Greetings realness people. I hope the late spring and early summer has been sweet to you. Still on this unjustified lockdown. The prison officials have decided to play politics. They have taken most of the mainline jobs in the kitchens and laundry and have given them to inmate trustees who are not suppose to be housed on this level yard and prison. It appears the prison have stretched this lockdown out just for the job taking purposes. This bring back memories of long silly lockdowns I experienced when I was here in New Folsom before over a decade ago. Anyway, some of the prisoners, who belong at this level of institution depended upon those laundry and kitchen jobs. Jobs that provided them some structure and responsibility. They depended upon these jobs for something to do and for the little money they made. Now there are hardly any jobs for the people who must be here. People going to work and being responsible is what makes for change for the better - it is self-rehabilitation. It is so crazy. In this prison system, already they have taken away all of the trades and there are no higher education programs and what little adult basic education programs have been gutted. Visits, family visits and vocational and higher education programs, plus art programs have proven to be self-rehabilitative and engender peace. So, what does the prison system do, they take away or severely limit the visiting and art programs. Then they say, look at those animals, they are not doing anything with their lives. It is absurd. PRISON DAY Today the prison started visits again but still no movement on the lockdown. Breakfast came and there were some brick hard pancakes and no milk. So I passed on the breakfast. There has been no milk for three days now. I heard on the tier airwaves that the warders say milk is out at all the prisons. The MTA (nurse) that pass out medication, I heard her say out loud that there may be 100 people in the gym with a virus, and she said that if 50 people get a virus it is considered an epidemic. Those 100 people housed in the gym are the trustee inmates who prepare our food while we are on lockdown. The medical assistant goes on to tell the guy in the cell, she is talking loud to, to drink a lot of water and get some rest. She said the doctor is too busy treating the trustee inmates in the gym to treat the prisoners in cells on lockdown. The MTA comes to another cell and this guy has come down with a sickness and she tells him; did you hear what I told the guy down the tier. So, it is a good or perhaps wise thing for me only to pick at the tray of stuff offered. I am hoping my sardines, crackers and soups will hold out. If not I'll have to become a breatharian! What an idea! Anyway, things are never so bad that they could not be worse or so good that things could not be better. I have been mainly reading again in this lockdown. I am working on a few poems, and I wrote this article for a Teaching Artist Journal that will come out next quarter. Both Judith Tannenbaum and the Editor of that national journal really like the article. Once it's published I'll share parts or all of it in a newsletter. I am also reading my Shakespeare poetry, and some Neruda and Valleso Poetry. I am finishing "Pillars of the earth" book by Ken Follett. I did not finish it for one of the book club readings. I am also reading "Narnia - the lion, the witch and the wardrobe" by C.S Lewis. I plan to read the series of C.S Lewis' books. I am reading "Life is beautiful", a screenplay by Roberto Benigni and Vincego Cerami. I am studying the dictionary some on this lockdown. Always good for me to go back or forward and review words. They brought dinner, some kind of pink-redish throw-up looking slop, over what looks like swarming maggots. I wonder, is anybody eating this mess? The only decent meals are Sunday breakfast with real eggs and the every now and then chicken for dinner. I'll eat a cup of soup and maybe a top romen later tonight. "We don't live to eat, we eat to live". Cool. Days are starting to merge now with the lockdown, which means the days pass quicker.
BIRD STUFF and STAY REAL SECTION
Have not seen any birds do to lockdown, but of course I see and feel them in my mind, soul and heart! Yes, always free soaring, gliding and dancing in the sky, nesting in my soul. Singing of freedom. Singing of love, of joy and peace and the power of healing and realness. Don't despair, people of realness even when dark clouds loneliness or depression come into my life, it rains and the sky clears up, and all is real and balanced again. One foot in darkness, one foot in light. Things ebb and flow. I shall continue to do my newsletters, our newsletters because of you, be there only one person or thousand people reading them, I am inspired and honoured. Your realness energy travel on airwaves and beyond walls to keep me living, growing and glowing. Thoughts, vibes and feelings are some of the most powerful entities in the universe. The essence, the realness of who I am is always free - my soul, spirit and mind which is beyond the body. They can never catch them no matter how cold and dark it gets in this physical prison. Every now and then my spirit wanes and I wonder if more people are reading the newsletters, and I wonder if there are things I could do to get more people to read the letters and get more Peace G. members. I'll keep being real and putting realness out into the world, more people will come and be aware of Peace G. because realness attracts realness, just like love brings love.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Again I am back on the beam, balancing, the one foot in darkness and one foot in light. I am sending Peace G love to everyone. Glowing and growing as always! Keep forgiving and healing. Peace G. out !
Spoon Jackson
