Jack is serving life without parole, and has
terminal cancer. Throughout my incarceration, Jack was a positive influence. He
encouraged me to keep writing, to enter short-story competitions, and we
proofread each other’s chapters. Jack is seeking pen pals, so anyone interested
please email me at attwood.shaun@hotmail.co.uk for his details.
Hello,
my friend. How are you today? Well, I hope
DOC
has just hit us with a new change to policy concerning the receipt of food
securepaks and books. We will no longer be able to receive these things from
just anyone. We will only be allowed them from individuals on our pre-approved
visitor list. The term DOC used was “authorized adult visitors.” DOC’s
reasoning is that it will cut down on the ability of drug users to pay their
debts through the securepak system. It’s faulty logic if you ask me. There are
many different ways to circumvent this issue, and all DOC has done is cause a
momentary irritation that will probably lead to more assaults until the new pay
off method is worked out. Personally, I’d like to see some verified statistics
that justify this move. Sounds more like the typical knee-jerk DOC reaction.
Anyway, thank you for the securepaks you sent. They were appreciated and always
a pleasant surprise.
On
a writing note: the last best seller to go on to be a blockbuster movie is
Cassandra Claire’s The Mortal Instrument.
Real name Judith Lewis, represented by Simon and Schuster. Two books in this
series have gone to #1 worldwide. I mention this as something for you to
consider. I realize it would be pandering to the masses, but sometimes it is
necessary to try several different avenues. While I haven’t read Claire’s books
yet, I’ve read the first five of R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series and understand the appeal. I guess what I’m
saying is don’t pigeonhole yourself. You have the natural ability, so flex your
muscles and give it a try.
I
received your letter and printouts this week. Draft chapter 1 of your new
self-help book reads well. I had to read it a couple of times to reach that
decision though. The section with you moving to Tucson into a gated guarded
community didn’t read smoothly for me at first, but after going back over it, I
think it was more my own flawed perception than anything to do with your
sentence structure.
It
must be nice to have your own meditation master to guide you in the UK. I have
to admit that I have not dedicated as much time to my own meditations as I once
did, or that I would prefer to do now. All the usual excuses apply but none
bear repeating here. The journey you are on can be as difficult or easy as you
make it, once again it comes down to you and your choices. This seems to run
through everything in life.
I
have enclosed some poems from JR who you met during your time here.
Time
to go my friend. I hope you are well and happy. Take care and tell all I said
Hi and wish them the best.
Always
yours,
Jack
Two
poems from JR:
Prisoner
All
things of love and intimacy
Held
just out of reach
Only
serve to stalk my sanity
I
wonder, What do you hope to teach?
You’ve
compounded my hatred
Keeping
all I love at bay
Have
you turned me into a sociopath
So
you can point at me and say –
“Look
at that hardened criminal
Full
of anger and hate!”
But
you know I was quite the opposite
Before
I walked through your front gate!
This Cruel Place
In
this cruel place
Where
hate runs rampant
Far
away from society
Outcasts
of the human race
Touch
the fringe
Of
lost sanity
Unlucky
recipient
Of
pent-up anger
Now
gone to meet his maker
His
spirit now roams
A
much better place –
His
body’s with the undertaker
To
leave this cruel place
As
you once were
Is
but an elusive dream
With
feelings of loneliness
Hate,
anger and despair
Everything’s
changed, or it will seem
Someday
soon, maybe
You
will get out
They
will say: “You now are free!”
But
the inner reality
Is
that it will take many years
To
shed what’s inside of me.
Shaun
Attwood
2 comments:
I love that Prisoner poem, going to show it to my students....
Jill
Yeah the new securepak situation really sucks, even if you are on the inmates approved visitor list doesn`t guarantee you`ll be able to order for your inmate. I am an approved visitor and still wasn`t allowed to place an order. WTF!
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