Tough Love
Michael Nash
First place, poetry, Heard/Arlington County Detention Facility/OAR writing contest, August 2021
Zombie
Merry Toth, Friends of Guest House, June 14, 2021
My Journey Began
My journey began as a loved child
Spoiled and disciplined
Then when I became the age of choosing,
I chose the wrong path.
The path I chose was fun.
There was a boat ahead
And when I got in that boat,
I wasn’t given any oars.
One day I knew
One day after drifting,
That time had gotten away from me
And I looked into the water
And realized I was becoming an old woman.
I knew that I had let life get away from me.
I looked to the land and saw my family.
While I was drifting down the rocky stream
Filled with darkness and struggle,
They had light and laughter I could hear.
I had missed so much.
I yelled for help.
Someone came and got me.
But when I was thrown a rope
I had consequences to pay.
Determined to save the only life I could
The consequences I had to pay
For the life I had no direction
But darkness had its consequences
Waiting at the shore.
Put in a cell where I could reflect
On the life I did not have and the things I had done
While drifting in the dark with no oars.
A demon had attached itself to me,
And directed my life and had chains on me,
but invisible they were,
but there all the same.
This time in a cell gave me time to think
About what to do now.
A new life awaited me.
Was I going to get back in that boat
And put the chains back on, or
Choose a new path?
A path full of life,
No longer being controlled by the demon that was my closest companion,
but my worst enemy who only wanted my soul.
Today, I have chosen life.
The years in the boat adrift I learned many lessons.
I am able to be a strong woman.
I have chosen God to direct my life.
No more chains, but
Freedom at last.
Dark Valleys to Bright Paths
Nicole Prince, Friends of Guest House, June 14, 2021
My journey began when I was young & new.
I was gullible & He knew.
He took me through ups and downs
good times & bad.
In the beginning it was fun & a lot of laughs.
We went everywhere together
I had his back & He had mine.
One day I knew it was too good to be true.
My journey was taking me on lefts
when I was supposed to go right
& rights when I was supposed to go left.
The sunshine & rainbows were fading away
along w/the good times & laughs.
This journey had me isolated but it was too late
I had already started on this road & had to see
which way would bring me home.
Determined to save the only life I could save
I knew I had to take the wheel again
& control where I was going
because my journey had gotten out of control
& I was lost,
just floating along in blindness
& I knew I had to get my life
back on track
& to do that I had to bring this journey to an end
so I could start a new one.
Today I am on a different journey
& I am focused and in tune with how I am
& with what I want
& I know I have to stay in control
& stick to the right path
so this journey doesn’t take me
down the dark valley which I knew all too well
& never want to see again.
From here on we are on a bright path of the journey.
Called “my life.”
New Beginnings
Tory R., Friends of Guest House, June 9, 2021
While I hate confined spaces
I love being outdoors
Music is my safe place
Silence is my killer
Being bored agonizes me
The feeling of loneliness fades
As love invades my life
New beginnings
Peak over the horizon
Sobriety has overtaken me
And darkness finally shatters
Hope overwhelms me for the first time
Failure is not an option now.
I Am One
Friends of Guest House, June 8, 2021
I am one
Which became three
And now I am whole.
Nicole Prince
I am one
Who has the intensity
To love everlasting
Tory R.
I am one who
feels the universe’s energy.
Never forget where we came from.
Katie K.
I am one who
fears nothing for fear is
false evidence against reality.
Erynn M.
Psychosomatic
Psychosomatic
by Keith Parker II
Heard/Arlington County Detention Center/OAR writing contest, August 2020
In a place were everything moving at the speed of sound and light, a place were it’s even crazier at night, a place were im stuck between wrong and right at a fork in the road were there telling me go left but I wanna go right.
A place were it’s never silince were it’s hard to find balance. A place were they need more science. A place were thoughts of voilence and were suicidal thoughts are making more progress. A place were yar fighting demons and yar own (self).
Yet I still dont know who’s won a place were im not at bat and it’s not safe to bet. A place were the devil congregate. A place were a docter cant operate a place were i been stuck since a teenager from my parents mistakes and all life has put on my plate. It’s not too late, still can be saved but no one knows who I am let alone brave enough to brake into this place.
This is my cry for help from a psychotic brake down! If you havn’t figured who I am by now I’ll call my self the brain from distorted eyes i’v seen me raped mentally by society from drugs I let him put inside of me. People I let get the best of me and things I wont let go from inside from me! But no one knows this side of me physicaly im healthy mentally unhealthy unstable maybe I shared to much.
Im finally able to say im scared fer once but nobody’s here to help us. What happens when being tough dosn’t work anymore. Will they call us weak all because I was afraid to speak im fighting a disorder by poker and multple personaltys and it’s killing me softly as you read (signed the Brain)
My name is Keith Alan Parker II. I wrote this non fiction poem on May 18 2020. The month of mentell health awerness! We all suffer from some type of mentell unhealthyness but some manage it different. I say this to say we should all pay close attention to people crys for help family friends and even inmates thank you for listning to my poem!
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