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.
Poem: “Love Yourself, Be Yourself”
Love Yourself, Be Yourself
Courageous and honest hearts are truly accepted,
Be who you are and love yourself for eternity.
Don’t let nobody fill you up with ignorance and hate,
Your fate is in your hands, so think wisely.
No matter how much you try to be someone who you are not,
Deep down inside you know you are who you are and more.
No matter how small or huge the boat is floating in water,
It will sink to the bottom if there is a hole in it.
So don’t ever let yourself sink, if you know what I mean,
Try to reach high like you are trying to reach the stars.
There is no happiness if you are going to waste it behind bars,
One thing I found in it is myself who was lost in darkness.
I’m thankful for that even though I live with pain in my heart,
I feel like the pain is slowly vanishing away.
‘Cause I’m being myself and loving myself,
For who I am not who they think I am.
Poem: “My Son”
My Son
When I had my son,
It was the happiest day of my life.
I was locked up so I felt terrible,
But good at the same time.
When he was born,
I knew that I could start my life over
Because I was going to give him what I didn’t have,
A father.
I missed everything about not having a father
I wish he was in my life
I wouldn’t be in here.
I had to take it upon myself to take care of my mother
To be the man of the house
Buy groceries,
Cook.
I’m going to give my son everything I didn’t get from my dad –
Unconditional love.
I will give him everything he wants,
EVERYTHING!
Poem: “Home Sweet Home”
Home Sweet Home
Home sweet home I can just taste it…
Home sweet home I’m racing for it…
Home sweet home when I can just sit and have family time…
Home sweet home I miss taking care of what’s mine…
Home sweet home I feel it,
Leaving off this facility it’s almost my time…
Home sweet home I have a feeling I’m about to go home
So I’mma keep saying the line
Home sweet home,
Home sweet home.
Poem: “Don’t Look Back Look Forward!”
Don’t Look Back, Look Forward!!!
I don’t look back, I look forward
‘Cause looking back at the past just makes stress
You got to look in the future to achieve
And also believe and keep faith
So this is my little speech
To all my fellow people
Don’t look back
Look forward!!!
Poem: “Reach That Light”
* Reach That Light *
I wrote this to motivate myself everyday and everybody else who is going through hard times struggling
You are the success to your own achievements
Don’t ever, ever, never forget that!
You have come a far way to turn back
Just keep on moving you are almost there
Life is full of surprises and it definitely ain’t fair
You are in a long race so stay focused and keep runnin’
Don’t look back
Ease up
Prepare for what’s comin’
Let nobody get to you ‘cause you are who you are
Not who they think you are
You are created for a purpose
For something really special
Brave of the bravest you are
I know that for sure
You are genius as well
Don’t let your talents pour down the drain for nothin’
‘Cause that’s a waste
Let your abilities soar
One day you will find your place
Right now you are goin’ through a dark tunnel
Learnin’ meanings of life
Almost to your destination you will reach that light
With God in your mind
Your spirit and your soul
Everything is goin’ to be alright
You will win this fight for sure
Poem: I Used to Work at the Jail
I Used to Work at the Jail
by a Community Supervision Officer
When you say I want to see you locked up,
what I want to say is that I used to work there
and I would never want to see you go back there.
When you say I want to see you locked up,
what I want to say is that your family deserves for you to be in the community,
but I can’t make those decisions for you.
When you say I want to see you locked up,
what I want to say is that your past does not have to dictate your future,
but you have to learn the lesson for yourself.
When you say I want to see you locked up,
what I want to say is that I used to work at the jail
and that experience is why I’m your Community Supervision Officer today,
to see the change beyond the jail.
Poem: My Case Load
My Case Load
by a Community Supervision Officer
Offender wants off papers
Refuses to change ways
Running away to come back
Poem: Where does Love Go?
Where Does Love Go?
Where does love go when true love dies?
It goes back to your heart
And comes out to your eyes
My dear daughter this is true
I see your face in every star
In every rainbow
Near and Far
My heart will not accept that you have gone
Your precious love so warm and true
I hope this life
Tears will weather and pray someday
We can be together
Poetry: “We Have a Future!”
We Have Future!
Sittin’ here thinking to myself writin’ poem after poem
Every night I lay down I have a mental storm after storm
But when I was free and out we were goin’, we were goin’
She is always on my mind but I’m torn, yeah I’m torn
And it ain’t no one to blame cause I was wrong, I was wrong
I’m just hopin’ she will be there when I come home!
Poem: My Case!
My Case!
Sittin’ here in this alias place…
Everything orange I knew I had a serious case
Chillin’ in the cell for about three or four days…
Thinkin’ to my homeboy out loud, tellin’ him we shouldn’t have went that way…
I had so many signs before I hit this case
I ignored them all so the Lord put me in my place
Or yet… he put me in a place
I’m too legit to quit, I’m not like these fakes.
Poem: “Youth Life”
Youth Life
We go through the school day wondering why we are here
We feel like no one understands us
Sometimes the teachers give us something to fear
This results us getting kicked out of class
We camaflouge our true feelings so we don’t let anyone in
We beat each other up because we don’t truly love
We want someone to show us the way, we want it to end
We give up, we no longer look for help from above
So we die or get locked up ‘cause we have no hope
People tell us we’re never going to be anything
We kill ourselves by smoking dope
While feeling insecure and helpless
We will make you an offer, help us with our internal issues
And we’ll be the best student you ever had
Let us cry out our feelings give us tissues
And together we can achieve greatness and success
Poem: “My Fault”
My Fault
Is it my fault I grew up around crud living
the block can turn you into a man now im drug dealing
My best friend mama smokin buttas should I serve her
or let my pockets stay broke because I love her
Lil sisters going crazy man they wildin out
Cuz I was in when mama died God im cryin out
Is it my fault i got a lust for material things
addicted to fast money I love pitchin to fiends
Everybody want change thats what Obama say
You gotta get it how you live dats wat my mom would say
my mind gone insane man dats what the doctor say
now go where I live and go c where the doctor stay
its a real big difference from my project building
so u could neva understand man dis project living
floor after floor its a story in these walls
the only place u can get rich go to jail then lose it all
so is it my fault that i did wat i did
lil babies havin babies raisin project kids
is it my fault i want a different type of living
yea its my fault cuz im just gettin it how im living