From behind walls they write:
Dear Mama, Dear Mom, Dear Momma
I wish I had… if only I had…
I’m sorry you have to ... I promise someday I will…
From tables behind bars
Through censored readers hands
They write: I love you Mama Luv’ you Mom Always love you Momma
Please abounds through
Hard bodies with broken hearts
Chiseled faces with choked back tears
Clenched teeth confessing yearning of the heart
To see the eyes, feel the reassurance Of Mama’s love Of Mom’s forgiveness Of Momma’s reassurance
What about you, with
Freedom under your feet and by your side
How are you heeding Mama’s advice?
How are you expressing Mom’s love?
How are you welcoming Momma’s wisdom?
How are you reflecting Mama, Mom, and Momma?
I have done poetry workshops or performances at several correctional facilities. One visit was through the CA Red Ribbon Week which has substance abuse prevention as a goal. My poems deal more so with transformation. I asked the young men to write a 5 line poem reflecting what they got out of the workshop; more than 25 wrote long poems (15+ lines) expressing feelings of love; regret, desire for
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Life mirrors the months where some days are calm, while others are filled with unexpected bumps, swirls, pinches and squeezes. Having faith, a purpose or asserting vows make it easier, but never prevent us from encounters with life’s potholes, pitfalls or pain. Words have the power to rage against the storm or welcome the rainbow and the return of calmness. Even when you feel most hopeless, an element of faith is to ‘speak those things that are not as if they were.’ I used to be much more volatile, sometimes I still am. However, the faster I shut my mouth, open myself to envisioning ‘peace’, and begin writing, the sooner I feel more peaceful and able to explore what the encounter has to