Sarah Allen was awarded Second Place in Poetry in the 2015 Prison Writing Contest.
I hear a song,
such a sad, sad
song, yet beneath
the words there’s
hope. I see tears
of pain, of longing
and regret. I hear
dreams strum on
a guitar. I crave
to look at my life
and retrace the past
which floats before
me like ghost music,
I want to close my
mind to the what
ifs, should haves,
and whys. I want
to glance away and
drop my head in
shame. I don’t want
to hear your honey
dripped voice
reminding me of
what I don’t have.
I want to shake
you off, close my
eyes and forget.
But your music
is insistent, creeping
into the deep
crevices of my mind.
Prying open my eyes
and forcing me to
look. So I do, straight
into the abyss of nevers.
You tease me with
your chant, seduce
me with your blues
make me miss what
I never had.