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

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ISSUE NO. 25

August 2026

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Poetry

What Will Be, Will Be

By

Gypsy

Gypsy writes from a prison in QLD.

Aleksandra Kovacic via Unsplash

Do you feel confined, please sympathise my pain.

The lack of understanding, I find it very vain.

Just imagine freedom, independence stripped from you,

How would you feel and what would you do,

I’m broken, I feel lost. I wanna be set free,

Why has this path decided to choose me,

Who am I to judge, I suppose no one’s perfect,

I’m the worst of ’em all but promise

I’m still worth it.

I’m real enough to own it, no reason to talk shit,

Elaborating, over-explaining will only get you hit.

The truth comes out in the end like the tyre stuck in the ditch.

Do you feel confined, please sympathise my pain.

The lack of understanding, I find it very vain.

Just imagine freedom, independence stripped from you,

How would you feel and what would you do,

I’m broken, I feel lost. I wanna be set free,

Why has this path decided to choose me,

Who am I to judge, I suppose no one’s perfect,

I’m the worst of ’em all but promise

I’m still worth it.

I’m real enough to own it, no reason to talk shit,

Elaborating, over-explaining will only get you hit.

The truth comes out in the end like the tyre stuck in the ditch.

This
piece
was originally printed in the
August 2026
edition of About Time.

Self Reflection

By Sofia

Often I try to self-reflect which turns into waves of rings around me. This picture reflects my days in general; life is static, surrounded by waves around.

Creative

ISSUE NO. 25

1 MIN READ

Beyond the Steel Mesh

By Anonymous

The cage stands bold, with its steel-clad mesh. For within its grip, it’s us it holds. Ten foot walls, of cold creme concrete. For outside we muster, like horses in stalls.

Creative

ISSUE NO. 25

2 MIN READ

Burning Broken Thoughts

By Wolverine

I know you think you’re broken far too much to ever heal properly, like all those other folk that make life seem so real.

Creative

ISSUE NO. 25

1 MIN READ

Lines For Define

By Jon

“The colours of the rainbow so pretty in the sky." The colours of my jocks lying, on a bench. Uncovered by shutters. Unarmed waiting snakes.

Creative

ISSUE NO. 25

1 MIN READ