Poetry
1 min
Barred Relationships
Matthew Feeney
Every day we start over
always new
cellies, new block-mates or new guards.
Alliances forged and fractured
over the course of a single card game.
"No Loitering" signs posted everywhere
make all passing conversations superficial and suspect.
I learn more ‘bout how a man is doin
by ear hustlin' on his phone calls home.
I have literally mailed a letter through the US Post Office
just to communicate with a buddy who lives 100 feet away.
Relationships with outside friends and family
diluted and filtered
by phone time limits, mail inspections and closely supervised visits.
Ironic that the people most needing
a connection
are the least likely to get it.
Boundaries and Bridges is a collection by incarcerated and unconfined writers from across the U.S. that explores connection and disconnection related to the justice system. This collection is supported by The Learning Inside Out Network (LION), an Alaska-based grassroots group that increases access to quality participation in artistic exchanges for people inside and out of the carceral system.
We love sharing Short Stories
Select a Story Collection