Inmate Writing

The Book Club & Writing Workshop inspires youths to write about their own life experiences, often for the first time. When they see other young inmates — of widely divergent writing abilities — standing up and reading aloud to the group, new members are emboldened to write and share their own words. In an environment where emotions are often suppressed, such writing can be extremely healing, as evidenced by the following poem written by a 17 year-old:

The Calling

by Christopher, age 17

As I sat in my room I heard a strange noise
Someone calling me--I asked, who’s there?
And somebody replied
It’s me, your mind
We need to have a talk
Why don’t you use me when you should?
To escape your imprisonment in that place you call ‘hood’
To go to college and computer school
To become that person you dream about being at night
The one with a nice job and a car and a wife
Two pretty kids and a big old house
With a two car garage for you and your spouse
These are all the things you can have
If you just use me and stay on the right path

I Feel Free

by C.M.

I feel free and open-minded when I write
I’m like a new person
I feel like I am not even locked up
Writing makes my soul feel free and happy
It feels like my soul is raising up
I feel strong, happy and clever when I see my words written down on paper
To hear my words out loud is like music to my ears and my soul
It feels good to see people reacting to your thoughts and words
It’s hard
But it feels good at the same time

We appreciate and admire the honesty displayed by Free Minds members in their writing, and acknowledge the risk taken by all who express and share themselves on paper. We hope you will enjoy reading some of their work below. If you would like to share your comments with the writers, please address them to us at mail@freemindsbookclub.org.

Rainy Days

by Alvin, age 18

A rainy day is the best day to me
Because it’s peaceful, relaxing and it waters the crops for us to eat.

On that type of day, I seem to sleep so well.
I enjoy every bit of it because people can’t get that down in hell.

I like the way the clouds be thick and dark gray.
Many people would run for shelter, but I would stay.

Right in the midst of it and let it shower down on my face,
I would look to the heavens and thank God for all his grace.

I really came to like the rain when I was like eight or nine.
My late aunt used to gather my cousins and I for story time.

We used to all sit on the porch and each one of us would tell a story.
And when we would hear and see lightening and thundering
She would tell us not to worry.

I used to hear people say it rains because God is crying.
But I guess God is happy when the sun is shining.

I think it rains because the earth needs cleaning.
But whatever the reason, I like the aftermath when the rainbow be gleaming.

In My Hood

by Christopher, age 16

On my block you see all the apartment complexes
A couple of people on corners and in cuts
You will see a group of girls out there doing nothing
And some bad ass lil’ kids
Probably throwing rocks or playing football
You will see some old people talking about other people in the neighborhood
A store in the basement on the corner
You will see people drinking and smoking
And some teenage boys in a stolen car
You will see group of beggars chillin’
And begging for change
You will see a lot of Black people living in pain
And crackheads in the cut smoking cocaine
This is what you will see on my block
So if you ain’t from around there
Don’t come around when it’s dark!

One Nice Ride

By Branden, age 17

It was a sight I will always remember
When I saw that huge moon one day, riding with my family
It was as big as I had ever seen it before
When I saw it, it brung a smile to my face
Just knowing I could see the moon this big
It looked like a giant penny
At first I thought the world was about to be smushed, or hit by it
And then I thought that couldn't happen
Or could it?
Once I forgot about that, I just looked at it
And started thinking on how it got so big
Until I fell asleep in the car

Heat

by H.B., age 19

Standing on the corner when it’s blazing hot
He said it really burned when he first got shot
Cops everywhere, he hopes that he’s dreaming
In slang terminology that means that it’s steamin’
Most think of heat they look for the sun
In my neighborhood they refer to a gun
When it gets a little nippy it’s the devious disguise
When he shows his face tempers seem to rise
Too much goes on when the sun begins to peak
I don’t know about you, but I’m getting’ out the heat

Who I Am!

by Kenneth, age 17

I am light brown
But the common phrase is “black”
I wear an invisible label
That’s been proven to be a fact

Look at that dark-skinned, nappy-headed person
Silent thoughts I hear
Their eyes tell a million stories
But what I see is fear

You don’t even know me
But what you observe is I am black
I should be the one that’s scared of you
If you take a trip back

My heritage is based on a struggle
But in the eyes of others I am nothing but trouble

Uptown

by Darrell, age 16

A neighborhood I know very well
has changed my mind about life
It’s a neighborhood where
everybody’s mother is a crackhead
And if she isn’t, she’s doing some kind of drug
It’s a neighborhood
that makes you think that life is all about
selling drugs, having sex with girls, doing drugs,
skipping school, busting hammers, beefing,
staying out all night and day,
fighting each other,
going to the go-go,
and most importantly…
getting money
I now know what life is really about
and this neighborhood makes me sick
I feel sorry for the little kids in this neighborhood
Because they’re going to see all the things I seen

One on One

by S.L., age 16

Sometimes I cry, knowing you ain’t here
And then I hear you whisper in my ear
Now I know everything’s going to be okay
Today it rains
But tomorrow will bring a sunnier day
I have faith in God
He knows what to do
He will not leave me stranded
He will help me through
I see lots of evil
And hear more bad
But don’t intervene
Just take journeys with my pen and pad
What is my purpose for life?
I don’t know yet
But it’s not to be selling drugs, gripping guns, and disrespecting people
I do know that
So all the people doing this
Don’t talk, just listen
If you look outside your neighborhoods
There’s a whole different vision

