Richard Schnap- A Poem

PRISONER

I have seen him
In the backs of buses
Like a man condemned
To solitary confinement

And I have seen him
Through liquor store windows
Buying a cheap flask
To help loosen his chains

And I have seen him
Begging on sidewalks
As if a stranger’s coins
Will grant him parole

And I have seen him
Talking to himself
Like a man convicted
For someone else’s crime