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Photo illustration by Teresa Tauchi

“Go eat!”
grey meat
not cooked
just thawed
everythings a patty
processed by a Patti
in a facility
owned by
Access Corrections.

Access Corruption
as u feast on
1 milk a meal
less they ‘bout 2 spoil
then it’s “Please take 2”
sometimes. Love is rotten.
Speakin’ of tomatoes
used as fillers
spaghetti, mostaccioli, sloppy joes,
salad, stews, soups, casseroles
‘cause soup bleeds water
but it bleeds volume
2 wash down
salty sugar cookies
choked on coughs.

“Sit here” / “roll in the table!”
Nicknames screamed over
chunky mashed potatoes
cold cheese pizza
red dye #9 sherbert
(is that even ice cream?)
besides dented fruit
somebody a victim of DV
sloppin’ black eyed peas on my napkin
hot enuff 2 melt frozen butter
on toast that cuts ur mouth
while u don’t need an abacus 2 count
how many cheerios ur “lunchable”
holds,
as we served
handfuls.

What’s 4 peaches/sliced
2 a grown man’s stomach?
times R hard.
Find calories in sugar.
Double desserts
not 2 grown 2 fight
over cookies ‘n’ milk.
Inner child’s resurrected
innocent non-sinners
stuffin’ faces
yuck!

When’s dinner?

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.

Antoine Murphy is a writer formerly incarcerated in Wisconsin. He was released in April 2021 and hopes to live a fulfilling life as a minister, father, husband, writer, business owner and designer.