Untitled
By NG
No clothes
No shoes
No lights
No food
Child being raised by a child
Leave struggles with no rules
So no school was the road
Stuck in poverty nowhere to go
Just another lost soul
They don’t care to help
So we don’t care to do whatever
Stealing cars and rob just to feel better
The cells in jail
Where they rather put us
Instead of getting us real help
We just a product of our environment
We just trying to make it
They just trying to take it
But we hold on stand strong
Like a knife going through fire
We become stronger after the fire
Pain could become a distraction if you allow it
Pain could also be strength if you use it right
No matter what keep your head high
At the end it’s always light
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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.
You end this poem with three very powerful lines. These are inspirational because we could use our pain and suffering and use it to help strengthen ourselves. I think that mindset could benefit us all thru our various struggles.
And how you bring it all back by saying in the end it’s always light – nicely done. Hope you keep writing.
This is a wonderful piece. Your use of parallel structures gives the poem rhythm. My favorite lines was the, “Like a knife going through fire; We become stronger after the fire”. Such strong imagery of transformation. Beautifully done.
The best advice I’ve received for writing is to not be afraid to kill your darlings. Take out the phrases or lines that you love but might do better service to the overall flow and feeling of your piece. Advice that I use often for myself is to avoid words like “so” or “just”. Oftentimes those words dilute the impact of our writing. What you are writing about is bigger than “just”.
For example instead of:
We just trying to make it
They just trying to take it
It could read:
We’re trying to make it
They’re trying to take it
This poem is very powerful and emotional. I feel the pain, sorrow, and desire. It’s important to never give up and always be your true self. Speak up when no one else will, and be the person people look up to. No matter how hard of a time you are having there are always people who want to help you. They may not care about you know but that’s because you haven’t found your people. Stay strong. You got this and remember the best is yet to come!
This poem really moved me and brought to light the other side of things. Poverty is a huge issue in the world, and many people do what they have to to get by in life. The line “They don’t care to help so we don’t care to do whatever” really stood out to me. I interpret it as the government doesn’t care and won’t help, people are starving and losing their homes and they are doing nothing to help, so us being civilians shouldn’t have to listen to their rules. They would rather incarcerate those and put them in a cell than get them help and put them in a facility. The poem turns something negative into something positive by saying “No matter what keep your head high at the end there’s always light.” I really enjoyed this poem and the hope it gave.
I like how you started off with the “no” repetition at the beginning of the poem. It really shows the importance of the lack of clothes, food, shoes, and lights. I appreciate how you chose such a crucial topic in today’s world. It made me think about my contribution to society.
This work is so incredibly powerful. I love that you emphasize the fact that you were never truly offered real attention until you were seen making a mistake. I also love that as much as you speak on your troubles and hardships throughout this poem, you also make sure to end the work on a hopeful, uplifting note. That truly makes all the difference. Mindset makes a huge impact, and you deserve to grow towards the light that your soul craves. Let me tell you, this art is your light. You have a gift that you have formed out of your deepest pains and that is so wonderful. You have opened my eyes to what it means to be optimistic even in times of feeling entirely locked away and so far gone. Although I may not be behind bars, our minds can truly feel like mental cells at times, and you have encouraged me to break free from my own mental imprisonment. Thank you so much for letting me read your work.
My favorite part of this poem was the opening few lines. I thought it gave it. really powerful start. The poem overall also has a powerful meaning behind it that I think is very relatable and your language makes it flow really well together.
While studying in college, the number 1 reason for “crime” is low socioeconomic support. The legal system shouldn’t be locking people up for surviving and providing for their families, instead, we need to support them more to avoid people risking not only their lives but their freedom to save them or their families.
I think this poem is powerful because it sums up the inequality many people face in America. It also shows how you can channel that pain in a way that motivates you to reach the light! This is some amazing writing and inspiring wisdom! Keep your head high and I hope things get better!
~JP
Your poem did a great job of showing a common issue in the world today. It brings attention that the fact this is a reoccurring problem that we need to do better to fix. This story made me feel emotions because it was very deep. You did a great job of expressing these emotions.
This poem was extraordinarily powerful, not just in subject matter but also in voice, language and word choice. It doesn’t sugarcoat personal experiences; rather, it brazenly puts them in a spotlight with a brutal yet illuminating honesty. I can so easily hear the defiance in your voice, the cry for change, almost a battle-cry signifying your resilience and strength in the face of adversity. I love the transition of the tone of the poem too, how the beginning seems dark and fraught with difficulty but how the ending rings with hope and the sheer force of a human being’s will. I think my favorite lines are “Pain could become a distraction if you allow it / Pain could also be strength if you use it right”. It brings to light such a difficult, crucial truth, that the negativity and sadness and pain in one’s life can over time be reshaped into motivation and strength like a knife toughening in the face of flames. It resonated with me deeply and I’m certain it would resonate with anyone else who reads this incredible piece of writing. Keep up the amazing work! The world definitely needs more poems like this in it.
This poem creates a really strong feeling. Just remember that there are people out there that will be forgiving of you, and will love you. Find those people and surround yourself with them. Find the right people who will set you in the right direction, and you can change your life and find happiness. Your life is the consequence of the choices you make.
