Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 1978)
Page 6 Portland Observe* Thu sday Docemb«t21. 1978 American State Bank Behind the wall J uh us D. Snowden 939013 Poetry Editor Lorry Baker 935021. O.S.P Correspondent "The Bank that integration built ” 2737 N.E. Union 282 2216 I H E LLO FOP CHRISTMAS by Lorry Baker 935021 SPORT* HOUR _ ¡ JOE’S PLACE Met a friend the other day M ho had come from miles away Just to simply say. Hello For Christmas 1801 N.E. Alberta She thought I would not recognize That same fa m iliar smile, with sparkles in her eves Flashing out to say. Hello For Christmas WILL You seel A prison cell has been my home And she had become the closest friend I'd known. In my dream to come and say. Hello f o r Christmas Peggy Joseph-Graves Eugene J. Graham 937922 I have found true philosophical meaning o f Christ Jesus teachings. The simple things in life are most meaningful. Love thy neighbor as thyself for 1 am thy neighbor. I hear the cry o f love. The ones who cry the loudest give the least of themselves. The most valuable things in life can not be seen So you see as I sit here in the solitude o f my cell I am not alone for my faith gives me peace and com fort. I not only study how to die but to endure torture, exile and causing in word, and to give up all things that are not my own. I have given up all my body desires and wants before death takes me o f these haunts. In the soiiiude o f my cell Daniel Jones 938957 A ng as I live I shall remember Christmas of 1978. Not only will I spend i in prison but I » ill spend it locked ir. a cell in Segregation. I look back at the two other Christmas’ I've spent as a prisoner and they seem almost a joyous oc casion. The sound of my mother's voice on the phone telling me I'm loved and all the holidays in the future we w ill be able to see each other. 1 haven't been allowed to call my mother for six months now. It will be another year before I hear her voice again. I tell myself to grow up and stop feeling sorry for myself. Everyone on the tier tnes to ease the feeling of despair by telling jokes and making fun o f the guards. The Chaplain passes out Christmas cards to remind you where you are. You thank him but feel like salt has been rubbed in a wound. What is the purpose behind all this? They say I ’ m being reformed. They say this will make me a better person. They say a lot of things that don’t make any sense at all. A ll I can say is that I won't be responsible for what I am in the future. Calvin Deadder 940641 Holidays in a penitentiary mean nothing to a convict, or shall I say at least for me personally. This m ight be hard fo r some people to understand so 1 w ill try to explain why this is true fo r the majority o f people doing time here. For instance, myself. I am doing 65 years and 1 have been locked up for a year o f that so far. When I was first put in jail it was very hard fo r me simply because everything that my life was about was taken away from me. My girl friend, family, car, apart ment, clothes, friends, money, etc. etc. The only thing to do to relieve the pain that any normal person Tuoa-Thurs 6 X am 6 pm — Fri-Set 630 am-3 30 am — Sun 6:30 am-3:30 pm BREAKFAST AT ANYTIME r DENTAL INSURANCE is a valuable asset . . . y o u r h e a lth and a p p e a ra n c e Before we know where the time had gone It was time f o r her to leave and move along This friend who came to say. Hello f o r Christmas NOW OPEN Z i; .I K t . . . U N IO N OR C O M P A N Y — Ill — MARIE’S KITCHEN F* 283-5012 I he New York Life agent in your community is a good person to know. Me talked and talked about many things. As ! glanced at her three vear wedding ring On the hand o f my friend, who had come to say. Hello For Christmas. Dt >natd Danford 932323 Christmas? I’ ll think o f a lot of things. I'll think about the meeting I just had with the parole board and how they told me 1 have a serious psychiatric problem and cannot be considered for release until 1 am over it. how they told me that no. they w ouldn't qualify me fo r the one program that deals with the problem, h>w they put me in an absolute cross by refusing to do anything for me and making sure no one else can. I’ ll think about 1976 when they did the same thing. I'll think o f a prisoner in a I exas hole that read one o f my ar- licles and wrote, ’ Keep w ritin g ; someday someone will listen to what they are doing to us.” I'll think o f a prisoner in an Ohio hole who was being transferred because he is a writer. Keep w ritin g .” his letter read I’ ll think — wonder — about how many others are locked into no- wm positions. I’ ll think o f a society that thinks they are being protected by these walls and can’ t understand they are being endangered by these walls And I ’ ll th in k about the prisoner who will walk free today. I hope he makes it. lt was very ack ward at the start. For two people only used to speaking with their heart. In a letter, on a page. Hello For Christmas But how do you speak to this angel, H hen tears start form ing in your eyes. Do you speak her name in a jo y fu l voice. Or do you whisper it with a sigh? The following articles are written by men serving time in S&l. and the opinions expressed are o f the in d ividual w rite r and do not necessarily reflect those o f the Behind the W all” staff. O.S.P. administration, population, or o f the Portland Observer. Personal Er