twenty-three years in prison
for crimes I did not commit
if had pled guilty
i would have served four years
and possibly only two
but innocence has no place
in the criminal -
criminal justice system
innocence is the hardest defense to present
to the deaf, the blind, and the dumb

no politics connected to my convictions
except the refusal to betray my own conscience
i didn't kill a cop
or anyone else
bomb a military or civilian environment
attack a v.i.p.
or burn the flag
i didn't sell your children
heroin, cocaine, or crack
i never owned a gun or a knife
never physically hurt anyone
all i did was to refuse
to plead guilty
to crimes i didn't commit

i have no support groups
no believers in my fate
no one taking up my cause
no web site
no 60 Minutes or 20/20 interviews
no defense fund
no rallies for me

so they continue to keep my body caged
continue to physically torture me
to crush my emotions
to rip at my mind
to humiliate and shame my spirit
while our president speaks of
human rights abuses abroad

although death may be my only escape
i will be a murdered victim
my hope is diminishing
my health is deteriorating
my spirit is under siege
i pose no threat to anyone
or anything
now
or in the future
and those in power
those political and religious leaders
ignore my cries for help
too busy doing God's work
too busy with elections
too busy to care
no rallies for me