Institutional walls 

Institutional doors

And rules, roles and routine

Which hold the line of time that drags

With

The uniforms that march around

A constant reminder

That the shirts will leave each day

To be reunited with a child, a pet, 

a-taken-for-granted giddy throng of choices and opportunities.

And for the companions with stories 

Born out of struggle and seeking

Both the same and different from your own.

 

Hark the call

That penetrates this concrete cage,

That pervades the air that's heavy with waiting 

And let come to rest

A witness on the windowsill

Holy dove

One that hovers above, 

A solid affirmation of presence

A declaration of devotion 

A tonic for the restless, 

Messenger of horizons, 

Lifeline to those far away.

 

The debt to Cesar has been demanded

Yet your wild, dogged, invaluable life

is there for the taking.

Search and find it:

There, along with the King's treasure 

- hidden in plain sight 

amongst the confines of

incarceration -

freedom, peace, hope, joy,

There,

in your very bones

which cry

Life.