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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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What Happened?
Today is yesterday
And I still haven’t woke up
So tomorrow is today’s night
And the day after, after tomorrow
Will be today
And I still haven’t woke up
Ten minutes ago was an hour
And an hour ago was 30 minutes ago
But 62 seconds ago was last night
And I still haven’t woke up
Did the sun rise?
Did the sun set?
Did last night happen?
Why won’t my eyes open?
Okay wait…
If yesterday was January 28th
But when I went to sleep it was May 7th
And today is August 21st
That only can mean one thing…
This morning was the day it all happened
So the plane didn’t land
The funeral was today
The plug is still in the outlet and the TV is off
The bathroom light is on
So what happened?
Love Lesson
She kissed me
She hugged me
It was time to say goodbye
As her cab arrived
So did my heart ache
I guess she was done
She told me sorry don’t always work
Da night before
I cried a thousand tears
And today none could fall
Love hurts
I guess the scar on her heart—
Could heal now
But the one on mines
Is a deep cut
Someone once told me
You never know what you got
Til it’s gone
And now dat she’s gone
I want her back
And just like that
The cab pulled off
I Wonder Why
I wonder why?
Why the nights are so cold
When it is summertime
I wonder why?
Why we are at war
When we should be makin’ peace
I wonder why?
Why do I have on an orange jumper
When I should be defendin’ someone
In a suit
I wonder why?
Why does mommy cry at night
Because her 17 year old
Is locked away in jail
I wonder why?
Why where I live is called a project
Oh! I can answer that
Because the government sees us
As an experiment
I Am
I am the last breath of the dead
Scared little black boy
Hidin’ in a shed
Nightmares from an 8 year old
Which caused him to pee in the bed
The cries of a newborn
And the cries of the young girl
Getting’ abused in the room across the hall
I am God’s son
Jesus’ brother
The oldest son of a single black mother
The lovin’ brother of the world
A DC DC # to the state
The reason you love
The reason you hate
I am a poor black boy
Livin’ in the world
The advocate for young cryin’ girls
I AM SOMEBODY!
Happy Birthday to Me
18 years
18 candles
18 dead loved ones
18 happy birthdays
18 party members
18 people singing
18 balloons
18 kisses
18 cards
Happy 18th birthday to me
Life
I’ma live what I speak
Hang where I eat
S*** real in da city
N****s getting smoked for weed
and baby mother getting killed
cause they want to leave a n****
I’m tryna know if my girl love me or not
cause I’m selling weed and driving cars and toting a Glock
I had a dream to be a real gangster
and make it to the top
but I came to jail and got a DC number
and now my a** on lock
I pray for a good wife kids and mansions
but I’m afraid my future
is life in a casket
and some people say s*** happen
but it’s not just
my mother ask me do I wanna die
I said not just yet
Together
I don’t give a f***,
I always want us to be together no matter what!
I swear to god,
I been too kind,
Girl you always on my mind.
I don’t know why,
But I need you in my life,
I wanna put this ring down,
So you can be my wife.
I want us for eva,
No matter what I want us to be together.
All I need is 1 night,
If anybody comes between us I will fight!!
My love for you is high as a kite,
It don’t matter who cares,
I wanna be together for these years.
I want us to be together no matter what.
Out
I was playin’ a card
I was the one goin’ stupid hard
Things was looking funny
But I was always lovin’ the money
But I always hated a drought
I was in but now I’m out!
I love some ones
But I hate the no ones
I’m out now but I use to love them guns
I want things to be different but I want a change
I’ve always been true to the game
I always wanna win no doubt
I was in but now I’m out
Let Go Let Go
Let go Let go
The hood got full control
Stopping me from my goals
Beefin’ kill him
There he got let go
Let go confuse which way do I go
Hypnotized by that phat a** sliding down the pole
The hood got a hold
19 I’m strong enough to let go
And say no to that no to this when your life spinning like a disc
apartment hallways Smelling like piss
I’m pissed I don’t care
F*** this S*** I quit
Where I Am
Where I come from…
I come from a hood where
Thugs on the corner and gunshots at night
where I came from
when you blink wrong that can be your life
where I come from
the young kids runnin’ around with a knife.
Where I come from
most of my friends’ parents are on
the street at night.
Where I am going…
I’m going somewhere in life
wherever I go I’m going to do right
no more streets or fight
where I’m going is a nice place
somewhere to stay out of trouble
Where people don’t judge
You by your race.
Proud
I’m proud of myself
Proud means good, lovely, funny, happy and some other things
But I don’t let my feelings get in the way
I’m always proud
I’m proud that I just had a baby and it was a girl
I’m proud of God keeping me alive
I’m proud of life
Proud
If I Fall
If I fall, can I get back up?
If I fall, can I get up… I wonder
The streets are like quick sand, always
slowing you down, but comes as a surprise
When it sucks you under
I know if I slip a little
I can always catch my balance
Life is like being on ice with no skates
But I always like a challenge
So you’re telling me….
If I fall, I can’t succeed… right
But if I don’t fall, How can I
Know what getting up is like?
Every time I fall, I’m determined to rise again
Just don’t quit on me so easy, and yes
Sometimes I need help from a friend
So maybe this time…
I won’t trip, even if I have bad luck
Because if I fall, I know I’ll get back up