About the Poetry Blog
The poets featured on this page 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. These 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.
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Justice Is Blind
By TG
By TG
Justice is blind
or so I’m told
can’t see a thing
through that blindfold
She cannot see
color of skin
wealthiest king
or poorest kin
The Queen’s English
status by words
the ignorant
by misused verbs
My place of birth
my motherland
whether I am
woman or man
Adds to her choice
which way sword steers
she may be blind
but she can hear
Let’s not forget
her weighing scales
where pocketbooks
always prevail
The innocent
weigh a feather
silver or gold
weigh much better
And to her sword
the choice is clear
unbalanced scale
prejudice ear
Justice is fair
I’ve heard men say
because her sword
can cut both ways
Tooth for a tooth
eye for an eye
live by the sword
and you shall die
But if you’re rich
you need not fear
unbalanced scales
whisper in ear
We Are All Kin
By QS
You are our sons and daughters
Whether we birth you into this world or not
That’s what the elders would say to the babies
While telling ancient stories around the village cooking pot
Our ancestors, when I close my eyes, I see and talk with them
Praying when I reach the promised land I’m worthy to walk with them
Never forget where you come from
The blood that runs through your veins
Beware, the white man will try to make you believe we are different
When genetically we are all the same
You must know the truth to free yourselves
Don’t be fooled by the pale man’s old divide and conquer game
Go research your history books
Uncover the lies they’ve been telling you
And when you find out the truth for yourself
You’ll realize the jewels I’ve dropped on you are true
Use your mind!
Stand up and be counted Black man
No one will do it for you
Only the man looking back at you in the mirror can
They hear the war cries (fear of the Black Planet)
The white man’s greatest nightmare has come
All the beautiful shades of Blackness once separated by lies
Now united by truth, marching as one
I said it before and I’ll say it again
Once we take the mental blindfold off our third eye
That’s the moment we will realize
We are all kin
Untitled
By RW
When you feel sad
I wish you happiness
When you’re in doubt
I wish you faith
When you’re discouraged
I wish you hope
When you’re afraid
I wish you strength
When your heart is heavy
I wish you joy
When you’re troubled
I wish you peace
When you’re lonely
I wish you all love
No More Silence
By Shannon
This is my cry for a stop in senseless violence,
How many lives must be destroyed before someone, anyone
Shout to the mountain top, no more silence, no more silence
How could we overcome, if a promised dream is never realized
Due to a nightmarish reality that must end and if no
One is willing to step up, where does the change begin
To reverse a maddening cycle of gentrification, of generations
Who look just like me and you, who they look up to and emulate
So whose responsibility it is, to be responsible, before
Its just too late and what excuse could justify
Such a decision, when it’s obviously a grave mistake
That will surely impact our community, and reflect a
Negative mindset that we must counter and combat
With an objective view towards positive progress
That begins with self-evaluation and a want for change
A choice to make a difference, that can lead to an act of
Forgiveness and self-liberation, with you as our witness
And our guide in this act of unification, of prisoners against
Gun violence, men who can no longer afford to be quiet
And our debt to society is no more silence, no more silence
Untitled
By GD
Free me from the beast that holds the minds of many. Free me from that terrifying Roar which lies within me. Though it’s in a cage, it still shows his teeth. Silently waiting to attack those who caused grief. It sweats constantly and beads form around its brow. Yet it never alters only nourishes the thoughts of relieving its hunger like that of a crying child.
Free me from the Beast that turns men into Savages. Free me from a place where every day is tragic. Laws are in place to punish and tame. But evil begets evil, so immorality remains. The walls close in, and the hearts begins to pound. How can one amend, when the soul is broken down.
Free me from the beast that tells these awful tales. Free me from the coffin that’s designed as a cell. Is there such thing as Beauty in the world when all that surrounds the vision is hell? How can one survive with no sense of touch, taste, sight, or smell. If survival is key, life has led me astray. I no longer sleep, I die at the end of each day.
