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Woman standing in doorway
Photo by gremlin on iStock

watch
the bricks
turn into
your desires
the grooves transform
run your fingers across them
imagine a different life, they tell you
nothing you want to hear
captive soul
left to
watch

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.