Muggy days are here. The sun is hot but blocked by clouds, making the land heat up like a pressure cooker. Humid and sticky. Not yet 100 degrees today or 40 degrees celsius. I would prefer it was 100 degrees with no muggyness. I may have just created a word by adding ”ness” to muggy, which is okay. Anyway the muggyness has something to do with clouds having a thin layer of water in them that moistens the air—the hot funky air. Not like the dry Mojave desert heat I was once use too. I remember the heat being 115 or more but still not a sticky, muggy heat as today, yesyerday and the day before that.
With little or no cooling system inside the cells one must wait until at least 11:00 or 12:00 midnight or even later to cool off and be comfortable to do some kind of activity.
MCI phone company / this prison are still not allowing prisoners to make overseas phone calls. Word is MCI only allows calls to other people and countries that have a contract with MCI. Therefore I have not been able to call Sweden or make any international calls. The prisons of California switched over exclusively to the MCI phone company three months ago. The same MCI company that had a big scandal, something to do with corruption and playing hide-and-seek with million of dollars.
MCI is still in court fighting charges and yet California prisons make a big deal with MCI world com. Even though the company is corrupt and supposedly bankrupt. I inguired when will the overseas phone line problems be fixed.
I sent an appeal to the appeal’s coordinator at this prison. He or she is the prison official who is supposed to send appeals to proper staff to deal with any appeal issue. But he keeps giving me the run-around, talking about sending the appeal to a sergeant or lieutenant. Neither one works for MCI or has skills at fixing MCI world com phone system. Although I am sure MCI gives the warders and prison officials millions of dollars. I’ll stay on the problem and write another appeal if I have to and send it to the warden of this prison this time.
Some one asked me, do prisoners have a way to protest and stand up for things in prisons. Violations of human and family rights. My friend Karin from Sweden asked me this question. She asked are there any rights?
Prisoner and prisons use to be a welcome stream of political human rights unrest—bringing up and standing for issues that not only affected prisoners behind walls, but human beings and prisoners around the world in any kind of prisons, racial, physical, social, political and cultural. Use to be a fertile ground of real political thought and changes.
But right now like in society, it’s that divide and separate people from people, first from society and then from each other in prisons. Divide and separate along racial, social and gang lines. While the elders inside and outside prisons kick back and watch.There are not enough unselfish voices reaching out from prisons and very little unselfish voices reaching into prisons. There are over two million people in prisons in the USA no end in sight.
Right now as I am writing this newsletter on a warming Saturday morning a riot is happening on the yard. A big fight between the Bulldog and South Sider gangs. It was in the shower where the riot started. There was no dayroom and the two warders, one in the gun tower by this cell block and the other on the floor were running showers and phone cells. The alarm went off. The one warder on the floor went to the door to out while the gun tower shot their gas and block guns out of the tower to the yard. I finished soaping up and waashing my self as the warder on the floor announced we had to lock up in five to seven minutes. The warder on the floor goes up to the tower too and assists the tower warder as she shoots out of the tower. They turn the ventilation off as tear gas filters into the cell block. I go to the cell with towel over my nose and mouth.
At this level three prison there are usually big fists and fights and people can get kicked alot, but normally there are no weapons involved like at a level four prison.
Don’t know yet for sure who was in the riot. But all is quiet now outside and in the cell blocks. There will be a lockdown now. Warders will make more money. Prisoners will be confined to cells, no visits, phone calls or movements. That was the firs big riot this summer on this yard, ”A” yard. It has been a hot summer so far.
Two days ago it was surpy thick sweaty but today it is below 90 degrees or 32 celsius. Now they will bring the yard into the cell blocks by race and gang. I’ll be able to tell then who was in the riot.
This day Saturday moving quiet and slow. No movements on the yard for hours now. Prisoners down on their bellies in plastic handcuffs. While warders plan their lock up stretagies. They plan on what they will do with all the overtime money. Buy another house or a car, perhaps a boat. Plan on which house or park to have their wild parties in.
Yes, it was South Siders and Bulldogs fighting on the yard. We are on lock down.
They fed us late last night and this morning. But now I am fully awake and not tired and the pollen count in the air must be down. I’ve not worked on any of my bird drawings in a few days, but I hope to match them with poems and perhaps make post cards eventually if I can get the assistance. Peace Gang post cards.
Just done some drawing on my wolf picature and one of my hummingbird drawings.
New day, still on lock down and the warders brought some stale pancakes and some kind of mush for breakfast. It takes three warders to open the cell door and pass out bland trays. The rest of the day, until dinner time the warders romp around the buildings and yard drinking coffee, flirting with each other and talking about all the fun the enjoyed over weekend, the baseball games and football pools.
