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Death Row - The Open College of the Arts

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Death Row

Having received her results in July, OCA student Catherine Foster has completed her final creative writing module and achieved her degree. Below she shares a piece of writing with us.
“I chose to write a poetry pamphlet entitled,’There are Some Casualties…’
For about fourteen years I’ve been writing to a prisoner on Death Row in the USA. I belong to an organisation that puts you in touch and monitors the penpals. Last year I met Joe from Ohio(not my penpal) and this poem is his story.  He inspired me to never give up.”

#465871 Death Row                                                        

Dante knew nothing. Hell

is a cell six foot by nine, flicking

roaches off chow, family fading

to sepia brown, ghosts in the corner

of an eye.

                    It is execution day,

when the clang of each man

banging on his bars goes on and on 

until six o’clock…

Every day was January. For twenty-two

years I ached and then some. Innocent, I yelled…

until their sentence slithered off the page

to dust. Dark was blown. I teetered

across their cardboard bridge, beached

but frozen – out on the other side.

Next day new dressed, no crisp white shirt,

those were for court days, fumbling

with the unfamiliar – belts, buckles, zips.

No longer shackled – shuffling penguin steps

– orange jumpsuit a second skin.

That evening I stalk stars, one after another

like they’re going out of fashion,

sleep pressed hard to the floor,

soft beds don’t mould my death row angles.

Now I’ve my own ‘New World Symphony.’

Shriek of steak knife on a china plate,

guggle of beer with half burst bubbles,

thunk of an apple tumbled from its tree.

I’ve hollered goodbye to the goddam stink

of piss and dribbles of stale semen.

By night I smuggle my nose into sweet jasmine.

By day I subpoena damask roses.

I suppose I’ll always be

half Joe/half  #465871

 
chow: prison food
‘roaches: cockroaches


Posted by author: Joanne

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