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.
Betrayed
You told me,
“I’ll hold you down, I got your back, I’ll be here until the end”
“No matter what, thru thick and thin, I’ll always be your friend”
“When times get rough and things go bad, you can always count on me”
“Just trust my word, have some faith, and my promises I will keep”
But you let me down, you left be hanging, I thought you were my friend.
Thru thick and thin, no matter what, I thought you’d be here until the end…
When things went bad, and times got rough, I really counted on you,
I trusted your word, had faith and your promises never came true…
Then you told me,
“If ever you’re lost, just call and I’ll guide you thru the maze”
“My love and support will always be here, every single day”
“And when there’s danger have no fear, I’ll never leave you stranded”
“Whenever you need me, I’ll be right here, you’ll never feel abandoned”
But I called when I got lost and you didn’t even answer,
Your deceiving and deceitful ways are killing slow like cancer…
You left me stranded, I feel abandoned, every single day,
What did I do to deserve those lies? Why was I betrayed…
I Rise
I rise to the sky
I rise to education
I rise to my dream
I rise to become a man
I rise to respect
I rise to my highest level
I rise, I rise, I will
Someday rise, Yes I rise
The Forgiveness
I forgive my dad for walking out on his only son
I forgive the people who think they get over
Because they assume I’m dumb
I forgive life for dealing me this hand
I forgive my inner boy for not becoming a man
I forgive the man who bumped me
Because he couldn’t see
I forgive…
I can’t forgive everything…
Because I’ve yet to forgive me…
Forgiveness starts with oneself. Once we’ve forgiven ourselves, we can forgive everybody else. Forgiveness isn’t hard, so the next time a situation calls for us to forgive, give it a shot.
~Words from a forgiver~
Life Story
Is life a game
Is life a movie
Is life a story
I don’t know
To me, life is a game
One day you here
And the next you gone
People killing each other over money
Cars, girls, hoods, shoes, looks, fights
Life is hard
Especially if you doing life behind bars
When I Wake Up
I get mad when I wake up
out of my sleep
Because I be in my dream
world
And it really hurts me
When I wake up
Because it seems so real
Why I Cry
I cry cause I’m mad
I cry cause I’m sad
I cry because I’m locked up
This s**t make me want to
throw up
This place I will never see
again
That’s why I will never cry
again
Life Choices
Life is way crazy and I know
You know what I mean
Since Day One
Learning how to walk on your own
Two feet and everything was never what it seemed
S**t happens for no reason
And don’t nobody know why
People always got their heads in the clouds
And know damn well they can’t fly
I was told Don’t ever do or say something and don’t stick to your word
Cause people depend on you and lying could really hurt
But if you’re a person that’s sincere and mean what you say when
things start to go wrong
You don’t walk the other way
You do what you can to make it work
Life may be crazy but you can’t never give up
Even when you run out of road
And you’re riding rocks and dust
Freaky House of Pain (6)
Life is so stressing
And when I was in society I was lost
But now as I’m sitting in my cell
I realize I have a future
It’s something in life that’s going to help me fight
If Only…
If only I was born with a silver spoon
If only life was easy
If only I stayed in school instead of being the class fool
If only we had money and I was a popular kid
Would I have dropped out?
Probably not.
I wouldn’t have to hustle
I probably would never have been shot
Maybe not even stabbed
But a life like that is rare on the South Side
If only I was a different color
Would the judge have showed a lil bit more compassion?
If only I had a chance to be a kid instead of a thug
If only I could go on all day
If only I wasn’t in this cell
And I didn’t have to worry about lights out
If only…
Lockdown
Lockdown is not cool
I don’t want to be on lockdown on 23-1
But it cool
I’m cooling down but lockdown make you think about a lot
And think about your freedom
And on lockdown you can have a free mind
And on lockdown you can be by yourself doin’ a lot of things
Sometimes I get mad ‘cause I can’t see my mother
So that’s why I like lockdown sometime…
Way Out
Sometimes I think that it no way out
Sometimes I think it know way out
But I know that I be home soon you know
Being lock up is not for me
Father God forgive me and look over me
Father God please help me
Roses Are Red
Roses are red
Violets are blue
I love you
And you know I do
Sometimes we fight
But I lay next to you at night
And know everything will be alright
Your love is like a train
That makes my heart choo choo
But me without you
Is like a clock without a cuckoo