Inner Reform
By JW
As we dine at the eatery
We chew on the meat
That is devoured by vegans
It’s the food we call beets
This all might sound strange
But we care for the earth
We take time from the play
To give time to the birth
This is what reform is about
It’s about more than self
We bring others healing
We bring others wealth
Gold is more than jewels
Silver is more than chains
Parties is more than excitement
Prisons is more than pain
Reason must follow
But intuition is best
If you listen to my answers
You have passed the test
If you still question my motives
You don’t know me yet
You’ll get there by car
But I’ll get there by jet
The rabbit and the turtle
I seen you sprint
Did you really hear my message
Or are you still offended when I vent
10 Comments
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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.
I love how you had a sort of rhythm to your poem. I also enjoyed how it has a deeper meaning to it. When reading this poem, I can see how you out of all people like to take things slow to better understand the concept. I can also see that you are a type of person to just stand back and watch people burn while you take it slow. Great poem!!
JW,
Thank you for sharing this poem! I can tell you are wise and have put a lot of thought into your work. You are more than your circumstances. Continue to ponder and find hope.
This poem conveys a really strong message of changing yourself for the good. I can tell by reading this that your attitude and motives have changed for the better. My favorite quote from this poem is “we bring others healing, we bring others health.” This quote is very inspiring and shows that you care for people’s needs. You got this, the best has yet to come!
Wow the rhythm of this poem is beautiful. This feels like an incredible work to be enjoyed as spoken word one day. Each line is pungent with emotion. I like how you end the poem with the word vent and while this could be read as a venting poem, I read it as a call out to injustices, as a proven point or argument against institutions and prejudices and hypocrises. I like how intertwined each line was. I also found dark humor in this with the lines about vegans or parties and how incredibly layered the language and emotions of this poem are.
Hi JW! Very nicely done getting your message across to the people who care. I enjoyed your usage of examples of different things. Nicely done.
This one took me a few times to read before it started to make more sense to me. This is interesting cause that’s a big part of changing oneself. Often, it can take multiple tries, and it may be a long process. But eventually, you will have a deeper connection and understanding, just as I understood this poem a bit more each time I went over it.
Hey JW,
This rhythm reminds me very much of a song – maybe you can become a lyricist if you want to explore the realms of tempo more!
The concepts in the poem are intriguing though. You’ve clearly put a lot of thought into this piece, and I admire your independence and self expression!
You’ve done a marvelous job exploring alliteration and rhyme in poetry, and I can’t wait to see where you go!
To JW- Not only does this poem produce imagery when reading it but it also ties in rhyming which is not always easy to do. Even with the poem having rhymed it still pushed a deep narrative through it. Your overall goal in this poem was talking about reforming and reforming yourself and changing your ways. Reform and change are not always easy things to do, especially if you’re not serious about doing so. It seems as though from your poem you’re serious about change and reform and you’re trying to get out of the place you’re in. I wish you the best of luck on your journey, never give up!
JW,
Your message is very interesting. It took me a few reads to understand your purpose. I see that you express the need for change, but not necessarily for those who do not care. Great insight!
Wow, I love how this poem rhymes and flows so eloquently. Your writing feels so sophisticated and insightful. I really love your message about how reform isn’t about personal gain. Instead we should make the world a better place for those around us and “spread the wealth”. Really powerful message there. I like this poem, but I wish you had gone into more detail regarding how prisons are more than just pain. Share your story as it is powerful! I really love your writing and hope to read more of it in the future.