The Washington times., 1916-11-25
THE POEMS OF A
WOMAN PRISONER
Poetry Written by a Woman
While Serving a Term
In Prison.

] IN HAfpers magazine rOra OctODef
are printed the poems of woman
recently released from prison. Lorin
r. Deiand. the husband OF tho novel
! list, vouches for Stheir authenticity and
! furnishes an ntroductions to the
poems. r..
ITO better understand her case, ]
got into personal" touch with the
places and people among whom she
had lived. m the city of her exploits
there II q criminal quarter about four
blocks long and five blocks wide.
which In tho tough" section OF the
city. The police decided upon making
q vigorous effort TO clean up this
section--not that IL could be elimi-
mated, but II might be improved.
They 1xed upon X 1o7 as tho spot
where the cleanup should begin.
As they expressed Il. she dominated
the underworld there. and sho must
be gotten rid of at the very start.
This was accomplished by N method
familiar to all who know the worst
side OF police possibilities. She was
trapped bv three or four mon. them
selves criminals. as the price OF their
own immunity from prosecution for
various petty offenses they were
known to have committed.
Began 20 write.
1T was toward tho end OF her i'm
prisonment that she began to write
verse, apparently for the pure relief
Of expression. She was indifferent
to Its reception. and took little pride
In II. In certain moods she wrote
with great ease. Hut the character
istic OF her mind that Interested me
n sS% S n. n.Ssr w saS. *,
answer. Her mental processes had
strange orbits. and forecast was Inn
possible. When she appeared before
ike r 70 many o Jolt. n 10 those long &C:
customed to conventional replies. L
suppose your mother was discour.
aged with you at this time. asked
the grave chairman OF the board.
A Quessiss Of words.
"Sho weighed the question judicially.
Should you say "discouragedT' ] think
"disgusted" would better express It.
Let mo better illustrate this quality
OF her mind by a single incident: In
prison once asked her this question. II
you were given absolute freedom to
spend one night In tho great city. wholly
uncontrolled. where would you go
TO the thcater. to n dance, or whereT
After n moments thought she replied:
I would choose n warm night after q
rainy day. n night when all the electric
lights wore hnlos round their, heads and
eysrythins was fossy, ia go 70 tho
the paths. whore ! could sec the refcc-
lions OF the misty lights In the wet
stone pavements. Then I'D like TO 20 TO
some quiet place where I could hear
10 TO bed satisfied. But before I got
into bed I'd open and shut my door for
five minutes steadily. I'D want TO know
that II wasn't bolted
These verses. chosen wholly at ran
dom. are prlntd without any attempt
at editing;
.My Song
81 said In the NIGHT. shall smile no
For my grief seemed deep. and my
heart was sore:
But I woke when the sun caressed my
And / tinsied down to my nnGsr-tips.
SO l sang, instead. n lifting lay
To an April sky on an April day.
.wAyf
swept In by the tide. and cast on
LIES bosom.
rnwanted. uncalied for. an atom of
chance
Cropping and cursed by the sins of an
HOpeisssiy watching the gray years
advance.
swept on by the tide. In Its merclless
Battered and dashed by black Pow
erty's wave;
A plaything OF Fate, by Fate ill-be-
gotten.
wlnd-driven dereiiot. msrkss for the
grave.
Swept on by the tide TO the land Of
surmlses:
Questions unanswered. nausht learned
Crushed by the strife OF an unsought
existence;
Back 10 the Nowhere. murmurinE
'why7'
"April Weather
~ cannot help but sing. I said,
For Joy hath lately found met
When friendly stars shine overhead.
cannot help but sing. I said;
wopldst have me weep? The past II
dead.
And kindly friends surround me.
cannot help but sing. said,
For JOY hath lately found met