Visiting Alcatraz

Visiting a prison Gives a tiny little taste Of how a convict takes his life And has it all erased. From walking in the open air To confines of a cell Must feel like stepping off a cliff Into a living hell. No privacy or room to move, No access to the sky; Each prisoner must sit and ask Himself one question - why? For nothing could be worth the price That person's gone and paid, As memories of friends and family Slowly start to fade. Though Alcatraz is empty now, So many jails are filled, The penance for assorted crimes And vengeance for those killed. If criminals could only see The future they might face, Perhaps they wouldn't find themselves In such a somber place.