Free me from the Beast that forbids me to mourn. Free me from the screams of those who have long gone. Contemplating with each year that passes by. Suicide is not the first reaction. The inside has already died. No more dreams; no more goals; yes there’s blood in my eyes. Men don’t hold secrets; we secretly past lies.
Free me from the Beast that drains the mind of ambition. Free me from the binary chains of that we call religion. We must have killed God because the prince is winning. When you look at me, can you see my Venom? There are no fangs or peeled off skin but at times I slither. No natural selection, this evolution is richer. Free me from the Beast that I have grown to love. Free me from the home that I no longer think of.
Silence
By SM
A moment of silence for the frontline workers risking their lives and those we have lost to COVID-19
Silence!
Close your eyes, inhale the essence of fresh air
And picture yourself floating on a cloud that heals your heart –
Cleanses your soul
Silence!
Picture yourself dancing in the rain
Ecstatic of overcoming uncertainty
Silence!
Picture yourself in the wake of a thunderstorm –
Sun breaking, rainbow in the sky
Silence!
Feel yourself at the ocean’s shore
Listening to the screaming waves
Silence!
Feel yourself at the riverbank
Anticipating going for a swim
Silence!
Breathe for the ones we lost –
Let your heartbeat carry their legacies over the hills of the valley
Through strong winds and under the sky of their heavenly home
Silence!
Kisses to the mothers, hugs to the fathers –
Gone but never forgotten
Silence!
Exhale and breathe life back into the world
Crushed by the System
By TG
We fought the fight for freedom.
Stood strong to support equal rights
Generously given for the next generations
All lost when we let go the light.
Further our fathers have faded
So sons now stand in quicksand
Growing in the gutter of gall
Losing their lives to the land.
Wise women our daughters and wives
Sewn with the spirit of strength
Gilded with goodness and greatness
Lending love in unmeasurable length.
Fore ordain, foreseen, foreshadowed
Soaring songs to the stars that listen
Guardians of the gangling ganders
You will not be crushed by the system.
My Crack in the Wall
By KC
Every day I awake in an open grave
And leave my slab to walk among the tombs
Massive monuments built to mark bad decisions and love lost
Life and freedom shattered by time being watched over by men with guns
I am not alone, for thousands walk with me
A nation of the undesirables left to rot above ground
Who like crabs hold each other back from reaching peace of mind
They thrive in the misery of their fellow man and thirst for dominance
They think the title King Crab is an honor
Don’t they see? King of the damned is still damned himself
I am different from most here
I walk in the land of the dead focused on life
Time is harsh, but my dreams have never decayed
Stepping stones made from ink on paper keep me on track
Words from loved ones lost, now found, tell me
I am human not an animal, and to never lose myself
Do or die among the dead until you get to the living
And never let the flame of life burn out, it connects us
So, I walk among the tombs every day
Looking for that crack in the wall, that slither of light
Today I’ve found her, and her name is…
Well that doesn’t matter
What matters in the end, today’s a good day
And my crack in the wall has just gotten a little bigger
My Beloved
By MH
They ask me what’s wrong with your beloved?
She looks sad, heartbroken, and in despair
Where is her smile you often praise?
I answered them my beloved is sick
She’s in pain, she has been for awhile
It pains me to see her this way
But I know she will heal
She will smile again
She will stand on her feet again
For I know my beloved
Hidden beneath all the chaos you see
Hopes, dreams, joy, and prosperity
Author’s note: This poem is about my home, which I miss and think of a lot, as well as my family, friends, and neighbors.
