Saturday, September 28, 2024

When the last x is crossed march 23, 2014


does she keep a calendar

 in her room above her bed

where she marks each day

 of her 6-week sentence

 with a big red x

trying to ignore the parade of inmates

who envy those few precious crumbs

she has and they want

the hard day in and day out conflict

 of people always hungry

for more than they have

all imprisoned together

 each setting off a time bomb

in each other's heads

an imitation of a world

they will have to return to

 at some point where they

 will all have to deal with

more than hunger for crumbs

 does she count out each day

 hoping that in the end

it does not lead to

an imaginary hangman's noose

 but to some measure of control

 she and others could not find

 when struggling alone

in a world so stacked with temptation

how does she cope

or hope to

 when she gets better

is she really prepared for what comes

after the last x is crossed

 


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