Inmates Explore Creativity through Writing Contest Organized by Heard

September 8, 2022: Our thanks to the City of Alexandria Sheriff’s Department for this coverage of our writing contest with the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center. So many people worked so hard to make this contest a success, and we extend a special shoutout to our judges: Mary Wadland, publisher of The Zebra, historian, genealogist and author Char McCargo Bah, and Zeina Azzam, Alexandria’s poet laureate.

And an even bigger shoutout to Sheriff Sean Casey and the detention center team! We are so grateful for their support and the hours of logistics that a virtual awards ceremony takes. That said, let’s hope that next year our awards ceremony can be in person again! You can read the entire article here.

Correct

Correct

by Christ Joshua M. Fletcher

Poetry, Arlington County Detention Facility/Heard/OAR writing contest, August 2022

 

Correct does it need to be corrected

Correctly has no matter being correction

When a newborn entered its life healthy it’s correct.

As its life have see’s other live’s doing or has done wrong & not applied to it is corrected.

Being aware of the unwealthy & still live correctly does not have time nor space

being within correction.

As thee matter which means subject, object, or person taking up space needs to be corrected.

Correctly when & or as not applied an person of correction will address you correct.

Well no-thing’s nothing will appear & as nobody even no one shall arrive to have you corrected.

Even each entire Dept. sheriff correction officer will be corrected.

Head of chain of command leads correctly

by male man made laws correct, confirm, complete, correction, corrected,

CORRECTLY!?…

Poem from the <3 Heart by myself - Balance of Life

by Thomas Carlos Felder, Jr.

Poetry, Arlington County Detention Facility/Heard/OAR writing contest, August 2022

 

They see balance and they want to challenge or damage.

Thy heart <3 wants thy mind can’t percieve,

Bring in this state of pandemic a lot

of people run off envy and greed.

Our children look up to us

To balance their lives,

but from sitting in a 4×6 cell,

They can’t see how much we cry.

A true balance of life metaphoricly speaking

sometimes our heart <3 will die within.

We all miss our kin

Sometimes we have to tell our children,

beautiful lies to keep them happy inside.

Once is all it takes to upsetting thier normal lives,

That’s why it’s a must to have balance of life! 😊

 

 

 

Brothers

by Hassen Hassen

Poetry, Arlington County Detention Facility/Heard/OAR writing contest, August 2022

 

How can we protect our goals;

When we are not being keepers of each other souls?

Obsessed with our past;

too blind to see our present.

Too caught up in current trash;

To understand our future’s present.

In a tureen; lost in a sea of oblivion;

looking for away out; out this morass material.

Reaching for a hand; to pull us up.

Event a rope or a ladder might make us jump.

Shedding tears of joy; and smiles of sorrow;

painfully hoping and happily despiring.

With pain so deep, like the marrow’s in our bones;

And comradery so fake, like a cartoon’s souls.

We both hungry for just a little refuge;

But, all we feed each other is plates of subterfuge.

Brainwashed to inure less;

When we are supposed to be our best.

How do we protect our goals;

When we are not keepers of each other souls?

So, place me deep, where you look within;

abyssed in your soul when you need a friend.

Place it dearly next to your heart,

But never negated when we are apart.

And even thought we have different mothers;

That doesn’t mean we can’t be prison brothers.

Dom_Free/Free_Dom King-Dom/Dom/King

by Christ Joshua M. Fletcher

Poetry, Arlington County Detention Facility/Heard/OAR writing contest, August 2022

 

11-B

Mental Health Lied

D. H. S

Evil igh atan

Q Asked have she called my family? Hel-Nawh Requested to communicate/

Lack of honesty contact.

Time frame is lest then #5-10 mins.

They’re response is always’s:

OK-, Alright; Yeah; or nobodie answered;

Lies!

I will try still lying! ORE ye know!

Never a correct complete answer!

Right: Some-thing (Left) wrong w/that answer

bcuz (No-thing’s) nothing is

OK, or right, or alright (which is changing

the chain of correct verbal communiteation

left wrong!….