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Tag Archives: death row

Death Row Inmate #2309

20 Friday Feb 2015

Posted by stevenjohnno in poems, stories

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death row, old sparky

You mightn’t have heard my name

But I was in the news about a decade

ago.

They say that I committed a murder.

But I never did.

I sit here on death row

I am inmate #2309.

It is written on the front of my prison

issue uniform.

The brightest Orange that you have ever

seen.

I sit here all day and night

justĀ  staring at the walls.

Thinking about outside this cell

Thinking about my wife

Thinking about my life.

There are thirty days,before they

fire up old sparky.

I will sizzle like a steak

Maybe boil like a Potato.

Fried or boiled

I will be dead either way.

 

My appeal is in motion

But I have been appealing for

years.

Maybe I am not very appealing.

Lawyer after lawyer.

They tell the same old story.

We need new fresh evidence.

To take before the judge.

I need an eye witness.

They say that they found my DNA.

I wasn’t there

I swear on my mothers grave.

I sit here all day and night

Thinking about the sunshine

Thinking about sex

Thinking about what comes next.

By the way,my name is Cletus.

Cletus Williams

I am a 33yr old black man

from Mississippi.

Wishing I was someplace else.

The murder happened in 2005

on March 1st.

A little girl named Carly Nom

was abducted and killed

just a block from my home.

They say that black don’t crack

that we all look the same.

I must have a lookalike out there

I wish he would come forward

So I don’t sit in the hot seat.

25 days to go before my execution

25 days to get my affairs in order

25 days,I got to ring my lawyer.

My lawyer says that she is trying

but things are moving slow

If there is any news

She will let me know

My life is hanging by a thread

I need that phone call

I sit all day and night

Now I am doing pushups

Thinking about that phone call

Thinking about Ma and Pa

Thinking about the blues

20 days to go

And my phone call is finally here

My lawyer tells me that there has been

a development.

And that she will keep in touch

Keep in touch!

I need more then touch

I need some action

My time is running short

Time is going so fast

only 10 more days before I am

strapped to old sparky.

I cant eat I cant sleep

Only 5 more days

My arrives in person

She is very optimistic

It seems that there is a family

secret

A secret my Ma has kept to

herself her whole life

Now I find out that I have a twin brother

A brother who was adopted out at birth

An identical twin brother

A twin with the same DNA.

My lawyer told me that they are

searching the birth records

But so they cant find any evidence

of his birth

All they have is my Ma’s word.

How could my Ma leave me sitting in

this cell.

For all of these years

When she knew that I was innocent

I sit here all day and night

watching the news on TV.

Thinking that maybe they will air my story

Thinking about well thinking

thinking about all kinds of things

Thinking about old sparky

Maybe there will be a blackout.

The night before my execution

I am given my last meal

Chicken and rice and some juice.

A Priest arrives and says some words

that I don’t really hear.

The next morning at 6am

A couple of guards come to escort me

to the execution room.

I get off my bed

Have my last look at my cell

The guards grab my arms and

lead me down

Down the corridor of pain

The corridor of shame.

The execution is painted a dull Green.

It is funny the things that you think about

The tears are running down my face

Urine running down my legs

Where is my Ma?

Where is my lawyer?

They strap that funny metal cap on to

my head.

Maybe there will be a short circuit

Maybe they have converted to gas.

The phone rings in the next room

The Warden has the phone to his ear

A funny look comes across his face

Is that look good or bad?

It must have been good

Because I am unstrapped.

From that chair

I am led back to my cell

Where I need time to myself

And a change of underwear.

It turns out that they finally have

located my twin brother.

Unfortunately,there has been

another murder.

My is caught at the scene.

The DNA is a match.

I am finally released

The Govenor has given me a pardon.

I am sitting at the bus stop

waiting for my ride home.

Thinking about my future

will I get a job.

Will I meet a girl and get married.

Thinking about all of those wasted

years.

Thinking about

Well you don’t want to know what I

am thinking about

I am free.

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