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Photo by Tolu Olarewaju on Unsplash

Until you’ve been arrested,
And spent endless days in jail …
Until you’ve walked a hundred miles,
Without leaving your cell …
Until you’ve lost your family, 
And you’re utterly alone …
Until you’ve tried to seek comfort,
Realizing it was left at home …
Until you’ve faced a judge,
And entered your guilty plea …
Until you’ve heard these words of judgment,
“You are not going free!” …
Until your days turn into months,
And your months turn into years …
Until you’ve lain awake at night,
Shedding endless tears …
Until you’ve lost all hope,
And every dream you’ve ever had …
Until you’ve had to fight to keep your sanity,
In fear that you’d go mad …
Until you’ve gone through all these things,
And lost all human will …
How can you look at me and say,
You know just how I feel?

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.

Xavier Southern is a writer and poet incarcerated in California. He hopes to inspire people to live the life of God and start living in love instead of hate. He loves to write poetry, which is his hobby. He has 84 poems as of right now and hopes to publish them in the near future so he can touch the world with his words.