Something calls me back here,
From the cell,down the tier
The last step,
Under the stair like one of those
Gathered around a spoon
Poking their arms in vain.
I’ve wasted time not too soon
Pacing around the day room,
Programing until I’m insane.

The shadow of the past
(Like barbed wire crowning
The gates I’ve made as if in some karmic way,
Long ago some Self incurred this)
Makes me want to draw up the moment
Pierce the universe vein
And shoot it strait to the heart of the problem until
The euphoric edge of consciousness dawns on the day
As the world rolls its eyes back into its thoughtless head
And time ends,
And everything is black.

The sun rises over the tower
Casting its warm wash on the yard,
Glimmers off parked cars.
Encircling the track around the field,
Walking around in circles
Like atoms stuck in their orbit,
I’ve soon enough made it back
Outside of this cycle,
To soon let it fall like sand from my hands
And watch a crab scuttle back into the water-
Until I change my mind and eat it for dinner.

Jakob Helleis
DOC #AA-1134