This poem is about nothing specific, but it’s also about so many things. I really resonated with the line “They don’t care to help, so we don’t care to do whatever.” I relate to this because a lot of things that have happened to me people tell me too not talk about it or to not reach out because people will find out the secrets behind the closed doors, this gives you the inception that if no one cares what others do, why would they care what you do? I also love the line “pain could also be strength if you use it right” I love this line because I’ve never thought of this, but it’s so true. If you take your pain that you’re feeling and put it towards something meaningful then you could get a powerful result. I think that if you persist in working towards your goal then you’ll succeed. Love this poem please keep writing!
The sad things is your right. There really isn’t that many reformation programs offered to inmates. I question your 3rd line. What do you mean by leave? As in leave from work? I just think there maybe a better way to reword that line. Nice job
A very powerful poem that talks about the challenges one faces when one grows up in abject poverty. It is true that we are indeed a product of our environment. Many people end up making bad choices due to peer pressure and the need to make ends meet. I wish that there were more programs to help those who face poverty, hunger, and lack of basic necessities so that they have a good foundation to make better choices.
Hi NG,
This poem is beautiful. I love how you put a spin on such a negative thing to make it so much more positive. Your positivity is truly inspiring, and I want to be as positive thinking as you. I find it absolutely disgusting the way there is no help for those in poverty. Why the government doesn’t want to help THEIR own people is beyond me. They are so into being a free country full of people that are all excepted yet unless you’re a wealthy straight white male you will not be excepted or helped in anyway. What I think they don’t realize is that they aren’t helping adults in poverty, but they also aren’t helping the child. The innocent kids who did nothing but be born in the wrong place, and your poem perfectly explains that. Great Job!
Hey NG, after reading your poem I think the title being Untitled makes more sense than other title that would give off. It gives off this is how people like yourself are given off. Well you do have a title, its someone who is kind, caring, and also loving. I know when you get out you are going to do such amazing things, more things than you could’ve done before.
Hi NG,
Thank you so much for writing this poem. You really showed what it’s like to not feel seen. The title, “Untitled,” contributes to this overall sense of not feeling seen or cared about, no matter what a person’s been through. The personal experience that fuels this poem shows how someone can prevail despite this, and despite the systemic racism that feeds prisons.
The beginning lines and rhythms are so powerful, and drum into the reader the harshness of reality:
“No clothes
No shoes
No lights
No food”
I love how the rhythms and rhymes move the poem through to the resilience and strength that might be gained through all of this–shining all that light at the end. Very hopeful and inspiring.
These words speak to the true brokeness of the system and of our society. Your pain and distrust comes through but it’s followed with the determiniation to be better and to overcome. Keep an eye on the light my friend.
NG,
Thank you for sharing this poem. I sympathize with you, and I love the image you create of being refined in the fire. I can see the shoeless children you describe. I hope this poem reminds readers of our responsibility in society. Keep writing!
There is a lot going on in this poem, and it all flows really well together. I like the repetition you have in the poem because it helps exaggerate the important points. Keep pushing through all of the pain and unfairness, you will get rewarded soon. I like how you recognize that you need to “keep your head high” because it is a great mindset to have. I believe in you, you will get through this!
This poem begins by listing the basic needs with the word no giving a stong perception of a child in poverty. The line aa child being raised by a child shows a difficult start both for the parent and child. The child is stuck in poverty with no positive outlook shown by the “nowhere to go”. This poem tells a story of someone who has never experienced help and therefore cannot help themselves. They are a product of their environment that conditioned them to become a prisoner. The last few lines show they use this pain to become stronger, an inspiring message that is very powerful.
Hello, I think your piece is quite impactful. As a justice studies student we talk a lot about the cycle of crime that exists in this nation. How children are born into environments where they are set up to fail. Crime becomes a habit, an escape, of the world that they were produced into. Your work is an eloquent explanation of this cycle. Two lines in your poem say “Instead of getting us real help, We just a product of our environment.” I think this speaks greatly to how our justice system works, how we would rather put away a problem than help the people so they can thrive. Nice Job.
This poem was indeed very powerful and it spoke to me. Poverty is a big issue right now in the world. The personal experience in this makes it just that more real.
I love how you expressed that fact that there has to be darkness before light. We all go through things no matter, no matter who we are. Eventually all of our struggles and worries will come to an end. Your poem was very well written!
I appreciate the poem’s recognition of the cycle of poverty and crime. However, this poem speaks from the child’s POV, not the country’s external eyes. The idea from this poem is that when no one else will help, we must be willing to pick ourselves up from the rumble of our parent’s choices and the lack of resources provided for this child to thrive. However, the lack of quality provided for this child is consequential in a life of crime and poverty.
I think this poem emphasizes hope and that even though things seem like they won’t get better, with time they will. In the last part of your poem when you said “No matter what keep your head high. At the end it’s always light.” really stood out to because it creates a sense of courage and to keep pushing because there is always light at the end of the tunnel whether we see it out not. We can always make something out of nothing if we just keep a positive head on our shoulders. Nothing will stay bad forever and there can always be a positive turn around if we are willing to stay truthful to ourselves and others around us. Stay strong and keep up the amazing work!
