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Street Roots • S eptem ber 1-7, 2017
Poetry
TRANSFORM YOUR THINKING
Talking about prison to community transitions.
A Gift Like No Other
by Ron Sanford
You can call it self-effacing
I t to o k m e long, so long to le a rn
B u t I th in k I ’ve m a s te re d th e a r t
You can call it self-d ep recatin g
I t to o k m e y e a rs to lig h te n th e load
B u t I th in k I ’ve g o tte n th e h a n g of it
I ’m no lo n g er self-defensive
W hen I ’m feeling le s s im p o rta n t
W hen I ’m feeling le s s se rio u s
I ’m n o lo n g er self-condem ning
W hen I ’m feeling le s s co n tro llin g
W hen I ’m feeling le ss te n s io n going
S o m eo n e h a s a s e n s e of h u m o r
H old o u t in th e sh ad o w s ‘til daw n, c a rry on
In te rn a liz e th e m ach ism o y o u ’ve re je c te d
N ev er lo se sleep , critics, blo w h ard s
You can laugh w ith o th e rs as well
E sc a p e th e chains, b re a th e in, b re a th e o u t
SPEAKERS FROM THE PHOENIX RISING TRANSITIONS PROGRAM • OHSU N U R SIN G
STUDENT PRESENTATION ♦ INTENTIONAL CONVERSATIONS • LIGHT SNACKS
You have a gift like no o th e r
R ock on, M ister! S tr u t like a cock!
COME SUPPORT
PHOENIX R isin g T ransitions
î-od « iw? ssrv&d from. nrsc AM - K? FM.
PHOENIX is a non-profit that asms to keep
people from ¡returning to crime & prison through
bwilding rdatlonihips S strengthening community.
OHSU
Successful prisoner re-entry impacts our communities
BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION
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