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About Time is the national newspaper for Australian prisons and detention facilities

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ISSUE NO. 18

January 2026

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Poetry

Beautiful Souls

By

RM

RM writes from a prison in QLD.

Kristel Hayes via Unsplash

Why should you suffer for my pain.

Knowledge in this I should try to gain.

Does it feel I have left you alone?

It may feel I have cut you to the bone,

But please believe me, my love is true,

I know in the past I didn’t know what to do,

Because being a father was new to me,

Over the years I was blind, but now I see,

That my responsibility is to be a dad,

Even me writing this poem, makes me sad,

Thinking of you all from this cell,

You beautiful things, I must have put you all through hell.

So now I have made some new goals,

And that is to save your beautiful souls.

Why should you suffer for my pain.

Knowledge in this I should try to gain.

Does it feel I have left you alone?

It may feel I have cut you to the bone,

But please believe me, my love is true,

I know in the past I didn’t know what to do,

Because being a father was new to me,

Over the years I was blind, but now I see,

That my responsibility is to be a dad,

Even me writing this poem, makes me sad,

Thinking of you all from this cell,

You beautiful things, I must have put you all through hell.

So now I have made some new goals,

And that is to save your beautiful souls.

How to Make Bannoffee Pie in a Secure Unit

By Garth

A sweet treat using buy-up staples.

Creative

ISSUE NO. 20

1 MIN READ

I Am Tired

By Anthony

Tired from being told what to do. I am tired of love, tired of being deemed guilty, tired of my own remorse. I am tired of my own self-doubt, my own shadows and especially tired of my own face.

Creative

ISSUE NO. 20

I Hate You, Crystal Meth

By Mackenzie

Hate’s a strong word, but for you it’s reserved. I hate what you’ve taken from me, my parents, my childhood and my glee.

Creative

ISSUE NO. 20

1 MIN READ

Twelve Years Trying to Patch Up My Soul

By Abynei

My blue eyes look so drained, but I’m strong, I’ll make it through.

Creative

ISSUE NO. 20

1 MIN READ