Thank you for sharing your poem and vulnerability! It was a very powerful poem that discusses about the difficulties that individuals face in time of poverty. It is critical for society to realize the responsibility we have to fix the brokenness that exists within. Truly such an inspirational poem!
This poem describes our broken system and society. It has excellent imagery and explains the daily struggles of struggling people very well. Thank you for such a poem.
I appreciate how you started the poem with a grim tone but later uplifted the spirits. The descriptive lines highlight how it’s a struggle for many in poverty to rise in society. It’s mesmerizing but also horrifying!
This poem was very powerful and emphasizes the injustice that many communities face.
It is very powerful how you started off the poem with the negative things that happened to you that have led you to this point and then ended the poem with lines filled with hope. It is so sad that this poem can be applied to so many issues in the world. Our broken system has failed so many people for so long and not enough people are working to change that.
I want to start by saying this poem shows great strength. I feel your pain and your emotion, the “why me” as you were placed in such a hard life circumstance with little to maybe no guidance. Struggling through life because you are essentially on your own. I want to let you know that I feel your strength overpower this poem. I can tell the resilience throughout this whole poem, even though your emotions started off negative I know there’s a fire within you that has started because of your circumstance. The fact you ended off in such a positive manner was absolutely heartwarming. “We become stronger after the fire” was beautiful. As I agree, adversity carries with it a seed of equal advantage and being able to obtain such a mindset and seeing your struggles as just a mountain to climb over is so powerful. That is a mindset that will be rewarded by life. I hope you keep writing. I know this will inspire more people than just me.
Incredibly powerful! This poem explains our society to a T. We don’t help the ones that are struggling until it’s too late. The ones struggling with poverty do what they have to survive. It’s sad that we only care when they commit a crime. This poem was raw and impactful. We need to change the struggle with poverty in this world. One line that is so impactful was “child being raised by a child.”This shouldn’t have to happen but sadly our society lets it. A battle for change is needed for those in poverty. The government shouldn’t let its people face such struggles and your poem explains just those struggles. Keep pushing, your writing is beautiful!
This poem started off a little dark and was sort of mysterious, but I loved the turn at the ending. There is always light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how long the tunnel is. No matter your upbringing or your current circumstance, you can always make a change. This is a very uplifting poem and I, as well as others, appreciate you posting it.
I really like the relation you create in your last three lines of this poem. They really explain your determination in the face of the challenges and injustice some of our communities face. The poem is really powerful in its message, and you convey the difficulty of your experiences well. I can be hard when we are given no help, and I like how you move from looking for help to carving your own path through life. I love your poem, and I hope I can read another from you in the future.
This poem is about the struggles of growing up in poverty and how it can lead to difficult situations like having no clothes, shoes, lights or food. The author talks about how they were raised by a child and had no rules, so they didn’t go to school and ended up stealing cars and robbing just to feel better. They feel like no one cares to help them, and that the only place they’re sent is to jail instead of getting real help. Despite all of this, the author encourages the reader to hold on and stay strong through the pain, because there will always be light at the end of the tunnel.
This is so powerful. I can’t imagine the first few lines here. The middle lines are so frustrating to read and realize, I can’t imagine how it must feel to experience it. It was refreshing to see the strength in the last few lines. I love how you discuss using pain as a strength and not letting it distract you. I also love the last line, “at the end it’s always light.” I was just looking at another author’s poem with a similar message. I agree – there is light! Stay strong.
This is a very hopeful and uplifting poem. Parts of it get dark, but you quickly change the mood and show your optimism. It’s funny how you mention just throwing you behind bars instead of finding actual help. Punishment v. Rehabilitation is a huge debate in the U.S. prison system, especially after hearing about other countries and their methods compared to their recidivism rates versus ours. That is a topic I definitely like talking about.
To NG- Your poem is very simple but there is so much emotion and you paint such a clear story. The main topic you talk about in your poem is no matter the pain and suffering you go through in life you can always use that to your advantage to help better your future. People do say that you’re the “product to your environment” but they never talk about how you can be the product for the better. Using your struggles and turning them into strengths is not an easy task but it can be done. I’m glad that you’re able to see that even though you’ve been through a lot you still have hope. At the end of your poem, you say “at the end, it’s always light,” I hope you remember that the next time you have doubts about your future. Great poem, keep sharing!
Hi NG,
Thanks for sharing your work. I really appreciate you opening up about this topic. My favorite lines are “Pain could become a distraction if you allow it | Pain could also be strength if you use it right”. This line particularly stood out to me because it shows the two sides of pain. It can harm but also help you, and the decision is up to you.
I think this poem is truly so powerful. The diction you have chosen to use is perfect because each word creates such a powerful meaning that adds to the emotional response of this poem. I love the imagery you create with the words also, it feels as if I am truly experiencing the pain you express. I love this poem and truly think you did and incredible job on it. You definitely have a gift and I hope you continue to use it!
Thank you for sharing your poem. Your writing shows that your life was not easy and that you went through difficult situations in order to get by. It was very emotional and deep.