And If I 'said' Poem by James McLain

and if i 'said'
in my short life
i had served prison sentences
totaling.
the first: three years.
the second:
three years to run consecutive to two
apart from two for seven.
the third: a normal seven.
the forth: life+life+thirty and all consecutive
fifty being mandatory.
ten years of probation.
two years with an ankle monitor on,
taken off eight hours early.
Remember me, Miss Lawson.
i do not remember much of the things
that you do.
being poorly kept.
would you be properly terrified of me, now.
i did not think so.
oh' well.
i wonder what high school would have been like
or Jr.high before.
i used to wonder if stars were even real or not.
i can not proffer too such as that, as if it's real,
wherein an allocation to some of that knowing not
i never made,
i never knew and walking lines made of glass
just brings me back too hear.
and grief is born of freedom that's not yours,
mine i never gave away
and innocent your rights to some you know, i was.
i nearly forgot, i can not vote.
i have no rights,
if i do it's back too prison for five years.