Clad in Orange: A Poem About Jail

[charlotteroze]

A poem I wrote while I was in jail about my circumstances at that time. I spent 45 days in county jail for a gram of weed. One of the deputies was extremely disrespectful and miserable all the time, so miserable she had to make the rest of us miserable too. Anyways, I hated her and she made me mad enough one day to write about it. They called lunch "feeding time". We were treated like animals. It was twisted and infuriating to say the least, especially since over half of the women in that county jail were in there were good people waiting on Immigration hearings, often for months, even years. Looking back, I had it a lot better than I did in other county jails, but it was still rather frustrating. It sort of felt... nursing home like... maybe mixed with a touch of Zoo? Either way, it was miserable and I wrote this poem mad as fuck about it.

Ill-informed, you're all the same
Clad in orange, we're all insane
An ironed badge, for years you train
because the insane can't show restraint

You feed us things we cannot name
Criminals. we're all the same
To you, we're like the dregs of scum
the prisons couldn't save you from

Soulless beings dressed in orange
but the evil lives in uniforms
when conversation's all we seek
the worst in us is all you see;
manipulation's all we speak
and laughter is your enemy

You tell me that I'll never be
the person I have always dreamed
Convince me that, then set me free
and what you see is all I'll be

Expect me to obey the law
I'll laugh and cross each line you draw
I'm not the devil's earthly help
I'm not under a demon's spell

Miss holier-than-thou
forever raising brows
Soon you'll see inside the cell
your judgements doom you straight to hell

Comments

[monchhichi23]

Very powerful! I've looked back on some of your other posts, and I love your poems, I can relate to a lot of what you wrote. My writing helps me deal with just about everything. I see that in you as well. Thanks for sharing this part of yourself.

[charlotteroze]

Thank you so much!(: it means alot. Writing is magic in that way (: those of us who are lucky enough to find piece in pen and paper have a pretty decent advantage on the rest of the population if you ask me ;p plus, even when we die, we'll go on forever through our writing. Leaving pieces of ourselves behind as we go. I followed you and look forward to reading all your future peices <3

[monchhichi23]

You are absolutely right! and thank you, you've gained a follower as well... Happy writing!!

[hartfloe]

Amazing. Love to see anger chanelled into poetry... it's always powerful!

It's such a stupid, insane, backwards system - putting someone in a f*cking PRISON for having 1 GRAM of a natural plant in their pocket.... it's ridiculous!

Thanks for sharing this and I am glad that day you were able to channel the way you were feeling into this piece - what a great way to release!

With Love
Hart Floe Poet
♥

[charlotteroze]

Thank you so much! It means a lot (:
Angry poetry is definitely one of the best. Same with misery, but misery gets old I suppose. The highest of emotions will always create the greatest poems. (:

I could not agree more, and it's so hard to be free from the system once you're in it. I don't think I know a single one of my peers who hasn't been on probation at some point before they were even 21, most often for weed or paraphernalia. It's practically a norm. Hopefully they'll legalize it throughout the entire state sooner than later so these kids don't have to walk into adulthood with thousands of dollars in fines and fees for smoking a little weed. Until then, I'll remain a patient. I've got a new appreciation for freedom; or maybe they finally broke me. haha

Thank you again for taking the time to read and comment<3