The verses in this book shine a spotlight on the darkest journey from the shadows lurking within these prison walls to the faint glimmers of hope and healing. Prison often transforms individuals into the very monster's society perceives them to be. Occasionally, someone manages to evade this pitfall and retains their humanity. Even within these grim confines, there are moments of beauty. If you simply open your eyes and heart, you can glimpse beyond the nightmarish existence that most inmates endure. This book is a voyage through the depths of despair, leading readers to the answers to questions they never dared to ask. Originally, I set out to write a chapter book recounting the events I'd experienced in the penitentiary. My descriptions of these often-horrific events were meticulously detailed, yet oddly devoid of a crucial element-emotion. Yes, there were facts and details aplenty, but each story lacked any emotional resonance. I remained oblivious to this until my wife started reading it. She pointed out that it read more like a newspaper article presenting facts without any emotional involvement in the events. Initially, I couldn't fathom the nearly complete disconnect I had from my own emotions. I had also interspersed poetry between some of the stories. These somber poems brimmed with the emotions missing in my prose. Fear leaped off the pages, the agony of being torn away from a loved one poured forth like wine, and the darkness of solitude nearly snuffed out the room's light. Then came the most unexpected revelation of all-within those verses, I discovered hope. Something I had lost after enduring and witnessing years of fights, stabbings, murders, and rapes. The poetry compelled me to confront the stain prison had imprinted upon my very soul. Through poetry, I unearthed the emotions I had concealed to shield myself. My wish is that you find your own hope and humanity within these verses, just as they aided me in reclaiming my hope and humanity for life. Dean McGinnis, Author

Copyright (c) 2024 by Dean McGinnis. All rights reserved. This publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except for brief quotations used in critical reviews and other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. The names, characters, places, and incidents depicted in this work are the result of the author's interpretation of real events. Any similarities to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental.