Thanksgiving

This was my fifty-seventh Thanksgiving Day inside of prison. The last holiday I spent free was in the year 1967. I was twelve years old. My release date is April 2105, which is the next century. It’s highly unlikely I’ll see another holiday free.

Because of the decades I’ve spent locked up, I’m not very sentimental on holidays, but I still think of my loved ones. I wish and pray that someday I will sit with them at the table and share my love. I dream all the time about having a home, a wife, and kids. Although I know it’s a dream, I still think about it.

I know I could still be productive in society if ever given a chance. There is so much heartache in this world. Way more than happiness. Being in prison is not an excuse, but to be focused daily like this inside of a cell feels impossible.

My purpose in writing is to describe what it's like to be a long-term prisoner, one who spent his whole childhood in prison. I want to help others avoid things that can lead any of us into one of these hellholes. If one sentence I write makes a difference in a positive way, it's all worth it. Prison can tear you up inside. It's good to stay strong, but if you do it too long, you lose sight of who you really are. I just want to get my message out to anyone who will listen and hope it will help.

Happy holidays and God bless.

Robert Clark (2025)