Editors Note: This poem was written by someone who has faced incarceration. It was originally published in the Voices from Prison and the Edge newsletter (issue no. 34), a publication of the Adeodatus Prison Ministry under the Augustinian Defenders of the Rights of the Poor.

Sometimes the emptiness can be so big that it will swallow me whole. But I am more than just a body because I have a heart and a soul. When life feels like an unnecessary or cruel and useless burden, I must remind myself that its not over. I just want to stop hurting. Booze and drugs were the way I thought I could make my escape, until I learned that a hug and a good talk are all it really takes. So, if you’re thinking that you’re the only one and no one understands, I’ve been there too, and I care about you so here is my hand. I can’t promise that I’ll take away the pain, but maybe I can tell you something that can make you smile again.

Claude