Poetry by El Presynt

This is Me
By El Presynt

I am a conscious and conscience man, present in this moment of space and time;

I am simply complex; free yet imprisoned; discovered yet lost;

I am a writer by gift, a freethinker by choice, and a living spirit by design;

I am the author of, “My Infinity Mirror: The Selected Writings Of Andre Coe,” and “Life With Out Perspective: A Study Concerning The Immoral Sentencing Practices Plaguing The Commonwealth Of Virginia’s Justice System;”

I am a contributor to, “Unlocked: Art & Experiences From Inside Virginia Prisons” (Vol 2/Winter, 2023 and Vol 3/Spring, 2024);

I am an advocate for prisoners sentenced to Life Without Parole (2nd Chances 4Our 1st Timers©);

I am of basic education (GED, 2003);

I am educated in law (Presynt v. Meadows, 7:23-cv-619/Criminal Justice @Stratford Career Institute [still enrolled]);

I am of rehabilitated definition (Anger Management, Substance Abuse, Victim’s Impact, Distress Tolerance, Dialectical Therapy For Long-Term Incarceration);

I am one of thousands fighting for a second chance;

I am El Presynt, an original King from Brooklyn, New York.

 

The Anomaly of Free Dogs and Caged Birds
By El Presynt

Often I give considerable thought to the different ideas of confinement. Since my own, I’ve always questioned the idea of imprisonment. Is it permissible, in theory, to cage a human being? Are there any examples of incarceration in nature? Perhaps there are, surprisingly enough. The thought led me to a particular animal whose existence is destined to different forms of imprisonment – the domesticated dog. Ironic is it that the dog is, “Man’s best friend…”

Have you ever considered the life of a dog? Ever considered the idea of a dog walking down the street, on it’s own, free? Regardless of its size, age or breed, the notion is as unheard of as it is abnormal to witness so much the animal control will lock the dog up until someone comes to post its bond. The fate of its dog’s life is that of enslavement. From its birth it is subjected to the jurisdiction of its owner, in the confines of a yard or kennel, tied to a leash, and given orders to obey.

Even if you were to let a dog go to be on its own, it wouldn’t survive. It would roam through life aimlessly only to be hit by a car. Hungry, in a state of abandonment and frustration, it would try to hurt someone, only to be euthanized. There are smart dogs out there that behave and perform to the degree in which they have been trained. The fact is that this is not the inherit nature of the dog. Though their existence is of no concern to them, it led me to conclude that something’s in life are not meant to be free.

Being confined, I couldn’t but study confinement. Devoting intense levels of observation to those subjected to captivity, I noticed those who behaved as if they had a dog’s fate. However, I also noticed those who didn’t. Then one morning, as I was looking out of my window, I saw a bird observing its terrain on the gate that assured my confinement. Oddly, I associated the bird with imprisonment and wondered if one could ever truly be, “as free as a bird…?”

Have you ever considered the life of the bird? I can’t help but think, “True Freedom,” when I consider the life of the bird, as the whole entire world is its playground. The imprisonment of a bird is difficult to phantom. Like…a ball of fire trapped within a cube of ice. To me, it is that inconceivable. This occurrence is so unnatural that the bird in confinement never ceases seeking freedom, ever. Its every moment is dedicated to timing its opportunity to fly away.

There are birds out there that are trained to comply with the instructions of man. Falconers are able to domesticate the bird, even house them in coups. The fact is that this is not the inherit nature of the bird, as the bird in a cage in a room of an enclosure only sees the window. And if ever set free, that bird would fly to the other side of the earth and make a home in a tree. Though the nature of their existence is of no concern to them, it just led me to conclude that something’s in life are not meant to be confined.

