Pelican Bay State Prison
Where the shortcomings begin
Inside the security housing unit
A situation that’s a no win —
The exercise yard
Is a cement matchbox
Designed for those
From the school of hard knocks —
The human dog kennel
Where even birds don’t fly
Through the screen and canopy
Is a picture to the sky —
It’s the end of the line
At a terrible cost
A checkpoint of sorts
Where life and death cross
A lot of the men
Won’t leave their cell
It’s like a turtle’s armor
They hide in the shell —
Their spirits are broken
Like the snap of an arrow
It’s long since flown away
Swift as a sparrow —
Not much is left now
As this story is told
They’re dying mental death
From all the control —
The state built this bed
For a chosen few to sleep
A cutting-edge hell
Flames licking at your feet