Prison Baby Poem by Megan Schreiber

Born in a prison
From the womb of a prisoner
Born with drugs in her system
From her addicted mother
Born as a mistake
The unwanted child
Born to a mother that gave her up for drugs
The white powder more important than flesh and blood
Born to a father that was unknown
Given up by a gang member
Not even loyal to blood
Born sick and frail
From a mother that did too many drugs
Born a nameless infant
Given the names of her possible fathers
Born as a mystery
Not knowing her own race
Born to a woman that couldn't look her in the face
The baby she brought in this world as a mistake
Keeping her a secret from the world
A secret she regretted
Going on living her life
Never speaking of the child she gave up
Living everyday knowing what she should have done
The mistake she made eating her away
Back to the same old thing
White powder on her face
Once again a prisoner of the state
Waiting in the cell until 2017
One day her baby now a woman
Standing on the other side of the glass
Meeting her child for the first time
But shes there for answers
Not expecting anything of the woman
That gave her away
Shes there to find out who she is
Just wanting closure
Not a mother
And as the mother looks her daughter in the face
Shes proud of whats shes become
Being more than she ever was
Born a prison baby
But not born a prisoner of her own DNA