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.

Click on the poem title to open it up, and then post your comments, feedback, and encouragement in the space below the poem.

Why Is My Heart So Cold?

By TS

Why is my heart so cold?
Is it ‘cause the way the wind blows?
Is it the way the rain pours?
The reason that I can’t feel no more
Or is it ‘cause my mother wasn’t there?  (more…)

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Valuable Lessons

By AC

I’m not going to be in this position forever.
I’m going to pull through this for sure.
Nothing lasts forever, life is a roller coaster ride.
Just as sure as you go up, you can bet you’ll come down.
All you can do is strap on your seat belt and prepare for the ride.  (more…)

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Why Do We Attract

By SK

Life seems to revolve around you and your traits
Your reals, no fakes
Your persona, they hate
They say opposites attract
My negatives and your positives
When I have the answer
You’re where the problem is
Why do we attract?
Why do we lock eyes
For moments at a time
Whatever I lack
You got all the time
I lose sight of reality
At a glance of your beauty
At a whiff of your scent
Why do we attract?
Why are we in love?

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Almost There

By DC

Half way to my destination
But don’t know where I’m headed
Two steps back was like hell
So I’ma keep walking til I regret it
A lot of dreams left behind
And I’m mad I can’t obtain them  (more…)

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If I Had 3 Wishes

By JN

If I had 3 wishes
I would wish for forgiveness,
Love, kindness and peace

If I had 3 wishes
I would wish for no more handcuffs
In my life

If I had 3 wishes
I would wish for another opportunity,
Honor and a great path to take
To get home and stay home

(more…)

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If They Take My Life

By HF

If they take my life
It doesn’t mean that I die
For one to experience death
They must first be alive

Somewhere along our journey
In the midst of the days and nights
Someone has convinced us
That there is no difference between living and life

If I should cry a night
Does that make me weak?
And learn a depth of words
Does that make me deep?

If they take my life
Does it mean that I die?
Immortalized by my words
Through the spirit of their readers eye

If love lends wings
And I Believe I Can Fly
But you convinced me of impossibilities
Yet still I try

Where you see a butterfly
I see a cocoon
A caterpillar in the sky
A metamorphosis full bloom….

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Untitled

By DH, a student at Phelps ACE High School

In the beginning, there was a word
Sometimes it reached their ears but was not always heard
But when ears are blind, action is taken
Then control is forgotten and then comes mayhem  (more…)

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I Know Pain

By DH

I know pain like the back of my hand
I’ve felt it on my skin like wind from a fan
I’ve cradled it like a baby and rocked it to sleep
Spilled it all over my clothes and all over my sheets  (more…)

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Kings

By VM

Every time I think of you
I miss you even more
My smile gets brighter and brighter
You are very special to me
It’s unbelievable
I love you with all my heart
(more…)

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Welcome To Da Darkside

By VM

If I had a second chance to be reborn
And came out of my mother womb
With the sense and knowledge I have now
How could I end up like this???
Just remember you living
In a world full of envy and non-sense
That still exist from a hundred years ago
(more…)

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DIOR

By VM

You are my all, my everything
I feel hopeless without you
No matter how much I have
Fun with my family and friends
I hurt even more just pretending
Like I am having fun with the
Friends and family when I know
I’m missing very bit of you
(more…)

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Aventador

By VM

The multitude of thoughts
Where will the action lead me?
So many dreams
Will I ever make them a reality?
So many emotions
Will I ultimately be denied
The true desires of my heart?
(more…)

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