That is all good I suppose, the state is meant to be inefficient. But they could at least let prisoners off lockdown whoid not participate in the riot.
My friend Ingunn asked me to comment on the staged fights the prison officials and warders put on between prisoners and rival gangs. That still happens, maybe not as much as it use to and perhaps it’s under reported, because American media are such cowards when it comes to reporting the truth about prisons and accept without examination any information given to them by spokesman. Riots and individual combats are still fomented by prison officials and warders. They get more money when riots happen and something always happen when it gets toward the end of the year for them to make their Christmas money. ”The truth about prisons” is the title of one of my one act plays, which needs to be typed up.
Anyway, yes, Jan is correct about the organized fights put on between prisoners by warders. The 60 Minutes program once had a video of one of those fights. I am speaking of my Swedish brother Jan Jönsson from my ”Waiting for Godot” days. I hope people are catching Jan’s performances. I think Jan is still doing performances in Norway right now. I hope Jan will bring some of his realness performance to this country and get his book published in English. I think Jan would like my new play, ”The Truth About Prison” and that my Norwegian friend Igunn would like the play, too.
Yes I remember our Godot performances, I think back on the end of a performance and how the audience applauded. I stood straight with my legs apart and my head bent back looking up, and my hand behind my back – I was open and watching the audience and the cast and Jan. I was unconsciously or sub-consciously or both, trying to breathe in that moment and make it last forever. I think it worked in a sense, because those ”Godot” moments are still so vivid to me today, after so many years. It is like a place of realness, a hidden valley where one can go. To revire one self. Those moments with Godot, Jan and Samuel Beckett were no stagnet moments, but stand like a giant redwood tree dropping seeds that grow – always something to build on, giving me confidence to keep growing.
On the other side I still have that longing to do more stage acting before any of my teeth fall out. One of my teeth got chipped, so will I ever smile again? It’s a small chip that I know under normal situations, non prison, I could get capped. But here the first thing prison dentists wants to do is pull a tooth, no matter what. I won’t allow them pluck a tooth for a minor cavity or a mere chip.
I have not started my cell workout program yet. Don’t know how long we will be on lockdown. It is always an adjustment period from outside workout to inside. There are no pull up or dip bars. No running… I suppose one could run in place. I know I have to do my stomach excercise or my back will start acting cracy. Running was kinda bringing my six pack or eight pack in. I had been getting a little lazy and uninspired on my sit ups.
Still not getting proper food or diet to eat here. The food preperation is horrible – really disgusting, which makes it hard for me to eat the little fruit and vegetables here, especially after I know where it has been. Even the water here is recycled and disgusting and the warders won´t dare drink it! Sure sign that something is amiss. I love eating vegetables and fruit and could it tons of it and I love eating all kinds of meat too. Just last night I ate a whole can of olives my brother Abe Jackson had sent to me in a quartenly package… so much food I long to eat.
Time to see if any drawing wants to come out. The weather is warm but no humidity, no high dew in the air which make things like a pressure cooker.
I tried to draw faces again and it´s coming along slowly the faces but I´ll keep working with it. No movements on the lockdown today. I have books to read I think…well poetry books. Things to draw and write…topics to ponder.
New day and we’re still on lockdown and warders have not run any showers or let anyone off the lockdown. Don´t know hove long this lockdownwill last now, even though warders know who was fighting whom and have the whole thing on camera. There are cameras all over the yard. The prison policy was up until now after a day or so the prisoners not involved in the fight would be let off lockdown. Again it must be that overtime money. The warders get more money if the entire yard is on lockdown. Oh well, I have things to do. First I´ll figure ot what I am going to write about today. I am hoping to make this a long newsletter.
I am wondering how the birds are doing especially the young ones. There was another bird feeder who saved a lot of bread and spread over the black top between buldings 4 and 5 for about seven months now. The young birds have eaten there with their parents and since they were weened from their parents. So the little fellows I am sure are accustumed to eating there and depend on that food so I hope at least that guy get off lockdown soon the feed the little fellows on that side of the yard. I meant to speak on that topic in my bird stuff seetion. I´ll come up with something else.
My hay fever still is not completely gone but I can fight it off with a spot of tea or coffee. So I suppuse the pollen is not as thick late summer. The flowers and trees and other spawning entities that use the air ways to make love have now settled down, or shall I say use the air to send love.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
I still hope people are enjoying this newsletter and I look forward to getting your ideas and thoughts about topics. Still no feedback from anyone on the website. I hope to get some letters or feedback soon.
Keep living and loving in the moment and beyond borders – let peace, love and realness be your guide. May the light of a butterflies float in your hearts. May joy blossom like an untouched forest in your souls. Keep glowing and growing! Keep sharing realness and walking in your own shoes. I feel you all!
Stay real
