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.
Am I Ugly?
Eyes closed deep inside
I’m pretending being a free man
It’s amazing what I see
So beautiful, wonderful wonder land
My mind is independent soaring up in sky like a bird no fear of the world
No matter how hard I try to smell it’s that recycled air that drops me hard back to reality
Like I lost some kind of gravity
I’m still trying not to open my eyes and destroy my hopeful vision
Trying not to believe I’m behind bars like caged animal in prison
I heard dreams come true if you believe and just keep dreaming
Feels like I have been sleeping forever subconsciously
Here I am still dreaming
I guess I do have a dream like Martin but I wonder when it will be startin’
Thousand others’ dreams floatin’ going around in circles
Even hopeless dreams trying to keep up cheer up like it’s some kind of circus
DA’s and Judges abandoned us from the community talking about we are criminals
Animals that belongs in cages die in here as we ages
They treat us like we are uglies like some kind of hideous creature
We are still humans for God’s sake leave the judging to our creator
I was told I was beautiful, smart, intelligent person and still I believe I am
But sometimes I wonder if I was told all lies.
And this question repeats in my head and flies in circles
“Am I Ugly?” but I don’t believe it
Headed Home
I’m headed home
I’m almost there
I’m on my way
Headed up the stairs
To what I like best
A mother a brother a baby mother and my daughter
I am going to spoil her
I’m headed home to live life
Maybe even fly a kite
Or even teach my daughter
How to ride a bike
I’m headed home
My family won’t even pick up the phone
Headed home with no ride
Or cab to drive
But I glad the jail gave me bus tokens
That means nobody’s car had to get stolen
I’m headed home
I’m not cold or alone
I’m just glad that I’m home
Headed Home
Reflections
Living my life for the wrong reason
Tryna get it every season
Doing what it takes to stay eating
But hustling for the wrong reasons
Being ignorant to the fact
You can get it without selling crack
Feeling trapped because I am black
Now I can’t get this time back
It was a hard lesson learned
That money has a million ways to be earned
If you sit and wait your turn
Life lessons will be learned
One Day
One Day…
I will be greeted with smiles
One Day…
Smiles longer than the Nile
One Day…
I feel my steps getting closer, and closer
One Day…
Because trust me, I’m tired of this emotional roller coaster
One Day…
I can taste every second of it
One Day…
Where I can finally be out in the public
One Day…
Flying like the birds, and the bees
One Day…
Floating like the leaves, falling from a tree
One Day…
But I’ma keep running, wiping my sweat along the way
One Day…
Keep pushing never even stopping to take a break
One Day…
I let my rejections, keep me motivated
One Day…
Because without it, nothing will keep me sophisticated
One Day…
And remember, your effects come from your causes
One Day…
So you can decide to be on top, and choose to have no bosses
One Day…
I’m striving to get to that spot, to be whatever I wanna be
One Day…
Just like the Navy, Military and the Army
One Day…
So I let this be a minor set-back, for a major come back
One Day…
So I can shock the world with my massive attack
One Day…
So Imma continue my journey, ending March, April, Maybe May.
But just know that I’ll eventually get there,
One Day.
“I’m referring in this poem getting free one day. And going through what I’ve been through and learning what I’ve learned, to get to where I’m going in life. Being free and successful, by being focused, having a push (motivation), and goals. Doing things the right way.”
My Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is a day of love
A day to show your loved ones
How much you love them
even care about them
My Valentine’s Day is okay,
but would’ve been better
if I could’ve spent it
With my girl and my mother
But meanwhile I pray to God
And thank him for loving me
and for loving everybody that’s alive
and I believe in him
All I can say is that
I’ll be home soon
to spend my Valentine’s
good with my love ones
Where I Have Been, What I Have Learned
Where have I been? I have been thru it all
From a cell to feelin’ like I have been living hell
Sometimes it feels all like a dream
Then I blink once then twice
And realize it’s all here
And I’m right on the scene
Now I realized I made mistakes
I have big dreams
I ask God to forgive my sin
Where have I been? I been thru it all
Where have I been? I been behind them white prison walls
Where have I been? I have been on this place called earth
Where I seen my brother fall
Where have I been?
Do you really want to know?
I’ve been places where you can’t even receive a phone call
It feel like I been thru it all
What have I learned?
I have learned when I fall to crawl
To never steal what I have learned
To always try my best
I’m not on earth to try to impress
What have I learned?
To take life for what it’s worth
To never steal from my mom’s purse
What have I learned?
To never follow always lead
To never cop out always fight it ‘til it bleeds
Or have succeed
I’ve learned sometimes
It might not hurt to freeze
That way you won’t get burned
My Face
I think my face is only a disguise
2 hide the pain you cannot see
Because if my face was my heart
You’ll probably see a different
And another half of me is bitter
And another half is sweet
But I try 2 keep
My skeletons buried 6 feet
I am only 18 but my life is so deep
But from the view of my face
My secrets are kept 4 keeps…
I’m a Victim of Circumstance
I am a victim of circumstance
But being a victim of circumstance made me who I am
When faced with a challenge
I’ll do enough to get by
Get mad if I don’t win
Because I know I didn’t really try
I was upset to be here
And even though I’m longing for freedom
I’m blessed to be alive
Because of this I don’t bite, stress, or cry
Even when I get bad calls about loved ones that died.
Tic-Toc
Tic-toc goes the heartbeat of my life
I’m sittin’ still watchin’ my life pass me by
I close my eyes I don’t want to cry
But trapped like an animal
doesn’t make you feel like a man
Tic-toc my life is passin’ me by
I reach out to catch it
But it flows right through my hand
Today feels like yesterday
Ever gonna end
When will my new day begin
Tic-toc
Mom
I use to always tell you to keep your head up
Tears dropping from your eyes
I know you fed up
Mom I’m sorry for all the pain I put you through