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A chain loops three times around a Black man's hands
Photo by Eyasu Etsub on Unsplash

O yes indeed
How brave of me
I chose a life of slavery
What my ancestors railed against
I walked into so brazenly
I gave up my freedom
Without hesitation
Balked at the rules
As I spit in their faces
I took my liberty for granted
And had it rescinded
Wound up bound in chains
Like those from whom I am descended
I thought that picking up a gun
Made me big, made me brave
Now looking back on it
All it made me was a slave

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.

Davon Blackstone is a poet and writer incarcerated in California.