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Photo by Stephen Leonardi on Unsplash
Photo by Stephen Leonardi on Unsplash

Burning sun rises,
walls can not incarcerate.
In my heart suns rise.

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.

J.H. is a writer incarcerated in Florida. His high school literature teacher published his first poem in a journal for Seminole County. Nearly 30 years later, Ms. Susanna, an instructor for Exchange for Change's creative writing course, encouraged him to pickup writing again. Now in his 50s, he finds the possibility of realizing his dream to be a writer uplifting. He has asked that his full name be withheld.