Shackled

My baby, in chains, paraded before me. Not a baby anymore.

By profession I am a registered nurse employed in a maximum security prison.   In my off time I moonlight as the mother  of two dysfunctional teenagers.   They have been marred by life’s cruelty.   In their immaturity they are not equipped to manage the devastation in a productive way.

At work, I am in the presence of murderers and rapists, thieves and liars.  They are free to roam about within the confines of the chain link and razor wire.  Only the very worst of the worst, while under disciplinary conditions, are shackled in my presence. 

My he-child was walked before me in shackles to a court hearing today.  I should be able to say that this is the last thing in the world that I expected to happen.  I can not say that without twisting the truth until it is unrecognizable.   His world is scarred by the turning of this planet on it’s axis.  There is evil in this place we call Earth.   



sanity pleads to change reality
he is young,
and he is shackled
child of mine, what are you doing
know my heart weeps for you
love has failed us
endure this moment
don’t give up
 

Reviews

[Jenny Davis]

Awe, I can only imagine what you feel right now. Well, no, actually, you just explained it to me so eloquently in this write. I think your job is a tough one, but your job as a mother- even tougher.
I thought this was written really well. My prayers to you and your son :)

[Rain]

I am the shackled, the robber, the thief. There is hope. I was the wayward teenager, I made it home. There is hope. Beautifully written piece. Rain..

[Tania Leigh]

I cannot fathom what this moment must have been like for you, and my heart goes out to you.

[Andrea Di Martino]

This must have been a difficult moment for you. "Love has failed us" how sad that this is so often the case.

--andrea.

[BrightEyes]

"there is evil in this place we call Earth"
Indeed there is, seeming to attack the young and innocent among us. I can't imagine your pain...so I won't begin to try. My 14 yr old son has many medical issues....has been beaten down by the cruelness of children towards anyone different...I worry for his future and what it might bring. I am working through read requests right now...so I know I am late reading this...I hope things worked out for your son.

*hugs*

laura :-)

[Chantal-lise Mirman]

I feel your pain! Working as a Parole Agent for 18 years, I was crushed when my second son got involved in some petty crime in HS, even more crushed when he decided to drop out instead of completing a last semester... Even though I'd always known the reasons for his rebellious behavior (being abandoned as an infant by one father, then rejected by a second father years after being adopted), there was not much I could do. Blaming myself for two failed marriages was not useful, and there was no way I could actually be a father to my children, although I was a very good mother.

Believe in "Don't give up!" That son did finally not only get his GED, but then go on to Community College, then get his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Criminal Justice, and is now the Dean of Criminal Justice at Florida Metropolitan University in Clearwater, FL!

Your story is blunt, but well-put. Our prisons are full of dysfunctional prisoners, but so are our daily lives. We don't always see the prisons in which people reside, nor the shackles that bind them. If I've learned anything through my State job, it is that the same emotions, needs and disappointments affect us all. Going through hard times is not as devastating as it feels, and with your steadfast support, I'm sure your son will get past this.

Thanks for sharing your story...

[Emily B]

I'm so sorry. I look up at my children and I can't imagine what it must be like. . . I hope that we can get through those upcoming teenage years with a minimum of tears and bloodshed. You'll be in my thoughts. Eloquent write.

[Pauline Ramsey]

Wow I can only imagine what it's like to watch your child go off to jail in chains. It must be a very hard and trying time for the two of you. Perhaps all will work out to the best in due time.

[TL Boehm]

my heart wrenches from the confines of my chest as I read this. It brings back the prior post of yours that I read....giving it validity...a reason for venom
Sometimes I review, sometimes I can only respond with that mix of knowledge and tears.
this is well written....and so sad.