C e nsor ship

Matthew Feeney 22 Lines C e nsor ship [letters "C" and "nsor" struck through] As an incarcerated writer in order to correspond with my writing mentor I have to work through our prison’s ********* department. So when ****** refuses to forward my poem (because it contained the word ******-************? My mentor never receives it. There is no discussion, appeal or due process, ****** has done this to 3 different works of mine... so far. I can’t use the word *********** Or write about ******-************ Or use my thesaurus to find synonyms for joy about continuing to work with my mentor.\ I try to self-censor Edit Redact revolutionary and overly-creative ideas Sanitize And dress-it up... hoping it makes it past ****** who thinks she is protecting the outside world from my words. Just writing this poem could get me in trouble. And if I can’t get by ****** my writing remains nothing more than handwritten squiggles forever trapped between the lines of my writer’s notebook. Originally Published in The California Prison Focus. Reprint Rights granted with credit.