Poetry
1 min
My favorites
Inside Out
Matthew Feeney
You'd think being gay
in a private, gated, all-male community
with sweaty men working out
and group showers
would be hot.
But it's not.
Prison locks down our dignity
bars relationships
And strips away decades of Pride.
The arrested development of
Those who declare themselves
"Gay for the Stay
And Straight at the Gate"
Leading to
Clandestine quickies in the men's room
And
Hidden hook-ups in the laundry closet.
Fist bumps are the only authorized
Physical intimacy allowed.
So I fall asleep
Tightly hugging my sweatshirt
Fondly remembering the
magic
electricity
of a friend's fingers furtively and
briefly
brushing
across my shoulders during a card game.
Being Out inside is like being a kid in a candy store
who is totally broke
and toothless
and diabetic.
I can't wait to get Out.
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.
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