Songs from a Free Space*

Astrology Hype

Carole Ramer

While in prison six months
my horoscope predicted:

“Travel to exciting places.
New career opportunities.
Romance and adventure:”

So far—I've traveled from jail
to Manhattan Supreme Court.

My pay scale has increased from 10 to 25¢ per hour.

Numerous other inmates have made
overtly sexual advances to me
in vacant stairwells.

Honey,
that’s not my idea of a rising sign.

Alone
Deborah Hiller

She who walks alone and dreams
will remain lonely.

She who sleeps with her pillow
only dreams of her pillow as partner.

But she who sits in her cell,
and writes
will master this world.

Ten Ways of Looking at Prison Lunch
Gloria Jensen

(With apologies to Wallace Stevens)

1.  With both hands over your eyes, releasing
one hand slowly to peep.

2. Through the eyes of a friend you have by
the hand —who reads braille.

3. In the bing [solitarvl where you can refuse

to have the thing brought in at all and just lie
there and sleep.

4. From across the steam line, where people
marvel at your petite body (if only they knew

it's not by choice you prefer to remain frail and
cautious).

5. From a prison visitor’s point of view —when
suddenly, miraculously, all one sees is steak,
greens and potatoes.

6. From your window late at night as you
watch one man run with a rake, followed by
another with a sack, followed by a corrections
officer, followed by a ruckus you’ve not seen
but heard —then all three returning, dragging

a heavy sack.

7. Witnessing something come ashore in the
bay and thinking: my, but it gave up a great
fight.

8. Wondering why they have signs saying DO
NOT PEE ON THE GRASS. Then seeing the
kitchen girls go out, mow it down and bringitin.
9. “Good Friday” —when all the world’s
generous and the relief truck pulls up to the
kitchen door to drop off loads of potatoes they
couldn’t unload anywhere else.

10. Seeing more clearly the lunch of steak,
greens and potatoes —as you attack the steak
first and realize the fight you witnessed (#6) is
not yet over, for the beast is biting you now too.

*From Songs From a Free Space/Writings by Women in
Prison, edited by Carol Muske and Gail Rosenblum, New
York, n.d.

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