 

 

By El Presynt

 

 

R.I.P. To Freddie Gray, Jamar Clark, Philando Castile, Abdul Kamal, Amadou Diallo, Oscar Ramirez, Emmett Till, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, Michael Brown Jr., George Floyd and the others murdered by those sworn to serve and protect us. And my condolences to the daughters, the mothers and the wifeys who lost their men so unjustly. Before I let my thoughts travel without filter about the black pandemic, allow me this moment of literary pause for their lost…

 

I appreciate that we’re standing up to these injustices, not only nationally, but globally as well. From India to London to Africa, even in Japan, all you hear and read is, “Black Lives Matter.” I honestly didn’t view it going that far for this long. That’s peace. Pardon my pessimism though Bruh, I’m not all that hopeful about any real change coming about these protests and riots. It’s not plausible. We see the residue of officers killing unarmed black men. Let’s take a moment to understand that this has become a grave concern now because these murders are being caught on camera phones and are then posted on social media platforms for the world to see. It’s devastating to watch that in real time with the ability to rewind the shit. The more and more you view it, the more you feel that impulse to act; to do something, say something. No need to describe the what one experiences after watching the footage of those murders, my point is…this has always been our reality. Word. Do your homework: in 1999, 6 or 7 years after the Rodney King riots, there was a man named Amadou Diallo. He was from Africa, spoke 5 languages and was about to go to college. He was shot 41times by the police because they thought he was a rapist they had been looking for and they alleged that he had reached for a gun when they confronted him. The man was reaching for his wallet to show the police who he was. He didn’t even have a gun on him. They shot him 41 times, went to court and got acquitted. That incident in particular wasn’t caught on camera phone. I don’t even wanna imagine what that would’ve looked like if it were…you would’ve thought after the other incidents caught on camera phone of the cops murdered us, that the protesting and the funds donated to orgs. that supposedly aided against these injustices would’ve made a noticeable change of some kind. But aside from the fact that these officers were being acquitted, if they went to trial at all, the murders just kept happening. And even with all of that said, what about the brutality of the justice system that isn’t caught on the camera phone…? Yeah Bruh, let’s really look at this justice system through a magnifying glass and put things in their proper perspective. This Justice system is composed of the police practice/ investigation stage, the interrogatory/preliminary stage, the trial/sentencing stage and the review/post-conviction stage. Now, what happened to George Floyd and ’em took place at the investigative/police stage. The other stages of the Justice system that I just mentioned, NO CAMERA PHONES ARE ALLOWED! So is it hard to believe that there is a detective, a prosecuting attorney, a public defender, a judge, a correctional officer or a warden who holds the same hatred and malice in their heart towards the black man as those officers did? What about the death sentence or the life sentence placed upon a man who is actually innocent? A man innocent of a rape conviction was freed by biological evidence after 3 1/2 decades…Really? Did it really take 36years to figure that error out?! Or what about that black man named, Jonathan Irons, who was released after 22years for a burglary he didn’t commit. Y’all saw how those detectives, district attorneys and judges carried Jamie Foxx’s character, Walter MacMillan, in that movie, “Just Mercy.” That was based on true events! I’m in the unit right now with a homie who received a numerical life sentence for murder. The only evidence they had against him was the testimony of some guy who made a deal with the D.A. to get his own ass out of hot water. Check this out…did you know that if my public defender doesn’t object to a violation that takes place during trial, I can’t bring the violation up on my appeal? FACTS!

 

Is that all it takes for the justice system to take a black life? Is it really that simple? Obviously. If you can’t understand that, then my lack of optimism has to be felt anytime a white man who is an alleged rapist and fails horribly in the elusiveness of his bigotry can become the president of the United States. One really has to question the structure that makes errors of this magnitude permissibly; how can any of us anticipate change that equates to justice and equality with a system like this? I gotta call a spade a spade, my G, as black people, as a lost people, as a hurt and broken people, we are desperately seeking liberties in structures that has never, nor will never provide them to us. This entire country and every structure derived herein stinks of racism and inequality. And like any other structure built on sand, that is leaning, with cracks in its foundation, as the United States of America reflects, it needs to be destroyed and rebuilt from the ground up with hands that view one as all and all as one, not by the hands of racist whites on the back of blacks. But hey, this movement is the strongest I’ve ever seen or read about, so I truly hope they prove me wrong…”