Amongst the Broken Men
By CB
I’m living in a world where you’re called
By numbers and not your name
On lockdown, behind a wall in rusty chains
My hands and feet are in shackles, so I can’t move
This the first time in my life
That I don’t know what to do, and
Not even my family knows what I’m going through
Being forced to eat small portions of shitty meals
And if we complain, they say, “We’re lucky
That we are being fed.” They got grown men
Sleeping on bunkbeds. Many men have
Committed suicide for living under these conditions
They then told the C.O.s that they were going
To do it but they ain’t listen
I was taught to stand for something
Or continue to fall for anything
These men must been brought up differently
Cause they don’t stand for nothing, but count time
They bring opprobrium to my race, because
They quick to fight each other but won’t
Even fight for their own freedom
And none of them have thoughts of escape
It’s like they are scared of these gates
They got me surrounded by cowards
Who are content with being oppressed
By racist a** C.O.s, that applied pressure
The institution is the new plantation
It’s slavery at its best, yet we fail to rebel
Because they install slave mind frames in us
That cause us to get side tracked
And look forward to mail, but I refuse
To be like the rest, so I stand alone
Because I’m amongst broken men and
Once something been broken once
It could be broken again
Amongst the broken men
I See You
By BH
Looking through caged windows
So many faces, so much pain
Immigrants being treated less than animals
Hunted down and casted away
Homeless, displaced with nowhere to escape
God’s children
Traveling from place to place
It’s hard to call myself an American
As this can’t be the American way
What happened to the land of the free
The home of the brave
The Christian or Patriot way?
The days of yesterday has faded away
Dreamers are still dreaming
Still I see you, and will fight for you always
Remembering My People
By PJ
Look at my people
And Grandma’s slow movement
In her knee-length gown, slippers on
Braids cover her head, like a crown
I love her bold features, her high cheekbones
Broad hands grip her snuff can, and her eyes
They have a far away stare
But they’re focused as they keep secrets
Daddy’s fat hands pat his afro, as he picks it
I love the smell of his cigarettes
He always looks at me like he can see everything
Like he’s far ahead of what I think; he’s so serious
Mama, with her determined walk, never a wasted movement
So patient, and understanding; a refuge of sorts, from Daddy
She always indulges me
It seems they look alike with their afros and their slacks, their button-down shirts
They say opposites attract; she’s as light-hearted and forgiving as he is intense
Brother’s smile, looking like Daddy
With Mama’s patience, Grandma’s wisdom, and my innocence
My faithful companion, my confidant
I try to mirror him with his smooth black skin and wavy hair
The way he sucks-in his cheeks and puckers his lips
I recall drawing a mustache over my lips to mimic the peach-fuzz over his
Grandaddy’s big feet as he walked, dragging his black, big shoes
I recall: his hat and coat hanging in the hall by the stairs; I’d try-on both
Still today, I remember the smell of the inside of his fedora
Like Barbasol and Old Spice
Look at me, remembering my people
Grandma’s wisdom came from her full lips as I looked into her tired eyes
Never can I forget the deep lines in her face; wrinkled
She told of times long ago before slipping again into her doze
Being as young as I was, I couldn’t comprehend when she talked about love
Older now, I realize: hers was a traumatic experience
Now I understand: she had enough hope to dance around intimate details of: whips and ropes
Once I heard Daddy talking to Mama, he mentioned
Being called a nig–, again- I call David that all the time
Daddy said: “It reminds me of Virginia where they hung Tim.”
He said he hates remembering: Tim’s body swinging and jerking; he could still see the twisted mouth
Daddy said: “I hate what happened in the South.”
Brother’s eyes, they look just like Daddy’s
When he came to see me I rushed him – to say goodbye
Later – they found him beaten and shot
Brother’s companionship is deeply missed as he slips into drug and alcohol addiction
Brother’s “tagging” at my hip is a memory only as he’s been engulfed by the streets
His naïveté replaced with ruthless ambition; a do or die attitude
To get money, there’s nothing he won’t do
How did my brother become enslaved in the 21st century?
New chains, a life sentence that he can’t escape
In a penitentiary
Mama’s cries sometimes are silent
But they’ve embedded and etched the pain on her face
She carries her sorrows everywhere, that way
Still she’s beautiful, in more than a weathered way
Surrounded by masculinity, she’s the glue
Without her what would we do?
When Brother died, I never saw her cry
When I cried, only a look of familiarity
After Daddy’s death she was the pillar of stability
She’s family quintessence
Where it begins
Look at me
Remembering my people