Blog 2008

One Apple, One Orange Twice A Year – December 23 to 25, 2008

Posted

December 23 6:47 PM

I woke up earlier and did some nice yoga/ meditation, centering my mind and relaxing my body. I didn’t do any writing yesterday. What I did I do?……

Engage in a dreadful amount of sleep deprivation. I got up yesterday and found out that there was no hot water. So, I had to make myself stay awake in order to speak with a sergeant about the problem when he came around. Normally, we’re woken up on a consistent basis, day and night. It’s impossible to sleep for more than an hour without being pulled from your sleep by a variety of noises: count time(!), clean-up crew, chow-time(!), scream-talking(!) by other inmates, beating on doors, slamming gates, slamming doors, etc!, etc!, etc! But, I wanted to absolutely make sure I was awake so I didn’t miss the sergeant, therefore I read and read till he came around. I find it hard to write when I’m in an extreme — meaning more than normal — sleep deprived state, so I didn’t write at all yesterday.

I read Neil Gaiman’s “Odd and the Frost Giants” which is an alright little book, it’s basically a retelling of tales from Norse mythology. It’s something I’d give my son and stepson to read. Then, I started on “American Goods” by Gaiman. I thought I’d be more impressed by it than I actually am. I’m into the book and I’m a bit disappointed…

First Day Of Yule/Winter Solstice – December 21, 2008

Posted

This is the first day of Yule. Today is Winter Solstice … I was just writing a friend of mine and I had an idea …

I thought that if I was out there in the free-world I would start a holiday tradition for my son and stepson and any other family members or friends that would like to participate …

It seems that a lot of people out there seem to think that I have huge support group with people constantly organizing for me and keeping in all close contact with me. The fact is that I only write one person in the U.S. on any type of regular basis and one person overseas. That’s all. Well, I was going to write them a letter each for the holidays, but I thought that it might be interesting to do so in an update form …

I’ll just do a little free-flow writing and see what happens. I should be out there engaging in some good ole Dionysian revelry but since I can’t I’ll have my own little holiday festival in this little cell …

On The Case Of Troy Davis – November 16, 2008

Posted

I recently heard that Troy Davis has been issued another stay of execution, though I’m not sure of all the details. (Sometimes, news takes a while to reach the confines of this dungeon.)

I’d like to encourage everyone to go to his support website (http://troyanthonydavis.org/) and offer any help that you can. Remember, inaction is consent and the only way to make change happen is to be active.

One of the main issues in the Troy Davis case is that 7 of the 9 prosecution witnesses have recanted their testimony since his trial. This fact alone should ensure that he receive a new trial. However, as a general rule courts give more weight to trial testimony. Their reasoning being that witness testimony at trial is closer to the time of the crime so memories are more reliable and the testimony is given in front of a judge in open court with both prosecutors and defense attorneys engaging in cross-examination.

The Orwellian double-think justifications the courts give for deplorable and unjust actions and ideology never cease to amaze me…

A Prisoner Was Murdered On The Unit Yesterday – May 20, 2008

Posted

We’re on emergency lockdown because a general population prisoner was murdered on the unit yesterday. TDCJ tries very hard to keep information like this from reaching the public so I felt the need to write a quick update.

I don’t know all of the details, but I do know that a prisoner was beaten to death yesterday, supposedly by another prisoner. It happened in one of the general population dorms. Interestingly —or perhaps I should say sadly— enough, yesterday was also the birthday of Malcom X.

When I get more details about what happened I’ll let ya’ll know what I find out. It’s absolutely absurd that the prison system is structured in such a way as to make people worse after they enter prison.

A Close Friend Committed Suicid Yesterday – January 30, 2008

Posted

I’m in the saddest of sad moods. Writing even seems a vulgar thing to do, inappropriate because of what happened yesterday. I feel as if a dark cloud of sadness has filled my cell, descended upon my senses. When I breathe I inhale this fog of despair. I can taste it on my tongue, smell its heavy stench. My skin is humid from its moisture. I blink and hold my eyes closed for a second…ten seconds…thirty seconds…a minute—it’s still there…

I thrust my arm sideways in the air, slicing through the cloud, a space opens, it twirls, a sinister ghostly face forms and laughs mockingly in my ear. Since yesterday I’ve been lying to myself, my conscious mind denying it exists, my subconscious twisted, overwhelmed by a deep sadness, fighting this dismal haze, this profound abyss of pain…There are really only two people here who I consider very close personal friends and one of them, Jesus Flores, killed himself yesterday.

He slit his own throat and died in his cell. He died alone in a small, cold cell of steel and concrete on Texas Death Row. 78 cell. F-pod.