Abu and Akil - on Death Row! Your daughter, visiting these prisoners, is a saint. (You already knew that.) Here is proof that capital punishment should almost never be practiced. How did I miss this post a month ago?? And the first post 2 months ago?
Truly a #curie- worthy piece, on so many levels - his penmanship and artwork alone. The story. O Lord, his story. You tell it so well. His poetry needs to be published,
with proceeds (or a percentage) going toward a worthy cause. Maybe this is the jump-start I need to become a publisher (a dream I dismiss because of my abysmal lack of business knowledge and chronic techno-dysfunction). This, from your intro post, is haunting: you are certain Abu will be a force for positive change among the prisoners and guards of the general population as well,....Akil will likewise continue the good work in Unit Two. But Akil and Abu, friends of a very special sort, may never see each other again. ....they will be able to send each other letters, but they may not ever again be in each others presence. And this:
I leave you with a few powerful words of Abu's, and he too has many more of these: Shed the past of unwanted suffering and become the healer, others await you.
Overwhelming.
Deep breaths needed....
"I took a hit" he writes... "Of God's love." And it was good.
These need to be published.
Has @yahialababidi seen these posts, these poems?
This is a project - I move that the Steemit community supports you in getting this story to a wider audience. Thank you for sharing this, Owasco!
I am so grateful that you think so. I've received another letter from Akil and will be writing about them again soon. This letter contained no poems though. The news about Abu is that the state AG is fighting to have his death sentence reinstated. He was scheduled to die in March 2020 (I think - soon anyway) and that date has been stopped. Nine men have recently been scheduled to die in Tennessee, have been given their dates. Can you imagine being in your cell and knowing that a friend is walking down the block for the last time? Walking anywhere for the last time? I can't bear this.