Tis hard-believed I'm so damned happy
Just serves to show how oft' times crappy
Prison life is, fingers snappy
Snappy over lemon wash

For in the scented dishwash liquid
(Though a topic so insipid)
Dreams of freedom, conquered lipids
Lipids that did coat my bowl

As newly on the canteen list
A luxury, I must insist
Forgotten items, rarely missed
Missed as if another life

That somewhere fast machines do toil
Scrubbing plates which families soil
It's this, lawmakers, convicts foil
Foil as Correction's goal

'Ere I wake from this confoundment
Finding no more such endowment
Back to sleep and dream I, sound yet
Still remembered, yellow wash

 

*      *      *

Blind faith in systems of well-meaning justice
The jury, three days searching all, trying to trust us
No fault lay with them, they were frozen like deer
In the bright light performance which played to their fear