Today the guards made me bleed again They chained my feet so tight I could barely move I bleed through my socks Last month it was my left ankle Today it was the right When I wash, the soap burns like fire But I have to keep my ankles clean Because I don’t have any alcohol or peroxide Nothing to kill the bacteria or infections And this place is filthy
I can’t remember what it’s like to walk as a human being anymore My cell is so small that I can only take two steps Anytime I’m brought out, however briefly or infrequently I have chains on my hands and feet As well as guards hanging on me Been well over 16 years since I’ve actually walked anywhere Sometimes I still can’t wrap my mind around that
I’m working on my 17th year now There were times when I thought ‘Surely someone’s gonna put a stop to this ‘Surely someone is gonna do something’ But they never do Time just rolls on, it’s insanity
I am truly amazed at what they’ve been allowed to get away with And for how long Ah well, does no good to dwell on it Either I waste my energy by focusing on things I cannot change Or I conserve my energy and apply it to small things I can change That’s what the I Ching calls the taming power of the small