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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

Poems by Denis

By

Denis

Denis writes from a prison in VIC.

Pedro Miranda via Unsplash

A Beacon of Joy

Memories arise, an echo's gentle sway,

Circling 'round me, crays of yesterday.

Recalling her smile, so beautiful and bright,

A beacon of joy in the softest light.

Her laughter, a melody, pure and clear,

Resonates within, though she's not here.

A bosom swelled, like creeks in spring's embrace,

Overflowing with love, a tender grace.

In every ripple, her essence I find,

A memory cherished, sweetly entwined.

Her smile, a memory, forever aglow,

Like creeks that swell, and never forego.

A Veil of Clouds

Through the window of my cell, I gaze afar,

Into the mist where dreams and memories are.

A veil of clouds, so soft and yet so vast,

Hides the world, its future and its past.

Invisible they seem, these wisps of white,

A dance of shadows in the pale moonlight.

They whisper tales of what lies beyond,

Of sunlit fields and of the golden pond.

This cell, my confines, cannot hold my mind,

For in the clouds, a freedom I do find.

Each shapeless form, a story to impart,

A canvas vast for the imagination's art.

So let me look, let me dream and see,

In the mist of clouds, I find the key.

To unlock the chains, the walls, the bars,

And sail away to meet the stars.

A Beacon of Joy

Memories arise, an echo's gentle sway,

Circling 'round me, crays of yesterday.

Recalling her smile, so beautiful and bright,

A beacon of joy in the softest light.

Her laughter, a melody, pure and clear,

Resonates within, though she's not here.

A bosom swelled, like creeks in spring's embrace,

Overflowing with love, a tender grace.

In every ripple, her essence I find,

A memory cherished, sweetly entwined.

Her smile, a memory, forever aglow,

Like creeks that swell, and never forego.

A Veil of Clouds

Through the window of my cell, I gaze afar,

Into the mist where dreams and memories are.

A veil of clouds, so soft and yet so vast,

Hides the world, its future and its past.

Invisible they seem, these wisps of white,

A dance of shadows in the pale moonlight.

They whisper tales of what lies beyond,

Of sunlit fields and of the golden pond.

This cell, my confines, cannot hold my mind,

For in the clouds, a freedom I do find.

Each shapeless form, a story to impart,

A canvas vast for the imagination's art.

So let me look, let me dream and see,

In the mist of clouds, I find the key.

To unlock the chains, the walls, the bars,

And sail away to meet the stars.

Falling Like Angels

By Daniel

The pain that I feel, this place that I’m in, these four walls closing in…

Creative

ISSUE NO. 23

2 MIN READ

As This Time Comes to an End

By Punkin

As this time comes to an end, I wonder which way the next will bend. The earth and moon will do their thing, I’ll embrace everything.

Creative

ISSUE NO. 23

2 MIN READ

‘God, I Am Deeply Sorry’: A Poem for the Prisoners We’ve Lost

By Triste

To all the prisoners who have ever spent time away from the ones they love.

Creative

ISSUE NO. 23

1 MIN READ

‘Tingers’ and the Squirrel Box

By Sara

In Creative Learning we get to see some amazing stuff made by talented people. The best part is hearing the stories behind how creative projects have come to life.

Creative

ISSUE NO. 23

2 MIN READ

Help Us Keep Publishing About Time

Without About Time, I don’t know where I would be – Mark, from a prison in Victoria

We need your help so that we can print and distribute the paper to every person in every prison for at least the next year. We value whatever you can spare, no matter how big or small.

Australia’s prison population is growing, and our many prisons are spread far and wide.

We need your help so that we can print and distribute the paper to every person in every prison for at least the next year. We need your help to cover postage for anyone who sends us a letter from the inside.

We value whatever you can spare, no matter how big or small.