise above your past to build on your growth despite life’s inequalities. I found, “And we survived, slowly learning how to thrive- to defy, is the power to continue to RE-define” to be powerful, your ability to shift positive perspectives on troubles is encouraging. Resilience and even just the role of living, is an admirable act of resistance.
Your poem beautifully captures the journey of self-reflection and growth. The imagery of healing from past wounds and finding strength in vulnerability is incredibly powerful. The way you describe turning stumbling blocks into stepping stones and breakdowns into breakthroughs is inspiring. Your words remind us that progress often comes from embracing our past and learning from it, rather than being defined by it. The transformation from “broken to brilliant” and “resigned to resilient” is a testament to the power of perseverance and self-discovery. This process of redefining and finding answers within truly resonates. Thank you for sharing such a profound and uplifting piece!
This poem beautifully captures the journey of healing and self-discovery that can occur even in the most challenging circumstances. The way it portrays the realization that life holds moments of beauty and hope is both poignant and uplifting. It reminds us that our past and mistakes do not define our future, and that every individual has the capacity for growth and change. The imagery used evokes a sense of inner strength, highlighting that even in confinement, one can find freedom through reflection and personal transformation. Beautiful piece! Thank you for sharing it with the world.
This was amazing, and had so much detail in it. I love this so much!! Keep writing!
Your poem powerfully reflects the journey of healing, growth, and redemption. The transformation from struggle to strength, and from shame to grace, is deeply moving. It’s a beautiful reminder that through vulnerability and resilience, we can turn obstacles into triumphs and rise stronger. Really great job, I loved it!
So powerful in its soft, quiet tone. Grace, grace, grace. You in prison are, it seems, willing to be so much more vulnerable than most people on the “outside”. Thank you. An ongoing lesson of faith and hope.
There is a ton I love about this poem. There is a lot of beautiful imagery. You use skillful writing techniques, including good alliteration. I do think you could cut some stuff and make it a bit shorter to make it even more powerful. I LOVE the line, “What is an earthquake, without the testimonies of the ones, who survived all the weight of the rubble?” Such a good question and brought up so many thoughts for me. It is so important to hear stories of those who survive. Also love the great technique in “From broken to brilliant, from resigned to resilient.” So good!
This is a moving piece that discusses the power of words and how we can reshape our thinking to make positive changes in our lives. It reminds me that we are not defined by singular moments in our lives, but rather we have the power to grow from our mistakes and create our own journey moving forward. Great work!
I absolutely love the way the theme of this poem is about redemption. Just about anyone has some kind of experience they want to feel redeemed from and you captured that journey beautifully. Your personification of redemption itself really opened up the poem and introduced it. I love how it “whispered reminders of what’s to come” and what was left in the past. That phrasing was beautiful and amazing writing. When you talked about the stumbling and mistakes that come with the journey, you did so well with the repetition and diction of those lines. Thank you so much for sharing this! I hope you continue to write!
This was a very moving piece MV. I liked how you showed as people we can grow, how emotions can be hard to deal with sometimes, and how we can overcome the bad things. Through this poem, it shows how wise you are and you are a great author. I hope you keep writing poetry because this poem was great!
I enjoy your personification of progress and redemption. Its whispers are true; while we cannot change the past, we can create our future. Leaving the past behind, there is so much space for what’s to come. Healing from the past is important. Always remember, though, healing is not linear. There will be bad days and good days, but the bad days do not discredit your progress. You have a very insightful, inspiring, and powerful message in this poem. I especially took to heart that life is not hard, but a struggle. We must be vulnerable and humble to have breakthroughs. This is a great message. We do not need to strong-arm through life but be kind and reflective. We are not our worst mistakes, we are living this life for the first time, trying to figure it all out.
Your poem is deep and reflective, turning struggle into wisdom and transformation. The way you weave resilience, growth, and redemption together is powerful—every line feels like a step toward something greater. Beautifully written!
MV, your poem is strong and full of development, change, and resiliency. The path from suffering to salvation, from adversity to insight, is profoundly poignant. It seems like a monument to inner power the way you manipulate words, changing breakdowns into breakthroughs and transforming “I’m possible” into “impossible.” It is powerful and significant to visualize a tree that is rooted in regret but bears the fruit of transformation. Your message is one of optimism, reminding us that our history does not define who we are; rather, it lays the groundwork for our future.
You have a gift for writing and I hope you continue to write many more poems. This poem touches on themes of introspection, reflection, resilence, and hope. So often do we think we have the answers when in fact we do not know anything at all, therefore life is a stepping stone in which each step is a lesson to be learned. We are always reflecting, learning, and growing from our past.
You have a gift for writing and I hope you continue to write many more poems. This poem touches on themes of introspection, reflection, resilence, and hope. So often do we think we have the answers when in fact we do not know anything at all, therefore life is a stepping stone in which each step is a lesson to be learned. We are always reflecting, learning, and growing from our past.
Perception is an irreplaceable thing one can have. The fun thing about it is every single person on earth has a different perspective. Separating “I’m” from impossible or imperfection as well, creates very powerful words. The analogy of the tree is a very good one to have tied to perception because, throughout a tree’s life cycle, it really has polar opposites of perception. One has to learn the power of perspective to be resilient and to be okay with making mistakes and being able to learn, and therefore gain a new perspective.