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Photo by Stacey Gabrielle Koenitz Rozells on Unsplash

I look through the porous window,
No, not the grey misted silver
Cut deep into the cemented wall,
But through the protruding oriel
Veneered in my mind. 
I see brilliant landscapes
Swaying in shades of freedom.

I see concrete hills littered with scandent buildings,
Large and small,
Colorful spectrums from amber to zaffer,
Lush with all kinds of people.
I see lovers holding hands,
Touching, caressing, kissing, united in heart’s desire, 
Together as one, an eternal duo. 
These precious moments gripped in time, 
Shimmering in shades of freedom.

I see asphalt valleys lined in shops, 
Bustling offices splashed red with brick;
Duplex granite fleeced in raven dark.
A sinuous network of commerce and art,
United in purpose, diverse as the zephyr winds;
Resplendent hues in vivid display,
Exposing the charity of life, 
Scenery in shades of freedom.

These once-vibrant memories: 
All of us playing at the park, 
My sons splashing in the river, 
Me hanging out at home with friends. 
Fragments of a hopeful past, 
Now faded into oblivions grasp, 
Shadows in shades of freedom.

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.

Travis Britt is a poet who has been writing since he was a teenager. A devout Christian, Britt is enrolled in a master’s program for pastoral ministry and theology at International Christian College and Seminary. He is incarcerated in California.