by Chaser, San Quentin State Prison, CA “It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they’ve been fooled.” -Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain It’s easier to fool people then to convince them they have been fooled. This sounds like me as a teenager, specifically when it came to addiction. I was a drug addict and nobody could tell me anything. The biggest problem was I didn’t think I was a drug addict. I regulated my use (sometimes) and I knew older homeboys who were way worse. From the age of 12 I was drinking. At 13 I started smoking
Continue ReadingYear: 2022
That Sound
by Donald Thompson, San Quentin State Prison, CA The sound that I wish I could forget is the sound of my sister’s voice when I called to talk to my mom. On January 26th, 1997, Super Bowl Sunday. I called my mom from the county jail where I had been since 1995, to tell her I missed her and loved her. However, my sister answered the phone. She was unusually quiet, and so I asked, “What’s wrong?” I heard her sniffling and she began crying. “Tell me what’s wrong!” She was finally able to bring herself to say, “Momma
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Volume 27.15/16
Please contact Lisa Lavaysse if you would like to purchase the full PDF or a printed copy of this issue.
Continue ReadingEd Note 27.15/16
Greetings friends! As our old friend and colleague, Cliff used to say, another week, another Beat…. It is hard to believe we are at it again with another beautiful, insightful, stimulating, powerful, and truly amazing one of a kind publication for you readers. Our latest double issue, 27.15/16, packs plenty of writings that we are sure you will truly find uplifting and hopefully inspiring pieces. Maybe you will pick up a pencil, grab a piece of paper and become a part of The Beat Within community. If you are new to The Beat, thanks for trusting us, there is a
Continue ReadingWhere You Feel Safe
by FT, Billings, Montana I am from Butte MT. Sometimes you can taste copper from the mines.You can smell a lot of thingsdepending on what part of town you are in. Downtown smells like fast food.Uptown smells like flowers from the gardens. Sometimes I feel scared. Because you see kids on the streetsand doing drugs on the streets. People fighting each other for no reason at all. But why does all of that make it home to me? Because it’s not where you arethat makes it homeit’s where you feel safe. Where I feel safe is with my family and friends. The ones who care about me. The ones who didn’t hurt me. The
Continue ReadingAdvice
by Elian, Marin A lot of people have talked to me in my life, but the two people that they have talked to me is my grandma and my big homie. I remember one time my grandma talked to me for almost an hour. She was telling me to do good and asking me what I want to be in my future. I always didn’t know what to answer, but I still remember what she told me. She told me to not give up, ever,in life and every time I am giving myself up, it reminds me of my grandma,
Continue ReadingLike a Movie
by Jeremiah, Santa Clara This life I’m livin’ is like a movie. The things that have happened throughout this life is messed up, kind of wish things were more simple and less frustrating. I sit and wonder why people are the way they are and it sucks people turn on you, lose love for you too, just because you want to live the life you’re comfortable with. This doesn’t break me, I just keep moving forward still solid and steady with the business. I learned even when you don’t do anything wrong and still get blamed, just take it because
Continue ReadingIt Was All A Dream
by JJ, Sacramento I had just returned home, after a time away from my loved ones. I had not been home in a long-long time. I pulled into the driveway, turned off the radio, took a couple deep breaths, grabbed my bag of clothes, and got out of the car. As I calmly approached the front door to the house, thoughts of my past life were flashing in my head. I no longer had the house key, so I knocked. I waited and waited no answer. Did they know I was coming home? I knocked again. Before I gave up
Continue ReadingThose Three Words
by Larry Johnson, San Quentin State Prison in San Quentin, CA As I think about three words that best describe me I first had to think about three words that I was not in the past. The words I list will not be in any order because for me they are all as important in my life and all now help me through my life. The first word I will use is “resilient.” This words means capable of withstanding adversity as marked by resilience. Also tending to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.” Looking over my past
Continue ReadingHope
by Efren Bullard, Ironwood State Prison in Blythe, CA Hope is the one thing that I never had. To be told (by my lawyer and the courts) that Life Without Parole means that, “I can never go home,” was the most pain I ever felt in my life. I felt like my life was over. Like no matter how old I get, no one would ever give me a chance. So I became very angry and violent until I was 40 years old. That’s when I began to realize, “I had to give myself a chance.” That’s when hope kicked
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