Isolation's Campanion

You would think, that as a prisoner,
Incarcerated for a crime you did not commit,
Abandoned by loved ones who believe the imperfect jury,
And thrown into isolation for your inability to get along with the other inmates,
That you would feel lonely.

Sitting in a small, whitewashed room,
With a mattress and toilet as your only companions,
No natural light to cast shadows on the wall,
The opening and closing of the food slot in the door
being the only sound not created by yourself,
You would think that battling loneliness would be your greatest challenge.

But …
… you would be wrong.

For you are not alone.
You have a constant companion.
Watching you;
Mocking you;
Judging you;
Questioning you;
Laughing at you;
And waiting to take leave of you.

You are not alone.
You sit in one corner of the cell
and your sanity sits in the other.

And you wonder;
Which one of us will leave this cell when our sentence has been served?
Copyright © | Year Posted 2014

Poem

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Collins Avatar
February 1, 2014 at 10:33 AM
Wow!
Andresen Avatar
January 25, 2014 at 8:22 AM
- Congratulations on your excellent and moving winning poem, Joe ! - Well done !!! - oxox // Anne-Lise :)
Makama Avatar
January 24, 2014 at 4:16 PM
What a great poem. Its nice reading your piece once again. Keep on writing please.
Onclaud Avatar
January 24, 2014 at 2:15 PM
joe, a fine write with such depth.. cheers on your win!
Mehta Avatar
January 23, 2014 at 8:01 PM
Enjoyed the write on loneliness and congrats on the fine win, Joe
Bauer Avatar
January 23, 2014 at 3:50 PM
excellent poem! this is so well-written and makes a point i've read many articles about - that solitary confinement is an extremely cruel and horrible punishment...
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