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All I want is normal. 
A normal day, normal dream. 
An average night, a simple thought.

I don’t ask for much.
An average day. 
An average problem. 

I want to be like everyone else. 
Take away the things that make me unique. 
Take away the things that make me me. 

Tell you what, for one day, someone please tell me. 
What is it to be normal? 
Just one taste, one day.

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.

Jesse Manzo is a Mexican American writer incarcerated in California.