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Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

The clock ticks on —
Tick, tick, tick, tick
And time flies by
Tick, tick, tick, tick.
On and on
The clock ticks on —
And time flies by.
Time flies by
Time marches on
Time waits for no one
Time is elusive
Time flies by.

Time: here today
Gone tomorrow
Now you have it
Now you don’t!
Because time flies by
Time waits for no one.
Behind and inside these walls
All we have is time.
Just doing time
Enduring the perils of incarceration
Just doing time
As time flies by.

Wake me up, my soul
From these shackles of time.
Remind me always that
Procrastination is the thief of time,
And that time waits for no one,
And that time is elusive.
As time flies by
My soul, get me busy
Save me from mental atrophy,
From the vortex of
Emptiness and despair.
Get me enrolled in approved groups
Groups that enhance transformation
Before time runs out on me.

My soul, transform me
Renew my mind
Refine my beliefs and worldview
For they determine my attitude
Which determines my actions
Which form my habits
That shape my character.
Character, the missing link.
I don’t know about you,
But for me,
I’ve found the recipe
For transformation — before
Time runs out on me.

Jesus Christ transforms
And refines
He renews my mind
And the template for this is
The love of God that
By his Spirit dwells in me
And thus propels me to think
And act only as God
Would want me to.
One with God is the majority
And also the victor.
And with God on my side
There’s only victories.

Time is elusive
Time cannot be retrieved
Make good use of time
While you have it.
Get involved, get busy,
Prepare yourself
Don’t just go through the motions
And so deceive yourself.
Be sincere, be transformed.
You can’t fool all the
People all the time.
Avoid recidivism.

Don’t let the past destroy
The future for you today
And ruin the present
So get busy, improve yourself,
Plan your work
And work your plan.
Because if you fail to plan,
Then you plan to fail.
Time flies by,
Time waits for no one.
Procrastination is the thief of time.
So train yourself to be Godly
Be transformed.
Renew your mind
Overhaul your belief system
Give your character a makeover,
Be transformed,
Give back to society,
Make a positive
And plausible imprint,
And make them proud of you.
And have no regrets
For letting you go

And everybody wins.

Disclaimer: The views in this article are those of the author. Prison Journalism Project has verified the writer’s identity and basic facts such as the names of institutions mentioned.

Ewallor Ngaaje is a writer incarcerated in California.