The clock strikes five
And the morning’s first alarm
Test blares defiantly against the still silence.
For a brief moment of time,
I feel a sense of excitement
As I know a new day has just begun.
That moment is short lived though,
As the alarm dies and reality comes
Crashing down on me once again
From down the tier
I can hear the CO’s keys begin to
Unlock the tray slots to our cells,
Which can only mean one thing:
There will be no program today.
That excitement turns to dread
For I know that the next twenty-four hours
Will be spent wastefully locked down
In my concrete cage.
Still, I try to stay optimistic
By reminding myself the same thing
That I have told myself so many times before,
Maybe tomorrow.