A prison within a prison
Held by mountains
Made of concrete
Held by metal bars cool
As creek water
Meals of water and bread
No TV, no radio
No personal items save
A Bible      
                Yea though you walk through
                this valley of shadows
Don’t get rowdy
The guards will take
Your mattress, your clothes
Chain you to the bars
Shoot you with tear gas

Dip the water out
Of the toilet
Talk through the pipes
Keep close company
With the voices in your head
You’ll hear the songs
Your mama never sang
You’ll hear the warden holler
To the guard in the tower
                Lower the key      
                He’s going home.