Reality

It was an avenue of hatred
That brought me to my knees
Carted off to prison
I endured till I was freed

Thirty years I suffered
The boredom and the fear
I longed to smell the ocean breeze
And hug my family near

I never saw my children grow
Hear their laughter at the park
Because they came to hate me so
My life became quite stark

I shelled some peanuts first day out
I smelled the rancid air
Of the homeless shelter where I slept
Of thugs I must beware

I’d hoped to join my family
The day that I was free
But all their lives were different now
Alone now, that was me.