Andrew is a very talented writer and has written this moving poem describing the days before his release from Prison especially for Prison Week 2016…we present to you, The Outcast…

I’ve got one week left inside my safety bubble then I’m back on the street,
Police waiting at the first sign of trouble.
I hate being in here, yet I miss it when I leave
Like a part of me dies and everyday I grieve.
The day I arrived here my life stood still,
They took my confidence, my identity and my will.
I was programmed into a robot of their making,
Asking permission for each and every step you’re taking,
Then one day they gave me 46 pound and opened the gate.

I stepped back into society, to which I could not relate,
The whole world was in a race that’s so so fast
It’s a race in which I will always come last.
The gate shuts behind me, my life in black bin bags,
There no home nor hope for this old lag.
I’m lost and lonely in a world that’s left me behind,
So many thoughts and feelings racing through my mind.
Where do I go and what will I do,
I wish they would open the gate so I could walk back through.

I’m a convict, an offender, I’m branded for life,
Destined to struggle through trouble and strife.
Yes I’m guilty I committed a crime,
But I’ve been punished, I’ve served my time.
Yet society still take a very dim view,
People don’t see me, they stare right through.
This is my life now condemned by my past,
Existing in the shadows, forever an outcast.

Andrew, who has been with the ACE project for approximately 12 months now, often expresses himself through his poetry.  He finds that this helps him to have a more positive outlook on his future and takes him away from some of the negative experiences he has encountered in his life.  We look forward to Andrew sharing more of his work with us in the future.

If you want to find out more about the work of our ACE project, become a Volunteer or make a donation to support our work click here or contact us on 01772 561323.