Prison Journalism: Just sit'n HereJeffrey Shockley is a writer serving a life sentence in the State Correctional Institution-Fayette in Pennsylvania.
by Jeffrey Shockley
08-06-2023 15:57
in Prison Journalism
Jeffrey Shockley is a writer serving a life sentence in the State Correctional Institution-Fayette in Pennsylvania. Photo: Pixabay.
Just sit'n here in this prisoner's chair
--
Trying to decide
Where to go from here
With nothing but time
--
To remind
On the mistakes made
The heartaches gave
--
And the friendships they'd fade Past the times we've made
ALSO READ: Prison Journalism: Life in Pollsmoor prison for the first time
The shame of my life
Sending a lady to the grave
Dear Lord
Her soul do save.
A life's time cut short
Because if it ain't life
It ain't long
And again I'm wrong
For not being strong
Long before becoming weak
Now I sit in this seat . Doing LIF & E
ALSO READ: Beloved geese die after being fed prescription pills
Listening as those around
Speak as if their yesterday Never happened
Grappling in a past
For an identity trashed
At the cost of
Family separation
Crack-head generation
Street-life penetration ..
Crying Who's messed
ALSO READ: Prison journalism: The feelings I hold for Nelson Mandela
What will it take
To make it through To get me to
Out there with
you up now?
Short of a breakthrough?
ALSO READ: Prison journalism: Like Yesterday
A kind that'll make others see Through
all the junk I used to be
To fill the emptiness inside of me
ALSO READ: Prison life: The daily routine of an inmate at Pollsmoor
Meanwhile,
I'm still just sit'n here
In this prisoner's chair Trying to decide
When will I get up from here? Trying constantly not Live in despair
ALSO READ: Prison journalism: Time never defined
Nothing to fear
Ideas out there
That can help steer
In the right direction
ALSO READ: Prison Journalism: What panties will I wear when I get out?
I dare not fear
That I could be here
When the morrow is not promised
So today I live
For the one that can't
The article was facilitated by Erin Parish from the Human Kindness Foundation (HKF).
The Human Kindness Foundation's mission is to encourage more kindness in the world beginning with people in our prisons and jails.
HKF has published several books including: We're All Doing Time, Lineage and Other Stories, Deep and Simple, and Just Another Spiritual Book and provide these books for free to people currently serving time in prisons or jails.
Do you have contact with a prison inmate who would like to write for The South African website?
If so, send an email to info@thesouthafrican.com or a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211
You can also follow @TheSAnews on Twitter and The South African on Facebook to get the latest prisoner journalism articles.
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Prison Journalism: Just sit'n HereJeffrey Shockley is a writer serving a life sentence in the State Correctional Institution-Fayette in Pennsylvania.
