It's A Beautiful Day

Participles
Absolutes
Appositives
Adjectives out of order

As G and I sat on a courtyard bench, there was one word that came to my mind: happiness. Finally, for the first time in almost twenty years, I was actually enjoying myself behind these prison walls. Maybe it is the addition of G into my life, I cannot say exactly. But since he has arrived it feels like the world makes sense again.

The courtyard is a relatively simple area, wide and rectangular. You can see the prisoners, battered and broken, sitting along the walls and benches that scatter across the open field. It is a rather melancholic site if I have ever seen one--but not today. No, today is a day of rejoice. A day to admire all that is beautiful in the world, even though our world is only 6500 square inches. There are so many things I miss about being free.

I remember as a young man I would scroll through the “Pictures of the Week” on my favorite website and admire all the beautiful images caught throughout the world. Though, one picture sticks in my mind more than any other: Wheelchair Dancers. In this picture we could see a man and a woman dancing in a classic ballroom style; however, their bodies are being withheld by wheelchairs. The woman, frozen and distorted, looked deeply into her partners longing eyes. The man, overwhelmed with love, stares right back into hers.

Because of these pictures, I wish they would allow me to show you the true elegance of the world from our yard. The sky, a giant canvas splattered by blue and white, was simply majestic. The sun so bright, burning our skin with every passing second, gives a sense of life back to the prisoners who once never felt anything at all. When there is so little to look forward to, it seems that the courtyard is a place I can relate to.

The courtyard, a bland and simple design, is a mirror image of what I represent. There is nothing special about who I am. I too am a bland and simple design; though, sometimes G can make me feel like I am more than just inmate number 99019. Sometimes G shows me there is something good inside me. If he was not here to keep me level headed, I would be one place right now: six feet under.

These memories are the ones I cherish the most. I looked to the courtyard clock, two steel arms slowly ticking, reminding me of the few minutes I have left out here. If there was ever a day to cherish with a gorgeous picture--this was it. As we are all called back into the building, I could only look at G and smile. It truly was a wonderful day.