Business Insurance £ — li To those men w ho are housed in O .S .P '• Is o la tio n and S e g re g a tio n U n it (th e h o te l. Behind the W all" dedicates this w e ek s c o lu m n to th e m as a Christmas gift. YOU FOR ONLY 15< Days: Sat., Sun., IM o n . Call: 2 8 8 -8 7 6 8 For more Information M e had written many letters, time to time Each had become my treasure H ith precious words to memorize. Oregon State Penitentiary is a dismal and lonely place at Christmas time DRAFT 5 2 4 6 N.E. U N IO N 287-9363 SERVICE & QUALITY MAKE OUR REPUTATION STEWARTS CLEANERS D ra p e ry C leaning Specialists Mon Fn 8-5.30 Sat 8 5 F A S T -Q U A L IT Y DRY CLEANING AND LAUNDRY SERVICE WE DO ALTERATIONS 2701 N.E. 7th Portland, Or. 97212 As she turned to say goodbye, She g fte d me with a fa m iliar smile. Sparkling eyes that would say. Hello For Christmas I I I M I ’ I I I t I t M i f t It M l< » \ n \ xi I I I I X I XI I S M l< X M I I I XIXtw So as I write this poem tonight. Fresh memories o f my frie n d in sight i i ho had merely come to say. Hello For Christmas. XX s II W i l l I VI I t i l l I I I I XII S O I I t lM I'l I I IX«. X III It I I XIXI I o t t v i s would feel is to forget. So over the last year I have con ditioned my self to do so. What I am trying to say is that a man in here goes through so much pain in mind, with such things as 1 have listed above, that I feel it is ridiculous to think that he would let something like Christmas get to him too much. Michael Stephens 940611 To be locked up during the Jewish Holiday, away from my children, my brothers, my sisters, not being able to partake in the celebrations, taste the special foods, drink the wine, not being able to worship my God at the side o f my loved ones, not to hear the songs of praise and devotion, not to see the flame that burns in remem- berance of those who died for their beliefs in Jehovah, singing the trist fu l chants that make the spirit strong, not being able to kneel down in a Holy Place to pray, not being able to hold my wife, or to comfort my son and daughter — I am lost. There are no words to describe the misery. My heart breaks anew each morning, and I die with no honor each night. ” The Angel o f the Lord encamps around them that trust H im , and delivers them.” ail, it is the unforgiveable offense of being a minority. Secondly, 1 did not pay my lawyer more money for my representation than the D. A. did for my conviction. So people, listen well, if you are traveling, and your jour ney takes you through Oregon, pull over and stop before you enter this State o f judicial perversion and think o f your family, or if they are with you, look at them, hug (hem, and love them all. for it may be the last time for a long time that you can en joy a simple little m om ent. . . C om e in ut yo u r c o n v e n ie n c e PARK FREE A n y Park n Shop lo t HOURS H **r«ditx » 4 W a r n S a i of (lax H W a r n Dr. Jeffrey BRADY, l o t p rvi l« l p m Dentist «. XX 11(11 IX X X X IIIII I X | I ' l l K I I X X I* O K I M I X I XKI t I I X X IO K l O Z X l i r i l M i K l l t l i x l I \ l l ( XXI I EXODUS m f u / a f / n / i / a tu J - J t r a / m e n / f ' r a / f t 1518 NE KILLINGSWORTH PORTLAND. OREGON 9721 1 284 7997 Happy Holiday Season — but remember: Konrad Garcia 940261 I ’ m in the building and I sit in cell 315. I've just finished my breakfast and my syrup bath — meaning — the guard that just gave me my tray, spilled syrup all over my bars, traystand. my leg and foot, and my letters. 1 brought it to his attention that I didn't really appreciate that and none other was his response, ex cept, "so f— ing w hat." After he proved the presence o f his e m o tio n a lly unstable attitu d e , I decided not to ask if 1 was the one who had to clean it up. So after the tedious job o f cleaning the sticky mess o ff me and my property, I lay back and think of all the joy-filled Christmas’ I ’ ve lived in the past. There arc so many special little moments that I, and I ’ m sure others have taken advantage of, and may have even thought they were boring Oh, how I wish I could live one of those special little "boring" moments now, or even if I could watch my kid playing with his new toys or ride his bike, or even just contently sit and eat his candy It is very painful to think that I am eighteen years old and in the inhumane clutches o f the Oregon judicial system serving a 100 year sentence with a possible parole date 430 to 720 months away. My crime? What is my crime? you say. First of N O A P P O IN T M E N T NEEDED POSITIVELY NEGATIVE WE WE WE WE WE WE WE WE WE WE WE WE WE WE WE WE WE DRANK FOR HAPPINESS AND BECAME UNHAPPY DRANK FOR JOY AND BECAME MISERABLE DRANK FOR SOCIABILITY AND BECAME ARGUMENTATIVE DRANK FOR SOPHISTICATION AND BECAME OBNOXIOUS DRANK FOR FRIENDSHIP AND MADE ENEMIES DRANK FOR FREEDOM AND BECAME SLAVES DRANK FOR STRENGTH AND FELT WEAK DRANK FOR BRAVERY AND BECAME AFRAID DRANK FOR CONFIDENCE AND BECAME DOUBTFUL DRANK TO MAKE CONVERSATION EASIER AND SLURRED OUR SPEECH DRANK TO FORGET AND WERE FOREVER HAUNTED DRANK FOR RELAXATION AND GOT THE SHAKES DRANK TO ERASE PROBLEMS AND SA W THEM MULTIPLY DRANK FOR SLEEP AND AWOKE W ITHO UT REST DRANK FOR MEDICINAL AND ACQUIRED HEALTH PROBLEMS DRANK TO FEEL HEAVENLY AND ENDED UP FEELING LIKE HELL DRANK TO COPE W ITH LIFE AND INVITED DEATH EXODUS DAY TREATMENT 1223 N.E. Alberta Portland, Oregon 284-1247
