In human

Prisoners shuffle

Their belly chains swing, cutting

Against straight lines

Linoleum shines

Skin over poured concrete

That supports the bars

Yet another curve:

Above the straight baton

Hangs a guard's belly

"Gotta keep 'em straight!"

He laughs, baton rattling bars

Inmates cringe and wait.

This image came to me with the idea of order imposed on people without mercy, an order force, of inhumanity. So I went for the idea of curves (human) vs. straight lines (manufactured) Why are manufactured things inhuman?

Comments: 10

Kathy W. Aug 26, 2007, 11:15pm EDT

Had a class with a woman once, who was a prison nurse. She had some stories about work. I don't think I could do it. What is it about the human condition that allows us to store people in cages? Good images in your words.

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tammy b. Aug 26, 2007, 11:37pm EDT

very interesting thought, I have visited prisoners and the visitors get treated poorly also. I guess they need to illiminate risk.

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Charlotte Babb Maven-Fairy Godmother Aug 27, 2007, 12:23am EDT

My brother has been incarcertated several times (slow learner--short fuse). One time I vistied him and realized that the people inside were not different from outside, only too slow, inthe wrong place at the wrong time, on drugs, iliterate or any other kind of glitch in their day on the wrong day.

My second husband was an officer in a prison for while, and he had a lot of sympathy for the inmates, few of whom he had known in school or whatever.

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Demongirl A.K.A. Girl Toy Aug 27, 2007, 12:31am EDT

Very interesting writing, I really like it!!

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Charlotte Babb Maven-Fairy Godmother Aug 27, 2007, 12:38am EDT

Thanks, Demongirl.

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Donna Hammett-Tooker Aug 27, 2007, 9:43am EDT

Have you had your brother read this one? Maybe he could add something and you could write his remarks as an article on prison and prison life. Maybe I should "reveal" all of James' prison tales. Who would believe them?

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Charlotte Babb Maven-Fairy Godmother Aug 27, 2007, 9:56am EDT

Karen, It's true that many of the prisoners have committed cirmes, but some didn't or were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Treating people inhumanely is not a way to get them to change--they get worse, and it is not god for the officers either. Think about the torture of prisoners in Afganistan.

I agree that some people need to be locked up or executed, but I think community service would do both the perp, the victim and the community a lot more good.

Donna, I have not shown this to him, but I do have some of his stories. I think we could make some serious money if we combined James, Mark and Bruce into a few thrillers.

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Comments: 10

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