Posted inPoetry

Speck of Sand

by Matthew Feeney July 25, 2022July 23, 2022

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Speck of Sand

by Matthew Feeney, Prison Journalism Project
July 25, 2022

<h1>Speck of Sand</h1>
<p class="byline">by Matthew Feeney, Prison Journalism Project <br />July 25, 2022</p>
 
<p>I am a single miniscule grain of<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;sand<br />dying of thirst in a desert of nearly 2 million other insignificant<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;specks</p>
<p>Entire beaches of silica swallowed<br />whole by America’s incarceration monstrosity called<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Prison<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Reformatory<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jail<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Secure Detention Facility<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Penitentiary<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;House of Corrections<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<em>Land of the Lost</em></p>
<p>The infinite granite walls a hard<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Shell<br />clamping down, locking us in</p>
<p>We see behind the concrete curtain<br />watching in horror as<br />the great and terrible<br />administrative wizards wind &amp; grind<br />the inner machinations of the<br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;System<br />spineless, heartless, cold-blooded as an<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Oyster</p>
<p>My burden: to try to fix the broken by<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;writing<br />grievances, kites, letters,<br />fiction, appeals, essays and<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Poems<br />(like this one)</p>
<p>I’m only one speck of sand<br />creating a little friction<br />a minor irritation to the Goliath leviathan</p>
<p>But maybe someday I’ll be a<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pearl.</p>


 <p>This <a target="_blank" href="https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2022/07/25/fixing-broken-inside-minnesota-prison/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://prisonjournalismproject.org">Prison Journalism Project</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src="https://i0.wp.com/prisonjournalismproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/cropped-PJP-favicon-2.png?fit=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;"><img id="republication-tracker-tool-source" src="https://prisonjournalismproject.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=19522" style="width:1px;height:1px;"></p>

An empty oyster half shell sits on a beach with the ocean in the background — Photo by xiaokang Zhang on Unsplash

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I am a single miniscule grain of
sand
dying of thirst in a desert of nearly 2 million other insignificant
specks

Entire beaches of silica swallowed
whole by America’s incarceration monstrosity called
         Prison
         Reformatory
         Jail
         Secure Detention Facility
         Penitentiary
         House of Corrections
         Land of the Lost

The infinite granite walls a hard
Shell
clamping down, locking us in

We see behind the concrete curtain
watching in horror as
the great and terrible
administrative wizards wind & grind
the inner machinations of the
System
spineless, heartless, cold-blooded as an
Oyster

My burden: to try to fix the broken by
writing
grievances, kites, letters,
fiction, appeals, essays and
Poems
(like this one)

I’m only one speck of sand
creating a little friction
a minor irritation to the Goliath leviathan

But maybe someday I’ll be a
Pearl.

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Matthew Feeney

Matthew Feeney is a writer and poet who has won awards from PEN America and the League of Minnesota Poets. Feeney's writing has appeared in journals and anthologies, including The Analog Sea Review, The Pinyon Review, and Evening Street Review. Three of his poems were performed live at the 2019 World Voices Festival in New York City. Feeney is incarcerated in Minnesota.

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