Scared
By Matthew Feeney
I’m petrified of getting shot
when I get
pulled over
or go to
church
mosque
grade school
parade
synagogue
gay club
protest
hospital
music festival
nail salon
congress
movie festival
grocery store
bowling alley
or even the mall
For once, weirdly enough,
I’m glad I live where I do:
NO GUNS ALLOWED!
even cops can’t carry here
I’m lucky I live in prison
where it’s so much safer.
Bird of Prey
By Matthew Feeney
His paper-thin wings
Flapping & fluttering
News of his presence
Protecting the prison
From sea gulls & Stool pigeons
Cutting waves on invisible currents
Ducking, dodging, & diving
Frozen in flight
Unable to fold his stiff wings
Reading crinkles in the air
Feverishly writing invisible cursive loops
Eternally equidistant
In the deep blue sky
Reliant on the breeze
Bound by an invisible tether
Like me, unable to escape
This paper Kite pretending to be a predator
Authors Note: Inspired by a realistic hawk-shaped kite permanently attached to a pole above our prison
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