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

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ISSUE NO. 19

February 2026

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Poetry

Trapped Away

By

CJ

CJ writes from a prison in QLD.

Will Francis via Unsplash

Dear Readers,

I’ve just finished reading the newspaper and thought I would share a little song I wrote about being locked up, coming to prison and not being able to be around my loved ones when I want to be – and only seeing them at visits and speaking with them on the phone. I’ve done almost 10 years in prison and I’m totally done with it now and can’t wait to be out away from this place.

Trapped Away

By CJ

Life is the biggest mission always

Wishing and daily praying

Hoping something will start falling

Yet everyday you’re always waiting for that one chance and that

One opportunity in your life for

Someone to come and sweep you up

and start walking by your side.

I have a motive and they might even tend

To say stop acting like a kid and put all that shit away

Because when the sun goes down and

The moon starts rising

You start thinking, reminiscing,

How many days you already wasted in your life

And the bad decisions get you nowhere

And the systems and the prisons

Are more corrupt than believing in the Jacksons.

Who am I to judge another?

I was built to be a Leader –

I write rhythms to entertain y’all and

perform it like a master

With the lyrics flowing from my brains

Because my life is as big as a hurricane

Because everything I touch in life turns up looking rough

Screws up in a million pieces

But I’m never giving up with my life,

Rip it apart, with a heart, built like a rock

I knock down more

Beats than the actor in Hancock.

Mr Macho Man assaulting you with a verbal attack and

When you hear this you’ll be craving for some more.

This is someone’s real life story, so hold the applause.

I feel lost and I’m searching for the strength to walk out that door and

Find freedom through my eyes yeah find freedom yeah yo

Have you ever been trapped

Away from your family and friends

And lost in a world of hate and you think it’ll never end,

Finding out you’re lonely and losing the ones you love.

I have and I can’t explain the pain that it’s caused me,

Always rushing through my veins.

I had the urge and intentions to kill and

spill the blood of the guilty

Ones that’s messing me up inside but

I still held my head up high upon the skies,

wiped my eyes and washed away all those lies.

I was told I was freezing from the blistering cold.

I hold on like a poker game, Yo it’s time to fold

Yo am I phased, no wait for the better days

so I can raise on my two feet and be on my way

To a better future, forgetting my past,

See how long it last before I’m put back on my ass again and

Yo I love yous all, I’m just over this life

But I’m coming back and be living a better life again

My life, my story, I shout.

Dear Readers,

I’ve just finished reading the newspaper and thought I would share a little song I wrote about being locked up, coming to prison and not being able to be around my loved ones when I want to be – and only seeing them at visits and speaking with them on the phone. I’ve done almost 10 years in prison and I’m totally done with it now and can’t wait to be out away from this place.

Trapped Away

By CJ

Life is the biggest mission always

Wishing and daily praying

Hoping something will start falling

Yet everyday you’re always waiting for that one chance and that

One opportunity in your life for

Someone to come and sweep you up

and start walking by your side.

I have a motive and they might even tend

To say stop acting like a kid and put all that shit away

Because when the sun goes down and

The moon starts rising

You start thinking, reminiscing,

How many days you already wasted in your life

And the bad decisions get you nowhere

And the systems and the prisons

Are more corrupt than believing in the Jacksons.

Who am I to judge another?

I was built to be a Leader –

I write rhythms to entertain y’all and

perform it like a master

With the lyrics flowing from my brains

Because my life is as big as a hurricane

Because everything I touch in life turns up looking rough

Screws up in a million pieces

But I’m never giving up with my life,

Rip it apart, with a heart, built like a rock

I knock down more

Beats than the actor in Hancock.

Mr Macho Man assaulting you with a verbal attack and

When you hear this you’ll be craving for some more.

This is someone’s real life story, so hold the applause.

I feel lost and I’m searching for the strength to walk out that door and

Find freedom through my eyes yeah find freedom yeah yo

Have you ever been trapped

Away from your family and friends

And lost in a world of hate and you think it’ll never end,

Finding out you’re lonely and losing the ones you love.

I have and I can’t explain the pain that it’s caused me,

Always rushing through my veins.

I had the urge and intentions to kill and

spill the blood of the guilty

Ones that’s messing me up inside but

I still held my head up high upon the skies,

wiped my eyes and washed away all those lies.

I was told I was freezing from the blistering cold.

I hold on like a poker game, Yo it’s time to fold

Yo am I phased, no wait for the better days

so I can raise on my two feet and be on my way

To a better future, forgetting my past,

See how long it last before I’m put back on my ass again and

Yo I love yous all, I’m just over this life

But I’m coming back and be living a better life again

My life, my story, I shout.

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

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