Concrete. A poem.

Here I am, brought to heel
by poor choices and destiny,
to learn a well-earned lesson
of respect and humility.
Here behind this concrete veil,
my hope is born anew.
All thin facade and curtain call,
a life sentence, all askew.

Surrounded by the worst of souls,
(of which I am one, you see).
My brothers are the least likely relatives
I would ever want or need.
Their remorse is not equivalent
to the guilt and shame I feel.
Their self-motivation is not equal
to the self-hatred that’s in me.

True mercy is a learned response,
a cognitive form of truth, indeed.
Here I will languish long and hard,
face the judgement of my peers.
Here I will walk, work, rejoice,
for here my God will show me
the grace and everlasting spirit
that I truly need to see.

My first book of poetry, The All or the Nothing, is available now as an e-book from most online distributors. To find out more, click here.