Stealing Time to Write Poems

by Linda Lowe

You’re a criminal now. You gather at yard time with a few other poets, whisper about point of view, narrative, occasionally recite to the rest of the prisoners. You get applause, silence, sometimes it’s clear you’re appreciated, sometimes it’s clear no one knows what you’re talking about. Your parents, who don’t understand why you chose a life of stealing, are disappointed. You were once so cute in your plaid wool jumper and Buster Browns. Now you sleep on a mattress thrown in a corner, eat whatever it is that keeps poets hungry.

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Linda Lowe's stories and poems have appeared in Outlook Springs, Eunoia Review, Misfit Magazine, A Story in 100 Words, and others.