Home
By AB
There’s no place like home,
Instead, the streets I chose to roam,
There’s no place like home.
I wish the older guys in the community would have taught me or
Shown, the time I’m doing is hard and long.
Now I’m stuck and all alone,
I came to prison as a kid but now I’ve grown
I’d give both arms and both feet to just be home.
I’ve made a promise to myself to teach the youth that there’s no place like home
And to never leave our loved ones all alone.
Because there’s no place like home…
28 Comments
Leave a Comment
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.
AB, your use of repetition in this poem is really powerful and effective. “Home” can mean something different to each of us and your use of that word again and again drives home (ahem!) the message that we do all have a place we think of when we hear/read the word home. I also really appreciate the way you resist the call to melancholy when thinking about home as you are far away from it right now, but instead think of offering to do for young people what no one had done for you. That is a real sign of maturity and generosity.
Hi AB!
What a moving poem! Your description of home really resonates. And also your observation that elders need to do a better job of bringing along younger people. Keep going with your poetry!
Best wishes, Ann
The poem does a great job showing the stark contrast between home and the outside world. It describes home as a place of safety, love, and comfort. It describes the outside world as lonely, difficult, and rough. The poem teaches us to appreciate our homes and how we will never find a place like it in the world. The poet did a beautiful job bringing back the memories of one’s childhood home and laughter in it.
This poem puts the reader in your position. I can really feel and understand where you are coming from and how you’ve grown since that kid you once were. It shows how you had to grow up and learn faster than others had to due to being in prison and having a new look on life. Good Job!
I’m a young person and a writer, and recently experienced visiting a local prison as part of a class I took. The experience helped me understand the reality of incarceration and the flawed system that runs the cycle of imprisonment. This poem is incredibly powerful because it reflects what I saw on my prison tour, how by separating people from their environments and loved ones, it keeps them from being able to fully heal. There is a tone of raw, vulnerable honesty in this poem that is hard to find in modern poetry. Thank you for sharing this, and I hope you keep writing – poetry is one of the most impactful outlets of expression.
AB, your repetition here conveys your desire powerfully. You put your heart and soul into this poem, and it shows. “There’s no place like home”, there is no statement more true than that.
This poem speaks louder words than you know. There really is no place like home. The feeling of comfort you get in being in your safe place with the people you love is unmatched.
I appreciate your message of longing for something you once took for granted. I don’t understand it to your degree I will admit, but I admire your bluntness when you explained you would give anything to be home. You came as a kid but have grown and i’m sorry you have had to live that reality. You might feel alone but if you can just hold on to something thats bigger than you. It could be things like god or anyone of a higher being just talk to them ask him to guide you and be with you in moments of need.
Hello AB,
I think you have a magnificent poem. You told a very personal story and it is very powerful. You have a very strong message here, and I think it’s a good one. “I’ve made a promise to myself to teach the youth that there’s no place like home” is such a strong line on its own. Using your experiences for good is a very noble effort. I hope to see more of your work!
Hi AB,
Thanks for sharing! I agree, there is no place like home. I say that with the thought in my head too, that home doesn’t always mean the same thing either. I think people who come from more complicated home lives or dysfunction start to feel very lonely and lost. But, we are allowed to create the home we want. If being surrounded by a few close friends is where you spend free time, where you feel at ease, and where you are most comfortable, then that can be home. I hope that the kids you plan to teach can remember that. Family isn’t just parents and siblings, so when they feel lonely and like they don’t belong, make sure they know the people surrounding them who have their backs are just as much family as their parents! Wishing you the best!
It is inspiring that you choose to look back and become the guidance you wish you had. Teaching those most vulnerable about our own mistakes is a way to sort of right our own wrongs. Everyone can relate to a feeling of home, and no one wants to lose that. It is admirable that you do not want anyone else to feel what you’ve had to experience, and your message is important. I hope to read more of your work.
AB,
Your poem reminds me of the way I felt during my time in rehab. I always felt nostalgic for home and how I would do anything to have it back, even though I was only gone for a few months. A desire to change and commitment to educate feel like very productive steps towards redemption and a better future.
I loved this poem. I thought it had a very good message and I could really relate to it now that I am a freshman in college. It specifically made me think about leaving my mom now that I am at college. When reading your poem though, I was singing it as a song because I thought your words sounded like lyrics.
I’m sure you’ll be able to make it home, and when you do, you’ll have a bunch of people who are excited to see you! You just need to make it through this!
Hi AB,
Your poem reflects hardships and lessons learned from your own life experience. There really is no place like home and you remind us how it is easily taken for granted. Even though there have been many unfortunate events that have happened in your life, it concludes in a bittersweet message. As you said, “I’ve made a promise to myself to teach the youth that there’s no place like home,” it gives a sense of purpose and content.
I can hear your grief of your home through your poem. You express certain feelings toward you how and how you miss it. It is relatable in many ways. I love the rhythm and how the last work of each line moves together; it flows well. Great Job.
This is a heartbreaking yet inspiring work. I am absolutely sympathetic and sad for you that you have grown up in prison, that makes my heart go out to you. But I am also so impressed by your strength and perseverance to want to teach younger people how to stay out of prison when you’re out. That shows character and I am thoroughly impressed by your determination there.
I am feeling your heartbreaking sadness for the home and life you lost! Oh my god! Those are simple words – “no place like home” – but imbued with gut wrenching pain for the enormity of your loss. . . Surely your intent to share the truth you’ve so painfully learned is a noble goal! Please recognize the tremendous value you will offer to those who listen. Please stay strong; your words have power.
Dorothy
You reflect on things through life which is something that takes courage to do. I love that you show your vulnerability and you are willing to share. Great job!
AB, this is a really powerful poem. I can tell you feel very strongly about this just from the words you chose. A lot of times we don’t realize what we are missing until it is gone. I think it is wonderful that you want to spend time teaching the youth about this. Really great message, good job!
AB, I am so encouraged by you! You’ve used your situation to help others/the youth. You are changing lives by being vulnerable with your situation and taking time to show others love. That doesn’t go unnoticed. I hope you know that your life is serving a great purpose and you matter very much to the people that have come to know you. Great poem!
This poem shows true emotion! It is heartbreaking to read those words however I feel hopeful that things will get better for you one day! Even though it is hard, try to feel grateful for the things you have. Stay positive! Overall really empowering poem!
Thank you for your words– it is a gift to be able to read them.
Dear AB, your poem reflects on the longing for a sense of belonging and the consequences of straying from the path. The repetition of “There’s no place like home” emphasizes the importance of home and community in the speaker’s life. This captures the universal yearning for connection, reminding the readers of the significance of home and the importance of relationships with loved ones
Hello! This poem is beautiful and I enjoyed reading it. The way you describe home is moving and when reading it it seems like you grew a lot as well.
Thank you for sharing your poem. I enjoyed reading it and the powerful message that you put out. That there really is no place like home.
Your words are so strong in this magnificent poem. There are truly no place like home and the powerful message that you put out about the older people in the community teaching is powerful. We rely on the community around us and our home is the safest place. I enjoyed reading this amazing job!!
I love this poem! your structure and word choice really help to portray your message. The repetition of the word home really helps me understand your longing for your home. The combination of personal anecdotes as well as more general advice helps the reader feel more connected, while also better understanding you and your story. This is a very powerful poem, that portrays a strong and emotional message of appreciating having a home.