Female mosquitoes suck my blood, flies buzz around my head, and my breath smells of prune, wine made from sour fruits and sugar. I belch, and my burps smell like fermented fruits peaches, apples, and oranges. All around me fellow inmates curse and laugh hysterically as if a comedian has told a funny joke. At night there are many sounds that startle me. I awaken to the cries of someone being rated or torched.
Violence is a constant occurrence and at times a welcomed friend.
It helps me to feel again. I meditate and pray for freedom, and peace within my soul. I see myself standing before a jury of my peers. The judge has just sentenced me to serve several consecutive years in prison. His voice was slurred and husky, and his dark eyes expressed disapproval of my behavior.