Prison Guard Blues

acidic smells and scattered pills

cracked skin and brown stains

shared dwelling and blank bills

peaking flesh and ornamental vains

his only company was inside those walls

jeering, yelling, teething,

snarling, foaming, growling

as he patrolled gridded halls

once-white eyes and joint pain

split-end brushes and painted hills

downward stare and heart of rain

prepared notes and firm-set wills

time was flicked aside by a cracking whip

demanding, controlling, dominating,

catching, ensnaring, trapping

so he obeyed with constrained lips

sheets of dirt and a growing bulge

plates on plates and adult entertainment

longing for change and appetites to indulge

brainwaves of ideas and life’s pressing rents

urges came to pull him from secular hell

calling, luring, appealing,

reaching, moving, levitating

for he was inside the prison yet outside the cell

Reviews

[Cyndy Robinson]

I used to be a prison guard. Not sure this portrays anything a prison guard goes through. Use of words was nice though. Then again am in US. Might be a difference in prison systems.

[stargirl23]

Really? That's interesting. I think in this piece I said that prison guards mostly patrol the prison. Is that right? Also, I wrote a lot in this piece about this one prison guard's home life. Can you look at it again?

[Shimmerbliss/CAF]

This is quite an interesting read. Very descriptive and it has a harnessed feel to it...it feels repressive and caged. The last line is so good, too. I find it interesting that the feel of this seems to continue on and on (not in a bad way) and brings even more to the front the feeling of life just going on and on and on.

[stargirl23]

Thank you so much! The poem actually started out with the last line, interestingly.

[Shimmerbliss/CAF]

It is a great line and I can see how it would have spurred the poem.

[Emily]

I really like at first line!
Keep it up!

[stargirl23]

Thanks a ton!