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A clear sphere displays a burnt red sunset over the horizon upside down.
Photo by Mathilda Khoo on Unsplash

(Read all the way to the bottom.)

Where I am defines who I am
I could never believe
I am changing
I am a prisoner forever
Don’t tell me
At the end of the day
I will make it
Because I won’t
Look me in the eye
See my true colors
I am broken
Do you think I’ll fail?

(Now read from the bottom line up, perception is everything.)

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.

Heather C. Jarvis is a writer incarcerated in Ohio. A winner of the PEN America annual prison writing contest, her work has appeared in the Iowa Review PWP, The Crime Report and The Journal of Woman and Criminal Justice.