Hi guys.

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Thanks for what you are doing with the newspaper. It is great to get updates and hear from others going through the same struggles. My name is Derek. I am a 40-year-old male currently going through my first time in the prison system. I’ve served 6 months of an unknown sentence and sharing a couple of artistic pieces while being inside.

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The poem was written in the early weeks of being on remand, expressing my raw emotions while coming to terms with it all.

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The drawing is a recent piece from a crossword book I have. Sketching has been my escape during lockdowns. I find the hours flying by when working on a piece. My skills have developed a lot over the last few months, and I may even look to do it as a career when I get out.

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Forgiveness – A Poem

Staring at my locked up cell, how did this come to be.

A broken mind, destructive path, a fate I did not see.

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The guilt and shame I carry now, I cannot comprehend.

A burden I have passed to all, their hearts I hope will mend.

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So close I came to end it all, was at an all time low.

The angels watching over me, was not my time to go.

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I dig for strength, my head held high, this challenge I'll defeat.

Endless support from selfless mum, a love you cannot beat.

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So now I lay to count the days and dream of when I'm free.

In God I trust, the path He lay, embrace my destiny.

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My family I miss the most, a sadness deep within.

Pray I close my eyes and to God, forgive me for my sins.

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Derek.