Drama

Seth Ferranti

At six, I suddenly awoke
by the PA spitting, “Open compound.”
rose to wash, get dressed, and brush my teeth
was out the door for my morning smoke
coffee in the chowhall and gravy biscuits too
saw my homeboy and he look perturbed
talked about some drama down on his block
it seemed big Frank got stabbed by some muslims
and my homeboy figured he might be next
asked him if he had a shank or slock
in turn he showed me a ten inch icepick
and told me he was ready to go
why was shit so fucked up in jail I thought
when I saw a group of muslims coming
damn I thought no coffee for me today
as my homeboy strapped up and got ready
said to him I got your back road dawg
what ever come will come I grimly thought
be it violence, death, or insanity
because in the big house you never know
you can be safe one day and dead the next
like they say if it ain’t rough it ain’t right
off the hook in the penitentiary
going hard and taking it to the wall
because you have to fight for what is yours
stripped of humanity nothing but pride
exists in a prisoner’s deprived heart
he would rather resort to violence
then to talk things out like civilized men.

WRITE THE AUTHOR A LETTER:
Seth M. Ferranti 18205-083
Federal Correctional Institute Gilmer
PO Box 6000 Unit B3
Glenville, WV 26351

Seth Ferranti's first book, Prison Stories, is available from http://www.gorillaconvict.com/