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Photo by Reign Abarintos on Unsplash

The darkest nights shine with the brightest stars
Like the hardest stones strike the hottest sparks
Just as every heart bears some kind of scar
Hurt by closed minds that can’t see very far
But I refuse to be defined by these prison bars
I refuse to hide these beautiful scars
I choose to open my mind and open my heart
I choose to write a new chapter
Today’s when I start

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.

Ezra Williams is a writer incarcerated in California.