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spotlight on
by Mary Frances Spenceranother criminal lost
late los angeles
night flashes helicopter beams
red blue chasing
someone reckless
enough to be desperate
drugged or drenched in it
crazy violence
gang or domestic
random acts
spontaneous combustion
strategies planned
money already spent
this is not a game
three strikes
puts you in
1 out of every 10 adults
in the land of the free
is in
jail
03/12/2008 Author's Note: This is a true statistic. i find it sad that our country is spending so much money on jails and war, and less and less on education, art, music, childcare, healthcare etc. etc... MFS
Posted on 03/13/2008
Copyright © 2025 Mary Frances Spencer
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by George Hoerner on 03/13/08 at 03:22 PM Very nicely put MFS. I think we need to reduce the crimes for which the death penalty is the only punishment and there are no retrials, no appeals. I'm thinking like maybe for anyone talking out of turn without raising their had, say starting at the age of 3. No that is too young. Make it 10 the age of "reason". This would reduce the need for prisons and reduce population at the same time. |
| Posted by Kristina Woodhill on 03/13/08 at 06:43 PM I like how you use the spotlight in this, the "night flashes helicopter beams
red blue chasing". The short almost stacatto lines gives this added impact. The first line says it all - the last stanza contrasting the land of the free and how many are in jail is a sad revealing statistic.
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