“VISITATION”

Hoping to see your loved one
Longingly you watch that door
Hoping they’ve brought you something special
To keep the prison dogs from beating you to the floor

What would you do the moment you saw them?
You’ve built up dreams… expectations
Likely you’d grab them tightly
After some initial split second hesitation.

What would you do when you saw them?
Likely sweep them off their feet
Expressing all your feelings of anticipation
Of that very first lock-up meet.

The doors open admitting a stream of unfamiliar faces
But it’s not your kin
It’s not your sweetheart or mother
Who comes waltzing in.

As you sit and wait
Thinking of all the things you want to say
You hope that their feelings for you
In their own personal suffering, haven’t faded away

Perhaps by admission it was your fault
What ever you did to end up in here
Don’t say you weren’t properly represented
And the courts were not just or fair.

But the moment you’ll see your family
When inside these walls you tried to be strong
But when you see them you crumble
All your words coming out wrong.

You’ll hug them close,
You’ll hold them tight
You’ll regret the act that put you here
You’ll tell them you wish you could put it right.

You wait patiently by yourself
You sit at that table all alone
Wondering if you should have paid the price
To get that illegal mobile phone.

You wouldn’t be here sitting agitatedly
Wondering what the hell’s taking them so long?
Seconds turn to minutes, other visitors pack up to leave
Remaining unvisited prisoners, left with their own silent parting grief.

A sinking feeling grabs hold inside you
When you hear all the prison wardens yell
“Time’s up! You’ve no visitors this month
Time to go back to your one room cell.”

© 21st July 2008 – 22:54pm Written by Angela Edgar
All Rights Reserved. Unauthorised Reproduction Prohibited.

“LOCK UP LIKE ME”

The clink of bars behind you
Signals you are no longer free
In order to survive
You’ll need to protect you and your ‘inside me’
You’ll have to harden up
You’ll have to get tough
But don’t become a suicide statistic
Don’t become one who gave up because they had enough
As chains snap tight around your waist
Shackles and clips hold your hands and legs tight
Whilst you’re sped through prison halls in haste
Green and grey walls greet you
Your new home for life
A paedo or robber, a new partner to share your time
Get used to your roomie
If you don’t like it, don’t do the crime
To get lock up like me.

©29th May 2008 - 18:19pm Written By Angela Edgar
All Rights Reserved. Unauthorised Reproduction Prohibited