What’s to come for Poetry Anthology #22
When I began volunteering here at Prisoner Express, I was asked which project I would like to participate in. After reading the prior editions of the Poetry Anthology, I knew that was what I wanted to contribute to. I loved seeing the self-reflection and vulnerability that is present within poetry. Through this longitudinal experience, I have been able to see the growth that individuals make as writers, but more importantly, as people.
Poetry is private and intimate, and it takes a type of bravery to send in a piece for consideration. I want to give each poem the respect deserves, and I am not disappointed, for each poem is genuine and a work of art. The hardest part is deciding which ones can be selected as we only have limited space within the anthology. Each one of us working on the project has our own method of selecting poems. Personally, I try to keep in mind who the audience of the anthology is, and which poems will resonate the most with others as I try to balance universal and individual experiences.
Here are two poems that we have selected for the upcoming anthology 22, and I hope you enjoy them as we have.
A Letter to Myself
by D. Lovett #29003
If I could make amends, I’d say I’m sorry
I’m the reason why
you’ve been digging a six-foot hole
in the ground, searching
through an endless bottom
I opened a gateway
that laid a foundation of
glass pipes beneath your house
under your mattress
I built the track
for the freight train
to collide with your
fragile unblemished world
I was the bomb
beneath the bridges
your paths to love and peace of mind
slipping through your fingers
the only thing I’d let you grasp
was fear of letting go of me
I opened your eyes
to keep you from dreaming
of keys to open doors
I am the pain masquerading
pleasure
the reason you’re ashamed
Outsider Artist
by Jon Albert Kaspar #1298017
I am a flex pen writer
A spoken word poet
On a vow of silence
All my heroes laid low
No reason to look up
A flower pulls me down
The is becomes a was
For all of us
Perception the only reality
I count my cares on one hand
And I’m thinkin’ about
Biting my fingers off
I carefully protect
The delusions
I’ve constructed
Just to get through the day
I tell myself
I am a poet and a writer
Leave a comment letting us know your thoughts on these poems!
To view our previous anthologies, click here.