Doing Time Poem by Doug Lane

We need to be like
lifers
at Atascadero,
doing our sentences
stoically,
hopelessly,
ingeniously,
endlessly.


making pets of mice and roaches,
conducting flea circuses,
painting,
picking nits
and lint,
learning to play
the ukelele,
shivving
whenever necessary
or just to watch
a cellmate die,
expecting
zero mercy
from the
parole board.


If and when
we're finally permitted
to go free,
we'll be surprised
and grateful
we didn't do
life.