Through the Walls

Monday, May 31, 2004


Through the Walls



Hi, welcome to this Blog and thank you for visiting. To begin with, my name is Pedro. I’m a Federal Prison Inmate, serving time in Florida. I started this site because I want people to understand that we (the inmates) are more than just a number. We are human beings, too. Not all of us are bad, like the judicial system and most people in this society think. We just made a mistake and we are paying for it.

I also made this page, because it’s a way for me to vent or to express the personal thoughts and feelings that I constantly have. And to let out all my frustration, ideas, happiness, sadness, etc. It’s a way for me to talk about my experience with incarceration from my physical and emotional point of view; and to try to help other people from making the same mistakes I did.

This Blog will contain: Thoughts, Poetry, Writings, Short stories, some Photographs, Newspaper articles, etc. Sometimes the Thoughts and Poetry are from my own inspiration, but most of it will be from articles I’ve read and collected through the years.

What’s written here is honest and real, and perhaps, at times, a bit overdramatic; but that’s how I am sometimes.

There will be a Guestbook you can sign if you want to say something. Also, you guys can email me and I will respond, not right away, because my situation doesn’t allow me; but I will reply. This page will appear on Mondays and Fridays.

I hope you guys out there will enjoy this Blog and can learn and understand a little bit more about us (the inmates).

Thanks again for visiting this site and I’ll let you guys go with this thought. I hope you guys like it.

Sincerely,

Pedro

The Truth About Us

The truth about us is that we’ve been in jail. Some of us many times, some only once. We might as well go ahead and say that first ‘cause most of you think that’s who we are before anything else.

The truth about us is most of us have been addicted to drugs, sex or alcohol and did just about anything we could to make a buy.

Yeah, the truth about us is some of us stole money, wrote bad checks, sold drugs and a few of us have hurt other people in a blackout rage, but mainly, we take it out on ourselves.

That’s the truth about us. Most people stop right here and decide that they already know all they need to know of the truth about us. But there are a few of you out there who see a deeper truth and we hope you keep listening.

The truth about us is that we’re men, fathers, brothers, sons, husbands and partners. We miss our kids and our families. We cry at night, and we wonder what’s happening back at home.

That’s the truth about us.

The truth about us is that we’re scared and confused, and angry and sad, and lonely and desperate. We don’t know how to be in a relationship that’s good - whatever that is - but we’re really good at taking care of other people. We don’t know a lot about boundaries - we’ll trust everybody, but we really don’t trust anybody.

That’s the truth about us.

The truth about us is that we’re hopeful and eager, and creative - we can learn. We’re artists and writers and poets. We get depressed and we have nightmares. We know how to act real tough. We cry a lot. We sometimes get confused about whether it is today or a long time ago. We can’t remember a lot about being kids. We remember a lot about being belittled, about being beaten and stabbed by people we trusted. We’ve kept secrets.

That’s the truth about us.

The truth about us is that we don’t know how to ask for help, but we do know the faces and names of the people who treat us with respect. We can tell when you really don’t want us around. We can tell when you really care. We are survivors in this road we’re walking.

That’s the truth about us.

posted by P.M., 3:44 PM | link | 0 comments Email This Post