(dedicated to all those fighting for a life after incarceration)
enough about that
pretty arch in the sodden sky
i’ve seen plenty and ain’t none
of them ever brought me a
pot of gold, a lick of good fortune
talk to me about getting
out of them jail beige and blues,
orange prison jumpsuits,
no more red flashing lights
in the rear view behind me,
talk to me about the
yellow-gold key in my hand for
the first apartment signed in my name
and the wobbly, curb-rescued dining table
decked with purple lilacs in a plastic cup
next to the plate of red beans
and rice, dinner I bought
with the green I made with
that second shift factory job.
when you ain’t seen that baby blue
sky for years, one day of freedom
can take on a trick of the light
any day
enough about that
pretty arch in the sodden sky
i’ve seen plenty and ain’t none
of them ever brought me a
pot of gold, a lick of good fortune
talk to me about getting
out of them jail beige and blues,
orange prison jumpsuits,
no more red flashing lights
in the rear view behind me,
talk to me about the
yellow-gold key in my hand for
the first apartment signed in my name
and the wobbly, curb-rescued dining table
decked with purple lilacs in a plastic cup
next to the plate of red beans
and rice, dinner I bought
with the green I made with
that second shift factory job.
when you ain’t seen that baby blue
sky for years, one day of freedom
can take on a trick of the light
any day
Rene Simon is a 48-year-old queer artist and writer of African-, Native-, and European-American descent. She has been writing poetry since teenage angst first hit at age eleven, but sincerely hopes it has improved with age. She loves the capacity of words, from the hunt for specificity of language to the opportunity to evoke visceral emotion in the reader. In her “free time” she enjoys reading, painting, gardening, baking, and other muggle-ish activities. Her more peculiar passions include clothing with stripes, giraffes, and coffee-flavored caffeine. She has been published in the Terra Preta Review, The Green Light Literary Journal, Anti-Heroin Chic, Blue Literary Journal, and Literary Mama. She is currently living in Madison, WI with her partner, teenage daughter, and four unruly little dogs.