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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Ashley, I’m Done Sorry
I guess you lied about everything you said
I can’t lie, you caught me slipping
Overlooking your position and lusting off of your appearance
Created love in the making
Not understanding it was more in the picture
Words can’t explain the hatred, pain, sorrow and despair in my heart
Sometimes I wonder how you feel in the dark
I gave you the keys to my heart
I thought you said the cheating would stop
No tears, you should have ran to the doctor
Look at everything you deprived me of
Life, time, age, sex, kids
I feel degraded, useless, pointless
And you say it happened before we started dating
No more lies
You broke the word “trust”
It’s been two years now and all we do is fuss and cuss
I understand now
Ashley, I’m done…Sorry
Ashley, I’m done…Sorry
I hear you crying
But it’s no healing
I see you dying
But it’s no stopping it
It’s all because of you
Ashley
I’m
Done
Sorry
I’m Young But I’m Old
I’m young, but old
I’ve seen more personality than slave ships
Just call me “Incognito”
My words are so pure they touch lost souls
I’m deep down in your bones, like marrow
I’m the lost voice that cried out for help through poetry
W.E.B. Dubois said that words are power
No more being “deprived,” I’m here!
“Despair,” I made it
So many trials and tribulations, I can’t let go
You call this “redemption”
No one sees my struggle for success
So I believe and try my best
I walk lightly, but…
I’m digging for knowledge like an archaeologist
Time is short, so life is fast
Life is hard, so death is easy
I’m young, but old
I’ve seen this world once before my last
I hope no one heard that
The lights are dim and the time is near
Some one…let these words open their ear
I’ve paid attention for years
Now it’s time for attention to pay me
My soul is old
But my heart is new
I’m looking for the lost youth
I’m young, but old
Born
1987
Bright lights, new voices
The smell of fresh oxygen
1987 I was born naked, wet and slimy
Crying out, “Why have you confined me?”
Off in this world, where they judge you the most
Faced with so many trials and tribulations
Two years old and still on the breast
It’s a struggle for serving
So Mama tries her best
At the age of 15, I join the rest
Reckless and dangerous
With the mind that this is how you make it
Another Black statistic from 15 to 24
They said I’d never succeed
So they labeled me to the streets
Never will I leave the streets
I’m the key for the lost to succeed
Just bear with me
Since the day I asked, “Why have you confined me?
The word “Born” must I take you
Brothers, Oppress, Return, Neglect
Not this young intelligent, smart, powerful brother
Believe, Opportunities, Repel, Negativity
Loyalty
Just hit the bricks and my n****s tryna hit a move
showed me bricks gave me money strapped me with a tool
baby mamma trippin’ she tellin’ me not to be a fool
family keep stressin’ how important it is to finish school
loyalty playing the game on 2 sides got me real confused
I feel like an addict to the streets
cuz my mind tellin’ me to go
but the little man inside my chest
hittin me so hard he might leave a bruise
A Lesson Learned
In this life you’ll never really know
who is who or what is what
If you shake someone up enough
they’ll pop like mountain dew
That’s why you can never trust a human being
because even the person
with the same flesh as you
may unintentionally make mistakes and bad choices
They say a devil you know
is better than an angel you don’t know
But what makes matters worse
is when you don’t know yourself
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.