A Snapshot of Me

by Chris, age 16

I was in the fifth grade at my graduation
Inside my school lunch room
I had a big smile on my face
Because this was the first time
I graduated from anything
And the last time too
I had on a white shirt and black pants
And a black tie
I thought I was the best-dressed person in the room
Even though everybody else had on the same thing

I Am…

by Drew, age 18

I am what I am
Not what you think I am
I am a young man with a dream
Will it come true? Maybe
Only I hold the key to my success
I am the future
I won’t get caught up in the past
I am a leader
That means I will not follow
I am a grad
But I’m not done
I’m taking it to the next level—college!
I am a winner
That doesn’t mean I can’t lose
It means I will accept it
And try harder the next time
I am the team clutch player
But I’m not the best
I just play better when the game’s on the line
I am not just another inmate
I am a student
And a person who can change his life
I am just one man
But I’m not alone
It’s a lot more where I come from
I am what I became
A hero

Failure Is What We Make It

by Davon, age 18

There isn’t a dream in this world that have been dreamed
That can’t come true
So why don’t we follow our dreams
Instead of doing what statistics want us to?

Our own kind feed us negativity
But that don’t mean it has to be so
It’s how you take heed to it
As something to hold you down
Or something to make you grow

They say we’re prone to failure
But we just have our success goals set on the wrong things
Like instead of becoming high rank in the House of Representatives
We want to control the streets and the crack fiends

We need to set our success goals at a higher level and fulfill our dreams
‘Cause if we can mix up a batch of crack in the kitchen
We can make a cure for AIDS and save our kings and queens

Nine kids integrated Central High
And made them accept blacks for who they are
So why is it that now a’ days we kill our own people
Over something as simple as a red or blue scarf?

If we open our eyes and use our minds
To fulfill our dreams in a positive way
Failure by definition will mean nothing
‘Cause success will be the only way!

Makes Me Wanna Cry

by Phil

Makes me wanna cry
When I see your face on a shirt
Makes me wanna cry
When I hear people tellin’ me what happened on February third
Makes me wanna cry
When I feel your family’s presence
Makes me wanna cry
When I know I could have talked to you before your death
Makes me wanna cry
When I think about you
Makes me wanna cry
When your birthday comes around
Makes me wanna cry
When all the homies is in a deep conversation about you
Makes me wanna cry
Just knowing you’re not coming back
Makes me wanna cry
When I got your name tatted on my arm

Makes me wanna cry
Makes me wanna cry
Makes me wanna cry

Rest in Peace, Charlie

The Funeral

By R.N., age 17

They say your past reflects the future
I hold on to moments in a Kodak picture
But what happens when you’re gone?
For me, a funeral is not where I belong
I hate death ‘cause there’s no more life
I pray and wish that I can live twice
But there may not be a second chance for this criminal
So don’t forget to visit my funeral

My Identity

By William

Who am I?
What am I?
I am a true Salvadoran
And proud to be Latino
But I have a light skin color
So I look Caucasian
People call me names either way
Names such as “spic,” “wetback,” or “immigrant”
Others see my skin color
And immediately call me names
Names such as “white trash,” “white boy,” or “cracker”
In this society
People judge you no matter who you are
Or what you are
But who am I?
What am I?
To them, I am names
To me, I am Salvadoran
I am me
And that is my identity…

In My Tomorrow

by Harold

My tomorrow is full of hopes and dreams
They seem to be as peaceful as shallow streams
They may be to some, unseen mysteries
Therefore my past must become history

In my tomorrow there will be countless threats
But still I strive to see what’s next
My ambition will not be in vain
In my tomorrow goals will be obtained

It may now seem like a dead end road
My success will be a story to be told
As life is a challenge and time gets short
Enterprise magazines and things of that sort

I fully understand, it’s my future, it’s my pride
Not what others may feel inside
I will be the best if I shall say so myself
I’ma do it even without help

If the hills too high and the waters too deep
I still see no sign of defeat
This is an image of self that I create
Those that don’t believe, sit back and wait

There will be obstacles to override
If I shall pass before then… at least I tried
It may be blurry or dark as charcoal
But I still see the sun in my tomorrow

two feet

by Wilbert, age 18

many people walk into life
two feet echoing from left to right
two feet bearing with it history
of the one who survived simple chaos
two feet that continue one step at a time
but those feet suffering and destruction it combines
two feet that want to get to the end
not caring how many darts it takes
hitting his thoughts
stinging his emotions
ripping his feelings
crushing his goals
but those two feet continue its path
hoping to leave a mark in the past
at last those two feet stand straight
and with pride falls back
into a new walk and a new life
knowing that this war he will continue to fight

One Day

by Wilbert, age 18

I was going down like the rollercoaster
Fast with speed
Now I am misplaced like 4 zeros
on an immigrant’s paycheck
One day I will be on the honor roll of life

© Copyright 2006 Free Minds Book Club and Writing Workshop