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