Purgatory Poem by Ray X. Johnson

(To too many people I know doing Life in prison)

Prison is a place
between the living & the dead
like those old religious tales of purgatory
where everything is referred to in past-tense
& has been; even ones stranded existence...
letters are often someone's thoughts (4 days ago)
that may have changed drastically within
the process of post office & mailman...
as daily news remains weekly news
& sometimes yearly news (if one ain't up on it)
like 'whats up with aunt maggie? '
'...oh, she died about a year ago from cancer,
I thought we told you about that...' or
'... remember little kee-kee, tee-tee's daughter?
lord, that girl got like 4 children now...'
damn! how many years have past?
who knows in this place
between the living and the dead
where those religious tales of purgatory
come to life & one can only hope
& pray that their calculated efforts
(while here) have some how paid the price
which will grant them a govenor's pardon
or the parole boards ardent decision
to free a life from this dreaded place
between the living & the dead...
purgatory.

- Ray X. Johnson