….they told me its a new kinda prison
a kinder prison they said
infact not even a prison they reasoned
a community treatment center really
motivational and inspirational and rehabilitative
and somanyother
multisyllabically empowered palliatives
that i thought youd end up
being my socialworker
when i reached you
finally
through thesame steel doors
and thesame bodysearches
and thesame spotless corridors
mopped clean of all human debris
but yeah – there were differences
posters with “surrender to win” advices
callcenter connections only ifyou
paid for your vices
private appetites and public hunger
cause the last meal was at 5
and after
there was just the machinevendor
in dark corner
matching its thirst
with yours
and i realized then
that you really were my socialworker
cause
all the while you calmly told me about
staying insanely sane
i wanted to scream
howthefuckdowegetthefuckouttahere