COVID-19 In Prison | Dennis Cockerham

COVID-19 in Prison

 

Noah has told me
Time and time again
He knows
What he wants
For his life

It is
To be
A writer

Up until reading his post
*COVID-19*
I agreed

Now
I see him
More a diplomat

Carefully constructed
Politically correct
Perfectly balanced
Analysis and presentation

You got my vote brother

As for us
As for
Covid-19

I think
Deeper reflection
here
May be needed

We are the inmate
We are the guilty
We are the confined

Judgment given
Sentence to be served
Separate from
The freedoms of society

It is
This separation
It defines the inmate
It defines the staff

It sets the standard

The foundation
The goal
To reform

It is
In this division
The penal system
Is created

Time now comes
That definition of freedom
It is challenged

The world
Its choices
Its opportunities
Its events
Limited

The lines blur

The loss
The repression
The disassociation

Lack of information
And
The confusion

All of this
Normal
Each day
In the life
Of the inmate

Now

The world feels it too

Their reaction

Sameness

And that

That is not allowed here

The difference
The separation
The distinction

It must be recreated

We are us
They are them

Psychosis
Diagnosis

Distorting the perceptions
Of those that teach the difference

In this denial
The truth is revealed

To know about something
To teach about something

It is not the same
As to experience that something
For yourself

Awkward it is
For me
The inmate
To see
Finally

In this manifestation

The delusions

The isolation
The identification

The process of thought
Which brings the justification
Creates the criminalization
Allowed the ajudication

Of myself
To be here
Today

Of all the treatments
All the theories
All the solutions

None better

Than the 1st hand
Eye witness account

The problem without an answer
The lack of coping skills
To handle said problem

The search
The pursuit
The shift
Responsibility to blame

The denial
The separation
The belief system created
Actions set forth
Rationalizations in place

They reach their conclusion

It is us
It is not them
And we

We are not the same

Harsh
I know
You think

Judge now
For your self
In this
Play by play

NO MORE LARGE GATHERINGS

Approx. 300 of us
Called down
Into the basement
Together
To be told this

People buying masks
That is
Inappropriate

Now
We
Cannot buy any for ourselves

The information
That you are hearing
On the news
From the doctors
From the people
In the world

It is false

I
Me
A nurse
In Yankton
South Dakota

Only Me

I know the facts

We must protect you

Protect you
From the virus

Contact between you
And the infected
Outside world
Needs to be limited

No more visits
For you
No more community programs
For you

We

We are going home early today
We have plans
We will be back tomorrow

We will see you then

ATTENTION ATTENTION

To limit exposure

Although you
Yourself
Could not
Possibly
Have
Any

Because
You have
Exactly
No contact
With the outside world
Except
Through us

We are going to restrict
Building access
To you

Furthermore

Separate
Segregate
Into smaller groups
During
The serving of food

HOWEVER
The staff
Which work
In these restricted areas
(For your benefit)
Will be available
To all of you
During these eating times
In the cafeteria

Also
To maintain
Secure operations

The correctional officers
Will wear
The same
One pair
Of gloves

As they randomly
Search different individuals
Leaving the chow hall

The possible chicken
Hidden under the collar
Will still
Not be tolerated

MEMO

We are limiting sick call

Should you get symptoms
It does not mean
That you are sick

In the name of your health
Feel free to use
One of the many
Community shared computers
E-mail us your concerns

Please use the
Non-alcoholic hand sanitizer
We have placed
In the area for you

It does not a thing
To defend against anything
However
It is better than nothing at all

COME ON PEOPLE

LISTEN TO YOURSELF

You cannot where a condom
Only once
But
Have sex 3 times a day
Then wonder how she got pregnant

You say
You are protecting us from a virus
How can that be true

Protecting you from us
But not us from you

As for Noah

My only grandson
Tayvon

He once told me
That he was scared

Scared to tell his mother
What he had just told me

I had him climb
Up on the logwood fence

I encouraged him
To lean his body over it

To kind of
Suspend
Balance
Himself there for a while

He asked me

What good
Was this for

I explained to him then

Pushing in your tummy

It might

Just help

Your nuts drop

HA

There is nothing wrong
With being nice

BUT

Admitting there is a problem
That is the 1st step

Love ya Brother

Dennis Cockerham 2020

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[…] COVID-19 In Prison | Dennis Cockerham […]

glenmarie@mncable.ney'
Marie Bergland
4 years ago

I enjoy your writing style Dennis. You make it interesting like Noah! Can’t get enough of his blogs. Two good men sharing their heart. Thank you!

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[…] COVID 19 in Prison | Dennis Cockerham […]